INDUSTRY NEWS
OBITUARY …
INDUSTRY NEWS
TV COMEDIAN HUGH DENNIS CONFIRMED FOR INDUSTRY AWARDS
Leading comedian and actor Hugh Dennis will be performing to guests at this year ’ s ECA Annual Awards and Gala Dinner , after being booked as the main entertainment for the evening . Dennis is best known for his star turn on BBC sitcom Outnumbered and comedy show Mock the Week . Attendees will also enjoy a range of other entertainment hosted by Alan Dedicoat – the voice of The National Lottery and Strictly Come Dancing , which will include a live band and DJ .
The ECA Annual Awards and Gala Dinner , supported by headline sponsors LEDvance and Electrium , is being held at the Hilton Bankside in London on Friday 9th June .
Winners of the ECA Annual Awards 2017 will also be announced on the evening . The awards remain open to entries from members of the ECA until Tuesday 18 April 2017 under the following categories :
• Large Contractor of the Year – turnover above £ 20m ( Sponsored by Schneider Electric )
• Contractor of the Year – up to £ 20m turnover ( Sponsored by Eaton )
• Contractor of the Year – up to £ 5m turnover ( Opportunity available )
• Contractor of the Year – under £ 1m turnover ( Sponsored by Edmundson Electrical )
• Best Client / Contractor Partnership Award ( Sponsored by ECIC )
• Innovation in Contracting Award ( Sponsored by ABB )
• Best Health and Safety Initiative Award ( Sponsored by Electrical Safety First )
• Excellence in Training and Development Award ( Sponsored by JTL )
For more details about how to book your place at the gala dinner , inquire about sponsorship , or to enter the awards , please visit www . ecaawards . co . uk or email awards @ eca . co . uk .
ALASTAIR RAMSAY – LEGRAND
OBITUARY …
Alastair Ramsay , sustainable development manager at Legrand UK and Ireland , died peacefully on 28th January 2017 , after a short battle with cancer .
Alastair joined the Legrand team in 2001 as part of the Wiring Devices business and soon became the company ’ s representative on many national and international standards committees . His expertise , energy and enthusiasm led him to be a member of many industry committees , including chair of the Construction Products Association and the Building Regulations Technical Committees , as well as vice-chair of the Lighting Controls Group and Environmental Technical Committee through BEAMA .
With an unbounded vivacity for life and a continuing thirst for knowledge , Alastair was a joy to meet and an honour to know . He will be remembered for his kind and generous nature and for his unrivalled knowledge of our industry .
Alastair will be sorely missed by all that knew him and our thoughts go to his wife Jill , children and wider family at this time .
If you would like to donate to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of Alastair , please visit : virginmoneygiving . com / SomeoneSpecial / AVR
Hugh Dennis , star of Outnumbered and Mock the Week , will perform at this year ’ s ECA Annual Awards and Gala Dinner .
‘ COWBOY ’ STEREOTYPE COULD BE PUTTING WOMEN OFF A CAREER IN THE BUILDING TRADE
The ‘ cowboy builder ’ image could be putting women off a career in the building trade according to Darrell Sansom , managing director , AXA Business Insurance .
The building trades maintain their position as the leading source of self-employment in the UK , counting for almost a million businesses . AXA ’ s latest figures reveal they are still the best choice for a solid and growing income , but questions why numbers of women in the trades remain miniscule .
The survey found that in 2016 a tradesman ’ s take-home pay was typically 15 per cent higher than that of a self-employed professional , and 37 per cent above that in the retail or services industries . Startup tradesmen turn a profit fastest too – within the
‘ Cowboy ’ stereotype is ‘ deeply unfair ’ on building trade .
first three months on average . And 71 per cent of tradesmen go full time within a year , compared to 55 per cent of professionals .
With such good prospects , the study questioned why so few women are taking up the tools of the trade . According to AXA ’ s customer data , just 5.2 per cent are women , far fewer than the one in 10 commonly quoted . And , for the record , women account for just 1.8 per cent of ‘ white van ’ drivers on the roads today .
Longer hours worked outside the home may make the trades less attractive for younger women who are juggling childcare with their work . Another reason put forward is that the traditional routes into the trades are outside the education system – through apprenticeships , on the job training , or businesses passed from father to son ( 10 per cent of tradespeople inherited their firms ).
‘ This means the trades are rarely promoted to girls when they are making their career choices , even though training to be a plumber or electrician could be as good – if not a better – option than university for many ,’ commented Darrell Sansom .
‘ There is also the stubborn persistence of the “ cowboy builder ” headline in the media which is rarely balanced by the many positive stories of decent tradespeople that we see . Seventy-two per cent of women surveyed last year said they thought the “ cowboy ” stereotype was true of tradespeople . There is definitely an image problem there , and it is deeply unfair .’
UK ELECTRICAL CONTRACTING MARKET WORTH OVER £ 20BN IN 2016
The electrical contractors market was worth just over £ 20bn in 2016 , according to estimates by market research firm AMA Research . The value of the market grew strongly from 2014 to 2015 in line with the general resurgence in overall construction output , in particular the infrastructure and offices sectors , and to a lesser extent in new build housing . The estimates for 2016 are more moderate , with growth of around one per cent .
Electrical contracting was less affected than some other areas within construction during the short term dip in the construction market in 2012 . This was partly due to the fact that the market covers a wide range of end use sectors and has a high proportion of work in RMI , insulating it somewhat from the effects of downturns in new building activity .
A key area of growth in recent years has been installations aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions , driven by legislative requirements and building regulations . There has been a rapid expansion in the range of LED lighting products on the market , and with increasingly sophisticated control systems for both heating and lighting , this has been the major growth area in demand for electrical products .
‘ Profit margins , which had been significantly squeezed , have shown some signs of recovery from 2014 onwards , suggesting that the practice of submitting tenders at , or below , cost price in order to secure work may be dropping off ,’ said Fiona Watts of AMA Research . ‘ However , some firms continue to make losses while loss making contracts are completed .’
Competition remains fierce among contractors , with some larger players continuing to seek growth , gain access to new markets and expand the range of services they offer , through acquisitions . There has been an increase in the entry of small businesses into the market , which , in light of falling levels of employment overall , may indicate that some workers in the sector who were previously employees have opted to become self-employed .
Future prospects for the sector are moderately positive , with the electrical contracting market expected to show growth of around 2-3 per cent per annum over the next few years . This depends largely on the performance of the non-domestic and domestic construction sectors , but business confidence remains good among electrical contractors , despite the uncertainty around a likely Brexit within the next 2-4 years .
Growth in the future is also likely to be motivated by legislation around carbon reduction , and renewable energy in particular , with a shift to LED lighting , increased modular product usage and greater use of controls which will have a positive impact on the market .
The ‘ Electrical Contractors Market Report – UK 2017-2021 Analysis ’ report is published by AMA Research , a leading provider of market research and consultancy services with over 25 years ’ experience in the construction and home improvement markets . The report is available now and can be ordered online at www . amaresearch . co . uk .
8 | April 2017