Construction Engineering News – March 18 Roundup
What happened in March in the construction and engineering sectors? Here’s news from our team and clients.
Hi, it’s Jemma. Here’s your Energi People briefing sharing news from our clients and team.
It’s a bit of a slow news week with not a great deal to report. That’s why we need your stories because we know there’s a lot more going on! If you have company or industry news you would like to share, send a link to your press releases or ping me an email telling us all about it. We’ll share here on our blog and get that news in front of our network.
Here’s some news from our team:
NG Bailey, one of David Routh’s clients, has bought the Freedom Group of £120m. This power engineering services contractor in Wakefield works with the electricity distribution market. Employing 600 staff, the Freedom Group focuses on substations, overhead lines, underground cables, buildings and associated infrastructure.
With this acquisition NG Bailey now employs approximately 3,600 people, with an annual turnover of £600m. This gives NG Bailey a prominent position in the growing electricity distribution market and also increases its capabilities in defence and airports markets.
David Hurcomb, NG Bailey’s Chief Executive, said:
“Combining our offerings strengthens both our market positions, but it also creates significant new opportunities for both businesses. It will enable NG Bailey to compete more effectively in new markets, specifically the electricity distribution sector. It is an area where our combined skills and market-leading approach to principal contractor management, design and BIM will add considerable value.”
Now news from the Middle East desk…
MEP Middle East published their ‘power list’, the top MEP consultants of 2018. Not surprisingly it includes some familiar faces.
James Mowat, our International Team Manager, has known some of the top 20 consultants for many years; and has supported some of them in their careers.
Here we share those ‘names’ we recognise, with their comments about the MEP market* (numbers indicate their place in the top 20):
Bill Jolly Regional Director of MEP Solutions / Arcadis (2)
“Traditionally, engineers have always been technically very strong and excellent at coming up with design solutions that meet a client’s need. This skillset will continue to be vitally important.
“However, in the current economic climate, there’s a growing need for MEP engineers to become more commercially aware in terms of the design solutions they develop. This may require additional training for some professionals. People need cost-effective designs that work, and things that can be delivered for clients in a shorter timeframe.”
Mark Wilson Regional Building Services Engineering Practice Lead and Associate Director / ATKINS (3)
“In the Middle East and Africa, our aim is to be the employer of choice; for example, our women’s business network played a leading role in the review of our maternity policy and flexible working policy. Annually, we invest in training programmes such as digital design engineering, change management, line manager skills, leadership training, business coaching and corporate programmes such as health, safety and ethics.”
Rob Gregory MEP Technical Director / Aurecon (5)
“Technology will play an even bigger role in 2018. What we need to figure out is how we engage with the new technology partners to deliver next generation solutions to bring our clients’ ideas to life. Helping our clients harness the power of digital is part of Aurecon’s global strategy and 2018 will see us play a bigger role in the digital space in the Middle East.”
Nick Byczynski MEP Director / WME Consultants (9)
“Our objectives in 2018 are to diversify from Dubai whilst envisaging a downturn in residential projects, leaving Dubai to focus on the delivery of Expo and completion of existing projects already in design. Cashflow is a major issue with clients. So keeping overheads low and choosing clients with healthy cashflow will help.”
Seán Murphy MEP Director / Ramboll (11)
“Ramboll sees Saudi Arabia’s drive towards a post-oil economy and relaxed policy as a big opportunity concerning future project prospects, and this is already being realised with recent project wins in the Kingdom. This will complement our existing work base in the UAE and wider Middle East and Asian markets.
“Design innovation and new construction methods are also moving very quickly in the construction industry, and again Ramboll sees this as an opportunity to capitalise on our Global expertise in these fields and the chance to bring this into the local market.”
Tony Morris International Director / Hilson Moran (12)
“Regional challenges such as attracting the right talent from a small pool of potential candidates across the industry present the biggest obstacles for the Hilson Moran GCC and UAE offices. We has also been affected by the local skills shortage within the GCC with recruitment of qualified engineers still proving to be a challenge. We are playing a part in supporting the development of the engineering sector by working with local universities.”
We know someone who can help you with that Tony!
Cathy Christer Partner and Head of MEP / Godwin Austen Johnson (14)
“The wide range of projects coming up over the next year in the UAE and the wider region present significant opportunities to companies in the sector. There are opportunities in major new projects in the leisure and residential sectors, as well as more bespoke new build projects.
“In addition, refurbishment is a growing sector as aging building stock needs to be updated. Refurbishment projects present a particular technical challenge to MEP engineers and require an experienced skillset to be successfully completed.”
Omnia Halawani Director & Partner / Griffin Consultants (15)
“Governmental entities around the world are increasingly adopting energy efficiency programmes to reduce carbon footprints and eliminate inefficiencies in energy use. Private building owners and developers are realising the opportunities and capital that can be generated via energy costs reduction. We are one of the first regional consultancies to have ventured into this market giving us a track record of expertise that is also characterised by being local and regional. International consultancies come to us seeking our local expertise on the matter.”
That’s all for this month. If you have a story you would like to share with our network (candidates and construction engineering clients), please send me an email – [email protected]
* quotes taken from MEP Middle East Top 20 MEP Consultants 2018