Simon Gibbins

With 50 years of experience working on hundreds of iconic projects and programmes, we are experts in all stages of their lifecycle. We provide strategic advice and insight from definition and set-up to procurement, design, construction, integration, testing and commissioning, handover and transition into operations. Contact [email protected] to find out how we can help you. #Technology #ProgrammeLifecycle #ProjectManagement #StrategicAdvice #ChangeSpecialists

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Administrators to air-conditioning specialist #GallantBuildingServices have unearthed a mountain of debts following the collapse of the #Mansfield-based contractor. Now it has emerged that 78 investors in the business have lost £26m, after being encouraged to back the £29m turnover contractor on the strength of directors claiming a long-term exclusive air-conditioning deal with hotel giant Travelodge. The hotel contractor’s trail of debts so far total an estimated £56m, including £5.1m owed to trade subcontractors and suppliers, £1.3m owed to HMRC and 28 staff owed £43,500 in wages and redundancy payments. According to a report from administrator #ForvisMazars, company bank statements reveal the firm’s turnover with #Travelodge appeared to be significantly lower than portrayed to investors when they were considering placing their savings with Gallant. The alarm was raised about the #Nottinghamshire contractor when one key investor owed over a £1m was told last August by a director that the company’s bank account had been frozen and monthly interest payments to investors could not be made. This triggered a winding up petition, which eventually saw the firm, run by directors Chris Lightbody and Scott Bithel, placed into administration last September. Lightbody has been unable to help administrators work through the company finances saying he was unwell. Bithel was in contact with the administrators but has yet to supply updated management accounts, despite being afforded extra time to make a return. Administrators are struggling to draw up details of realisable assets because paper records were destroyed when the company moved office last August. While the company claimed a sales ledger of £47m, most attributable to Travelodge, administrators cannot retrieve sales documents to substantiate this because the supplier of software needed to draw down the information suspended its service last April due to non-payment of invoices. The administrator warned in a creditors’ statement of affairs: “There is insufficient detail to assess the accuracy of these entries nor determine if there is any realisable value. The joint administrators will continue to investigate this matter. “Based on the current information we have, we don’t believe that there will be sufficient funds recovered to allow for a distribution to creditors.” Director Chris Lightbody continues to run another Mansfield company, F4Controls, with his brother Jonathon #Lightbody, established 20 years ago. According to latest accounts the firm employs around 185 staff with net shareholder funds of £480,000. Reported with these accounts as a post balance sheet event F4Control reveals that Gallant Building Services owes it £1.6m, which it warns will not be recoverable.

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Do you find CPDs helpful or do you see them as a free lunch or as a 'I have to do them'? They can be somewhat generic and can cover a broad spectrum of learning and is every slide relevant to you as an individual? We find a room full of attendees can have differing interest and knowledge of the subject matter being presented. Here at Saint-Gobain Weber we of course offer RIBA Accredited CPDs but maybe you require a more personalised presentation, focusing on a particular sector or build type, drilling down into more specific areas of detail. If this is the case we can offer a 'Technical Presentation' that can be tailored to what you want to learn, specifically to you and your project requirements. We can cover - External Wall Insulation MMC (Modern Methods of Construction) Flowing Flooring Screeds Technical Mortars Floor Tiling https://lnkd.in/eSUqSqpt If you opt for a 'Technical Presentation' you will still get your lunch but as they will be bespoke to your needs, you won't get RIBA points. If you are interested in any of the above please contact myself for the South or Sarah-Dawson Smith for the North and we will happily discuss your learning requirements. Martin Thorogood Facades Specification Manager [email protected] 07593 896 297 Sarah Dawson-Smith Facades Specification Manager [email protected] 07922 100 577 #cpds #ewi #externalwallinsulation #flooring #techmortars #learning #technical #presentations #mmc #modernmethodsofconstruction #floortiling

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🏆 Want to stand out in Facilities Management tenders? Our ultimate guide reveals: - Top FM buyers and what they're looking for - Annual procurement volumes you need to know - Key tendering trends shaping the industry "The Ultimate Guide to Facilities Management Tendering in the UK" - your roadmap to FM success. Click below to download now! #FMTendering #BusinessGrowth #FacilitiesManagement https://lnkd.in/e2Zcydgi

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Discover the key findings of our recent industry survey in our latest report – 'Success in Quantity Surveying: Productivity, Job Satisfaction and the Role of Technology'. Find out the opinions and experiences of over 200 industry professionals in relation to job satisfaction, productivity, financial management, and technology adoption in the UK and Ireland's quantity surveying sector. Download the report here >> https://lnkd.in/gKY6H43C #QuantitySurveryors #ConstructionReport #Survey

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With ever-increasing building standards that ensure the safety of new builds and existing property, it’s vital that property managers and building teams take every effort to increase energy efficiency. UK Govt’s Document L standard is a legal obligation for all new projects - and it’s something that those building new properties need to take very seriously. The best way to make a property more energy efficient is with a focus on airtightness during the build phase. https://lnkd.in/eRigSq-z

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📧 Be ahead of the curve! 🚀 Sign up for our email alerts to be the first to receive exclusive updates & insights on the facilities management environment. Tap the link below to stay in the loop, and remember to subscribe! 📩👇 https://myfm.co.uk/ #executivesearch #facilitiesoperations #emailnotifications #elitetalentsearch

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Changes are coming for commercial property standards in the UK. Starting from 2027, all rented non-domestic buildings need to hit an EPC rating of C or higher, with the bar rising to a B by 2030. Do you think this will catch people off guard rushing to make changes last minute? Lighting improvement is one of the most efficient way to achieve these targets, I know I am biased but truSmart lighting is a great solution to this. Maximizing energy savings and sustainability. Here’s how truSmart supports compliance: *Daylight & Motion Sensors for energy-smart spaces *Remote Access so you can control lighting schedules from anywhere *Savings Up to 80% on lighting energy consumption, helping reduce your building’s energy profile significantly, also reducing bills. I will post a link to a good read about EPC in the comments. Stay ahead of EPC changes with smarter, greener lighting solutions 🏘 #EPC2027 #truSmart #SmartLighting #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability

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⚖️ 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. After spending 15 years with two large construction companies in the UK, most recently ISG, the news of ISG going into administration has been hard to process. Many of my former colleagues are in challenging times, looking for new opportunities, and my thoughts are with everyone affected. I’ve held off sharing my own good news, as it's been overwhelming to see so many “open to work” posts from talented people across our industry. 💔 The construction industry has always shown incredible resilience. When things get tough, we pull together, solve problems, and find ways to deliver for each other. It has been fantastic to see my network reach out with offers of support and potential work for those affected—thank you to everyone who reached out directly. But the challenges we face today—insolvencies, supply chain disruptions, labour shortages—are a wake-up call for reform in how we procure and deliver work. If we don’t address these root causes, we risk seeing this happen again. The ripple effects hit supply chains, staff, and families in catastrophic ways. 🏗️ To my fellow ISG colleagues: 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆—𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂! There is still so much work to be done, and great companies are crying out for talented construction professionals to help solve their challenges and bring solutions to market—perhaps even a con-tech company 😉. Now is the time to think outside the box, explore different avenues, and show how our problem-solving mindset can add value in new ways. 💡 I’ve joined Procore because I believe the future of our industry lies in leveraging technology to drive greater efficiency and productivity. There are innovative solutions that can mitigate some of our industry's most pressing challenges. I’m passionate about helping construction businesses thrive, even in tough times. 🌍 I know, just like my own good news of a new job, I will—and already have—begun seeing former ISG colleagues landing in new roles and those green “open to work” banners disappearing. I’m looking forward to seeing where you all land, and as I’ve seen so many times before, when one good thing ends, something greater often follows. 🎯 Finally, for anyone feeling the mental strain of what they’ve gone through at ISG or construction challenges in general, you are not alone. There are great resources out there to help, and it’s important to reach out if you're struggling. Let’s keep the conversation going and get construction talking—not just about the industry’s challenges, but about supporting those facing tough times. #GetConstructionTalking #B1M 🧠 #NewBeginnings #ConstructionIndustry #IndustryTransformation #DigitalTransformation #Collaboration #Procore

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Construction activity in the build-to-rent (BTR) sector slowed in Q1 2024 due to build cost inflation and planning delays, according to new data published by the British Property Federation and Savills.

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Our recent blog examines the critical role of quantity surveying in ensuring the efficiency and accountability of public-sector construction projects. You will learn about traditional and modern approaches—from Design-Bid-Build to Public-Private Partnerships—and how they influence project outcomes. Plus see how we use life-cycle costing and value engineering to ensure long-term value for money, read the full article here:- https://lnkd.in/ezgqm99V #publicsector #building #quantitysurveyors

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What makes a contractor stand out when it comes to digital adoption? We've enjoyed working with Sir Robert McAlpine on their digital handover projects, and it's brilliant to see how the contractor has launched a strategy to help inform its approach to construction projects and deliver maximum value for the business and its clients. Find out more over on the The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) site: https://lnkd.in/eu9hDf8r #DigitalTransformation #SirRobertMcAlpine #DigitalStrategy

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The collapse of #ISG in September 2024 has forced Seventynine Lighting Ltd into administration, leaving 30 staff redundant. With £2m in bad debt and the loss of its largest customer, the lighting contractor had no option but to wind down after nearly two decades in business. https://shorturl.at/Es0rJ #ConstructionIndustry #Insolvency #RiskManagement #BusinessResilience #SupplyChain

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Are you signed up to our mailing list? We share our latest news and updates on our finance solutions for suppliers across a host of sectors, including: 🏥 Healthcare 🏗️ Modular construction 💡 Life Sciences 🔬Research and innovation 🌱Green technologies Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eTAq45qA #assetfinance #financesolutions

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