News
Marketing The Key To Recovery
MARKETING budgets are set to increase in 58% of construction supply chain companies, says a recent survey, while 33% are expect to raise their headcount. Recruitment and retention of staff’ has also become top of the strategic agenda. The information features in a state of the industry barometer, completed recently by senior executives from across the construction supply chain for construction market research specialist Leading Edge. The research also indicates that 57% of companies expect to see no change in their marketing headcount,...
read moreBig Contractors Slammed For Attack On Pay Charter
CHIEF executive of the National Specialist Contractors’ Council (NSCC) Suzannah Nichol MBE has hit back at the major contractors after some of them expressed concerns about the newly published Construction Supply Chain Payment Charter. She said: ‘If Tier 1 contractors claim to have cashflow problems, welcome to the world of specialist contractors. Fair payment is crucial to the whole industry and must be consistent throughout the supply chain. ‘The only thing that can truly make a difference in construction is the people who work in...
read moreStaff Issues
Jo Eccles on the dos and don’ts to discipline or dismiss staff IN an age when employment tribunals have become common, many businesses are seeking advice on the proper procedures of handling discipline in dismissals in the workplace. For a small business owner, being an employer and managing a team of staff can be thoroughly rewarding, but the job is not without its troubles, particularly when it comes to the difficult task of disciplining or dismissing a member of staff. No one likes having to discipline a member of staff, but...
read moreNew Pension Rules
John McDonald on the new pension rules FOR the first time in history, UK employers are being required to provide pension contributions for employees. This is a significant change in policy, as employers have always been given the choice to provide benefits for employees as they see fit, generally providing benefits that the employees value, or that otherwise aid recruitment or retention of staff. For many firms in the construction industry, cash benefits, such as improved pay and performance bonuses, are the most attractive to...
read moreCertification Of Plywood
Jim Coulson on the certification of plywood IN my articles in CFJ about plywood last year, I banged on about the variable quality of many different types and pointed to the idea of certification (including the TFT Diamond Mark). But it seems to be time for a reminder, and a bit of clarification about the CE Mark. The prevalence of the letters and numbers ‘CE 2+’ on packs of plywood also need an explanation. In case you didn’t see my article on CE Marking or if you’ve forgotten it with the passage of time, let me repeat that the CE...
read moreMarketing Tools
Leo Aspden on ‘weapons of influence’ as a marketing tool WHILST on a holiday in Turkey recently I realised that I had been a victim of ‘weapons of influence’. It was after we decided to treat ourselves and visited the local hammam for a Turkish Bath experience. Maybe it was the effect of the sun, beautiful blue sky, stunning views of the Mediterranean sea or simply the totally chilled out feeling of wellbeing, but what started out as just the standard Turkish bath ended up with a complete treatment including a body massage and a...
read moreLaying Floors Outdoors
Neil Sanders on installing exterior floor finishes THIS month I will discuss working on exterior subfloors, and the challenges associated with them. From heavy footfall to extreme weather, there are many issues a contractor must be aware of when specifying products to use on outdoor flooring. Outdoor flooring can be subjected to harsh winter frosts or, at other times, scorching summer heat, extremes that indoor flooring will never experience. Additionally, there is high footfall that outdoor areas, such as walkways, patios and balconies,...
read moreStay In The Past, And You’re History
Terry Guilford on changes faced by the floor sanding sector FLOOR sanding is probably one of the most change resistant service industries. There are many reasons for this. It isn’t a big industry or particularly high profit for manufacturers, and being a complex business, even well tested products can fail in the real world. Many floor sanding businesses are handed down the family so creating a ‘if it was good enough for dad’ mentality. The combination of these factors mean that contactors stick to what they know and as someone...
read moreSid Bourne On Misleading Advice On Some Websites
DURING one of my many site visits to view failed wood flooring, as usual, I received information from different parties involved. On this occasion I heard from the installer who was, you guessed it, Bob The Builder, and also the consumer and a surveyor representing the builder. The problem was the wood flooring had buckled and had lifted around 150mm off the subfloor in many areas of the installation, which was a large lounge some 40sq m and through to the hallway which was nearly 3m wide and then through to the two bedrooms. In every part...
read moreSustainability Includes Things You Can’t See
Janet Lowe, UK market manager at forbo flooring systems, discusses sustainable manufacturing: WITH sustainability high on project agendas nowadays, contractors are becoming more conscious of its importance and can usually find their customers’ products that can help raise a project’s green credentials. However, contractors may not be aware that flooring manufacturers are doing much more than just producing sustainable products. Sustainability and creating better environments often permeating throughout a manufacturer’s entire...
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