Steve Groom Retires After 45 Years of Service

After more than four decades with the company Steve Groom, F P Hurley Foreman, retired on the 19^th November 2021. Steve started with the company in 1976 as an apprentice. Now, over 45 years later, he is waving goodbye to his colleagues to start a well deserved retirement.

Steve, who was made Site Foreman in 2015, has worked on many of our largest and most prestigious projects, with his career ending on the ultimate high note with the handover of Cardiff University’s Centre for Student Life.

Steve comments:

“I’ve enjoyed all my time with the company and I’m immensely proud of what I’ve achieved. Being able to hand over a quality installation to a satisfied client has brought me great job satisfaction over the years and it’s what I love most about the job. It’s been demanding and challenging at times but F P Hurley have been excellent employers. I’m now ready to embark on the next chapter of my life and I’m looking forward to spending time with my grandchild and family.”

Adrian Hurley comments:

“I would like to thank Steve for his many years of dedication. His commitment to the job is a shinning example to us all and we pay tribute to his loyalty towards the company. This length of service is rare in the modern working environment and this incredible record should be recognised- well done Steve and congratulations. Please join me in wishing him a happy and fulfilling retirement.”

Recognising Your Achievements – Positive Client Feedback

High praise was received by the client on the recent Gendros Primary School Heating System Refurbishment project for City and County of Swansea. Thank you to the team for all your hard work- Mark Templeton, Daniel Butt, Mike Joseph, David Malpas and Jon Andrew. The enthusiasm with which the team handled the project was truly exceptional.

I would just like to pass my thanks to all the operatives on site for an excellent job. I know the programme was challenging and to get the job completed early to the very high standard it was completed to, was great for both myself and the school. Cleanliness and standard of work was first class. I know the school are over the moon with the job!

Mike Williams

Assistant Mechanical Engineer, City and County of Swansea

Another project which received excellent feedback was the Coed Cae Comprehensive School Boiler House Refurbishment for Carmarthen County Council. Thank you Kevin Watts, David Malpas and Mark Templeton for your outstanding performance on the project – a job well done!

It’s always a pleasure in working with a contractor that does not try to jump spec at every opportunity but just installs what’s on the drawings, never any fuss or arguments and this always leads to a better job. The operatives and project coordinators worked extremely hard and diligently to ensure challenges were overcome, the work was achieved within budget and within the designated time period allocated. They were also extremely considerate to the environment- being a working school, and programmed works accordingly to minimise disruption.

Alyn Beynon

Carmarthen County Council

Jack Medwin Awarded Green Card

F P Hurley Senior Craftsman, Jack Medwin, was awarded a Green Card by Willmott Dixon for his exemplary health and safety performance at the South Wales Police Gym project in Bridgend.

Jack has excelled himself on this project and has demonstrated a range of qualities that deserve recognition. Jack consistently goes above and beyond what is expected and works hard to ensure that all tasks are accomplished to a very high quality.

Jack has shown an outstanding attitude towards health and safety on the project and displays exactly what we look for in a supervisor when assigned to one of our projects. Everything from the way he manages his operatives, liaises with the site team, down to managing the permits on Field View.

Chris Little

Assistant Build Manager, Willmott Dixon

Admiral Thanks ‘Workplace Wonders’

Admiral Insurance Group has thanked HFM Maintenance for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic. The insurance company held a tea and cake ceremony last month to pay tribute to all the contractors that worked diligently and safely throughout the lockdowns to provide essential services. When the majority of Admiral employees were working from home, the contractors continued working from their offices to maintain them and keep they safe and secure.

HFM Maintenance are responsible for the mechanical maintenance in Admiral’s offices in both Newport and Swansea. HFM Maintenance engineers Jeff King and John Poole attended the thank you ceremony where they were presented with a gift, which included a commemorative slate coaster and a large slate for the company.

We have been entrusted by Admiral Group to provide a quality service maintaining their valuable buildings and assets throughout the years, dating back to 2013 for Admiral House Newport and 2020 for Admiral Group House, The Ellipse and The Vale in Swansea. We are all aware of the incredible challenges of the last 18 months so to be officially appreciated and thanked by Admiral has been fantastic for all the contractors involved. Our engineers continued to attend the workplace, overcoming significant obstacles and continually adapting to enhance safety through frequently changing COVID 19 procedures. We have a built up a great working relationship with Admiral and to receive this token of their sincere gratitude is much appreciated.

Mike Marten

HFM Maintenance Director

Reseiclo

F P Hurley are delighted to be working with Reseiclo, a community minded social enterprise based in Newport, to collect our waste wood.

Reseiclo collect waste wood from companies working in the construction sector and are part of the Community Wood Recycling group. The wood they collect is 100% re-used or recycled, either by re-sale to the local economy at low cost for community projects, or made into items for sale at their workshop, or sent to a third party where it is chipped and used for the manufacture of chipboard. Because Reseiclo recycle everything there is no landfill tax to pay- which means that everything is cheaper than the equivalent skip.

As a social business, Reseiclo aims to make a positive impact in the community and environment. They work with volunteers, the Probation Service, Newport Council Work Placement Scheme and adults with learning disabilities who use its facilities to experience the working environment and develop social and interpersonal skills. Watch their video here.

As contractors working within the construction industry, we are increasingly seeking to utilise procurement to leverage additional social benefits and maximise social value in local communities. Working with social enterprises brings many wider social benefits; they have local knowledge, offer value for money, enhance economic growth, supporting the circular economy and they offer local investment.

Dr Ken Gale to Present Case Study at CIBSE’s Technical Symposium

We’re delighted to announce that Dr Ken Gale of Hurley Decarbonisation Solutions (HDS) has been invited to present a case study at the CIBSE Technical Symposium in April 2022. The Symposium, which will take place face to face for the first time in two years, will be based on the theme ‘Delivering a Safe, Healthy and Sustainable Built Environment- Buildings that Perform’. The two-day event will be held in London and will showcase the latest research and peer reviewed papers by industry practitioners and researchers.

Dr Ken Gale will be presenting his case study paper ‘The practical aspects and the pitfalls of decarbonisation existing commercial buildings’, which will explore the main issues and practical experiences that have been gained from implementing such decarbonisation energy saving measures.

More information about the symposium is available on the CIBSE website.

Elliot Evans Joins the Team

Last month we welcomed Elliot Evans to the team, taking up the position of Quantity Surveyor based at our Bridgend office.

Elliot joins us with over 5 years’ experience in the role, having previously worked as a Mechanical and Electrical Quantity Surveyor administering contracts in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education and commercial projects in South Wales and the South West of England.

Elliot graduated with a MSc in Quantity Surveying in 2015 and is currently working towards achieving Chartered status with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Elliot prides himself on being pro-active and always thinking ahead, and has developed a good level of technical knowledge and contract law allowing him to fully support the client throughout the project.

We Welcome Network 75 Student Kara Dawson

We have recently welcomed Network 75 student, Kara Dawson, and are delighted to have her as part of the team. Kara is studying for a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of South Wales and will gain first-hand experience in electrical design with F P Hurley’s design team.

Network 75 is a programme which provides undergraduate students the opportunity to gain work experience, earn a wage and study for a degree. Kara attends University for 2 days each week and works with us for the other 3. Kara has always been interested in design and thrives on problem solving, creative thinking and teamwork. The fact that Network 75 allows Kara to further her education and gain work experience at the same time, which is so important in the building services industry, was what attracted her to the scheme in the first place.

Kara has quickly become part of the team, and we wish her every success in her new role.

Contract Wins

Since the last update in September’s newsletter, we’re pleased to say that we have been successful in securing over £11.3 million in contracts in recent months. This includes £1.1 million worth of orders from Willmott Dixon and an order to the value of £1.6 million from Futures for Somerset. We’re also maintaining a strong presence in the healthcare sector with a £1 million order from St Joseph’s Hospital in Newport, you can read more about our extensive works at the hospital here.

We’re also thrilled to announce we’ve been awarded the £7.5 million contract for the Student Accommodation 3 project at the University of West of England. The project, which is being delivered by Vinci Construction, is set to be one of the largest Passivhaus certified developments in the UK.

Contract Completions

A number of contracts have successfully completed recently and our thanks go to the project managers and teams involved. Well done to Matthew Cook, Adam Robinson, Neil Higgins, Euan Jones and Conway Jones for handing your projects over to satisfied clients recently. Each completed project is a milestone and we appreciate all your efforts.

Project completions have included the £1.2 million SPECT CT project at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, several projects at the BTG pharmaceutical facility in Llandysul, the Zoology project at Aberystwyth University and works for Carmarthen County Council at their Cattle Mart. In the education sector, there have been several completions including Wellesley Primary School in Bristol and Avalon School in Street.

Announcements

Andrea Thomas and Robert Pengelly Join Board of Directors

Huge congratulations are in order for our two newly elected board members, Andrea Thomas and Robert Pengelly, who accepted to join the main board of F P Hurley & Sons Ltd as directors from the 1^st October 2021. Andrea and Robert, who are both exceptional leaders in their specialisms, have shown a level of dedication and professionalism that will undoubtedly add significant value within their new senior management positions. Please join us in congratulating them.

Exeter Office Now Manned

Following on from the announcement that Ian Lewis, Director of Hurley (Exeter), has relocated to Exeter to help build up the business in the region, we are pleased to say that the Exeter office has now evolved from being virtual in existence to a manned office. Ian is now based at the office which is located within Exeter Business Park and is looking forward to building a successful future there.

Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP)

F P Hurley continues to maintain a full suite of SSIP accreditations including CHAS, Constructionline Gold, SafeContractor and Acclaim. Our thanks go to Vicky Midgley for achieving the SSIP accreditations, which demonstrate our compliance with specific standards of health and safety and allow us to remain as a ‘preferred supplier’ to several clients who request SSIP accreditation as a requirement to work for them. Congratulations Vicky on your achievements.

Giving Blood- Sign up Today

We would like to encourage all employees to consider becoming blood donors. Giving blood saves lives, and a single donation can be broken down into different components which can potentially save 3 peoples’ lives. It’s easy to book an appointment to give blood- visit the Welsh Blood website if you live in Wales or the NHS Blood website if you live in England.

Happy Birthday Wishes

Wishing all of you with birthdays in November and December many happy returns. Happy birthday to Lewis Ahern, Kyle Behan, Cameron Bryant, Joshua Burridge, Daniel Butt, Joseph Cousins, Lee Harben-Jones, Jack Medwin, Luke Meredith, Owen Paul, Euan Phillips, Kevin Robertson, Louis Brown, Robert Lewis, Adrian Page, Anthony Rees, Steve Saunders, Alan Smith, Mike Smitheram, Paul Webb, Matthew Evans, Kath Bolan, John Eagle, Russell Bowen, Ian Lewis and Andrew Teall.

F P Hurley Team up with BAM for Social Value Conference

We were proud to team up with BAM Construction at the recent National Social Value Conference Wales 2021, delivering the workshop ‘How to Win Work and influence people: The SME’s guide to starting out with Social Value’ with BAM’s Jess Morgan, Social Impact Manager. You can watch the workshop here.

In Memory of David Kingdom

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of David Kingdom, who passed away on the 29^th October 2021. David was employed as a Senior Craftsman by F P Hurley from January 1966 to August 2013 and was a valued member of the team. The funeral was held at Coychurch Crematorium on the 18^th November 2021 and several members of F P Hurley attended to pay their respects and offer deepest sympathies and condolences to the family.

Key Dates

16 December 2021

Staff Christmas Party

The staff Christmas party will be taking place on the 16^th December this year at Llanerch Vineyard Hotel.

20 December 2021 to 3 January 2022

Christmas Closure Dates

Our Christmas closure dates will be from Monday the 20^th December 2021 to Monday the 3^rd January 2022. We wish you all a relaxing and joyful Christmas break.

Newsletter