Symonds say PFI is the way forward

Symonds is concentrating hard on a PFI based future said Nigel Manger, Associate Director of Symonds FM told I-FM today.

The company was recently awarded a 30 year contract to provide facilities management for Sussex Weald & Downs NHS Trust at Chichester. The contract is worth around £1 million per year. Symonds sister company Dalkia Energy and Technical Services also benefited from the deal and were awarded the engineering and building services contract.

For those I-FM readers who don't know, Symonds is part of Dalkia plc, which in turn is a subsidiary group of Vivindi the French water company with an annual turnover of around £30 billion and the third largest service provider in Europe. Divided into three companies, Dalkia Plc consists of Dalkia Utility Services, Dalkia Energy and Technical Services and Symonds FM.

Symonds FM employs over 1000 people and deals with clients in both the public and private sector offering, as a Symonds spokesperson explained, "total facilities management in order to support our client's core business, allowing them the time to concentrate on this." Current customers of Symonds include British Airways and British Gas.

With the opening move into PFI nearly five years ago, the company has found itself developing this into a mainstream sector within it's FM business.

Mr Manger explained how PFI was the way forward and said "Vivindi is fully supportive of our bid to be a major player in the PFI market. We see it as a significant part of our business".

Julie Crisp