Posted December 22, 2000
Cable & Wireless outsources property
management to GVA Grimley 
GVA Grimley has won a five year contract with Cable & Wireless Global,
part of telecommunications group Cable & Wireless plc, to manage C&W’s
entire property portfolio in the UK and Ireland, some 800 properties totalling
almost 150,000 sq m.
BP to support low energy CMI project
BP is to support the UK Government sponsored Cambridge-MIT Institute (CMI)
initiative by funding a £2.5m five year project on integrated low
energy building design.
Posted December 21, 2000
Chips with everything at Motorola?
Eurest Sutcliffe, a division of the Compass Group, has won a five year
catering contract worth £11m with Motorola in Scotland, securing
90 jobs for Eurest Sutcliffe.
Jarvis UPP preferred bidder for £80m
university development
The Jarvis University Partnership Programme (Jarvis UPP) has been announced
preferred bidder by Oxford Brookes University for the development of 750
new bedrooms on the university’s Headington campus.
OFTEL increases competition for leased line business
Oftel has announced a boost for operators competing with BT in the national
leased lines market. The regulator expects the move to lead to reduced
prices.
Posted December 20, 2000
BBC Media Village planned for White City
Although it has yet to select a property partner, the BBC is pushing ahead
with detailed plans for a ‘media village’ at its White City
site in West London.
ISS to acquire Dutch company
ISS intends to acquire Netherlands-based Randstad Holding’s Lavold
Groep for an estimated DKK 610m (£50m), enhancing ISS’ position
in the Netherlands and Belgium and enlarging the operation in Germany.
Profits up at Savills
International property advisors Savills has announced a 20% increase in
pre-tax profits to £10.6m in its interim results for the six months
ended 31 October 2000.
Posted December 19, 2000
Balfour Beatty completes first phase of
PFI hospital
Balfour Beatty has announced the completion of the first phase of the
£96m North Durham General Hospital PFI project at Dryburn in Durham.
MacLellan secures five year contract with ERF
Services provider MacLellan has been awarded a five year £500,000
contract by truck manufacturer ERF.
BIFM and UBMI to create FM 'industry week'
The British Institute of Facilities Management has strengthened its relationship
with exhibition organisers United Business Media International in a bid
to revitalise the FM Expo event.
New appointments at C&W Asia Pacific
To strengthen and expand the effectiveness of Cushman & Wakefield's
Asia management team and to keep pace with the real estate services firm's
new global business initiatives, C&W has appointed Michael J. Thompson
as CEO, Asia Pacific and Nigel Bacon as president, Asia Pacific.
Posted December 18, 2000
Jarvis university accommodation partnership
The University of York has signed an agreement with Jarvis University
Partnerships Programme (UPP) for the development of 738 new post-graduate
study bedrooms.
Haden chooses Maximo
Haden Building Management, part of Balfour Beatty, has selected Maximo
Extended Enterprise for all its facilities management and building services.
ISS cleans trams for Charles’ visit
When the Prince
of Wales tried out the £200 million state-of-the-art Tramlink system
in Croydon, the tram was in tip top condition thanks to ISS.
Posted December 15, 2000
Tilbury Douglas buys Building & Property
Consolidation continues in the facilities management market with the news
that Tilbury Douglas is to buy Building & Property for £74.8m.
Stiell moves south with Abbey National
Stiell has won a new five year FM contract with Abbey National covering
twelve properties in London and the Southeast.
Directors must take 'helicopter view' on strategy,
says IoD
The Institute of Directors (IoD) says that it’s committed to helping
company directors achieve greater success through professional development.
Posted December 14, 2000
Compass Group subsidiary wins £40m Sainsbury
contract
Eurest Sutcliffe, the business and industry operating company of Compass
Group UK, has won a five year, £40m annual turnover contract with
Sainsbury’s Supermarkets.
Construction and property degree welcomed by industry
The University of Central England (UCE) is to develop the first prototype
foundation degree in construction and property following an industry workshop
with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Construction Industry
Council (CIC) and the Construction Confederation (CC).
Employees shun companies with conflicting
ethics
Employees hold the key to making British companies more socially responsible,
according to a new report released yesterday by The Industrial Society.
BBC moves to the Mailbox in Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is moving to state-of-the-art building The Mailbox, where
600 staff will occupy 9,290 sq m (100,000 sq ft). It is to be the new
HQ for BBC English Region.
Posted December 13, 2000
Independent caterers merge
Privately-owned catering company Wilson Storey Halliday Group claims to
be the UK's largest after its formation through the merger of Wilson Storey
and Halliday Catering.
UNITE secures development funds
Provider of student and NHS key worker accommodation services, UNITE Group,
has secured a five year syndicated revolving development facility of £75m.
Jarvis profits up 11% at half year
Jarvis plc reports operating profits up 11% at £14.4m on turnover
of £317 million, up 19%. Chairman Colin Skellett said turnover in
the Accommodation Services division, which provides integrated financing,
construction management and facilities management services, had grown
significantly, with a pipeline of orders stretching over the next thirty
years.
Posted December 12, 2000
BSIA welcomes security regulation Bill
The Private Security Industry Bill, published last week, will improve
the credibility of professional companies and enable the private sector
to develop its role in community safety, says the British Security Industry
Association (BSIA).
Profits up for MITIE
Support and building services company MITIE Group has announced an increase
in profits in its interim results for the six months ended 30 September
2000.
Trillium secures London lease and service
deal
Trillium, the self-styled 'total property outsourcing company' has got
its own house in order by securing an 18 year lease on its central London
headquarters and taking on the management of services.
Speedier equal pay tribunals
The Government is to speed up equal pay hearings according to employment
minister Tessa Jowell, who yesterday announced a consultation paper to
tackle the 18% gender pay gap.
Posted December 11, 2000
Community PFI hospital to open in Scotland
Scotland's First Minister, Henry McLeish, opens a new community hospital
at Cumnock in East Ayrshire this Friday, four months ahead of schedule
and on budget.
FMA looks for growth
The Facilities Management Association (FMA) has expanded its web site
in an attempt to grow its membership through a service which will also
generate revenue.
New web guide to service providers
Building Economics Bureau has published its latest online directory, a
guide to UK facilities service providers.
Posted December 8, 2000
Training boosts turnover, says IM
Research carried out by the Institute of Management (IM) for ‘Achieving
Management Excellence’ shows that consistent training improves a
company’s turnover.
New director of projects at Johnson Controls
Johnson Controls has appointed Peter Green as Director of Projects following
the departure of Brid Morton to take up her new post of Director of Projects
and Portfolio Management IFM Commercial, North America.
New construction client body launched
A new voice for those who purchase construction was launched yesterday
at the Royal Institution. The Confederation of Construction Clients will
represent the interests of all clients regardless of volume, value or
frequency of construction activity.
Posted December 7, 2000
Reliance Security takes 16 per cent stake
in Chesterton
Reliance Security Group has bought a 16.1% stake in Chesterton International
for £4.9m, bringing its total holding to 16.7%.
Amey moves into Irish FM market
Amey told a meeting of investors and analysts at its DERA operation in
Farnborough yesterday that the Group had enjoyed a "sound year's
progress" across all areas of activity.
Atkins preferred bidder for Kent schools PFI
NewSchools, a WS Atkins joint venture with Innisfree (including Wates
Construction as equity partner) has been appointed by Kent County Council
as preferred bidder for the Swanscombe Schools PFI project.
Less but more costly
A survey by the trade union negotiators’ magazine Bargaining Report
found that less workplaces offered a canteen facility and existing ones
charged more since the last survey five years ago.
WSP help desk open day
WSP Facilities Management is hosting an open day at its help desk facility
in Purley, Surrey next Wednesday. WSP FM's help desk handles 30,000 calls
each month and operates every day of the year, 24 hours a day.
Posted December 6, 2000
British
Museum Great Court opens to acclaim
Architects come in for a lot of (frequently justified) criticism from
facilities managers, so it is good once in a while to be able to report
on a project which lifts the spirits.
Health & safety gets extra £45m
The Health and Safety Commission is to get an extra £45 million
to continue its drive to cut work-related accidents and illness.
IoD urges the Government to promote vocational
qualifications
The majority of employers do not use vocational training such as Modern
Apprenticeships (MAs) or National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) to
train their employees, according to a survey of the Institute of Directors’
members.
Posted December 5, 2000
Interior Services Group in upbeat mood
David King, chairman and chief executive of AIM listed Interior Services
Group, told yesterday's AGM that the company had made significant progress
in line with its strategy of improving the "quality and visibility
of income" through facilities partnering and corporate PFI projects.
Roberts challenges industry on research
The UK FM industry has largely failed to initiate or support research
which might advance the understanding and practice of facilities management.
NACORE and SPROG discuss property management
outsourcing
"Most clients are reluctant to let external property people close
enough to their business to make nay lasting difference – it's up
to us to demonstrate that property is seldom neutral – it either
adds or destroys value."
Posted December 4, 2000
Stiell secures £12m contract with Abbey
National
Property and workplace management specialist Stiell, has been awarded
a five-year extension, worth £12m, to its facilities management
contract with Abbey National for the bank’s properties in Glasgow.
Good news for Aukett
Building design practice Aukett Associates has announced doubled pre-tax
profits of £2m in its preliminary results for the year ended 30
September 2000.
Motor industry study wins student award
The first Johnson Controls Student Award for those studying on the Facility
& Environment Management course at the Bartlett School of Graduate
Studies, University College London was presented on Thursday night.
Posted December 1, 2000
McDonough moves to Carillion
John McDonough currently vice president, Integrated Facilities Management
EMEA with Johnson Controls, is to take over the group chief executive
role at Carillion when the current chairman and chief executive Sir Neville
Simms becomes non-executive chairman from next January.
First annual UK Nacore conference a success
CREvolution, Nacore’s first annual UK summit, was attended on Wednesday
by 170 corporate real estate professionals who were given the opportunity
to participate more actively by sharing thoughts and ideas, lead by a
number of speakers.
Are you an employer with stressed staff?
According to The Industrial Society’s Managing Best Practice report,
74% of people surveyed believes stress will be the number one health and
safety issue over the next two years.
Posted November 30, 2000
ICL signs partnering agreement with Chesterton
The long running saga of ICL's attempt to find a property partner appears
to have ended. The IT services company has announced a seven year deal
with Chesterton which embraces all its property and facilities management
requirements.
NHS facilities director wins FM graduate award
Robert Heavisides, Director of Facilities for the West Suffolk Hospital
Trust, is the winner of the FM Graduate of the Year Award 2000 and an
all-expenses paid trip to the headquarters of Steelcase in the USA.
Staff sacked over offensive e-mails
The need to have clear guidelines for the use of e-mail at work was underlined
by the news that people have been dismissed at the Birmingham office of
Cable & Wireless for abuse of corporate e-mail facilities.
Posted November 29, 2000
Cable & Wireless deny outsourcing reports
Cable & Wireless has denied reports that it is exploring a Europe
wide property outsourcing deal.
Nobles backed PFI health schemes completed
Edinburgh based investment bank Nobles has announced the completion of
two private finance initiative hospital schemes worth £28m.
Rooftop aerials – the prospects and pitfalls
Property owners relishing the prospect of generating significant income
from siting telecommunications aerials on their rooftops should proceed
with caution.