黑洞社区

Winner

SH Structures

Complex steel structures are meat and drink to SH Structures, as clients found to their great satisfaction on some very striking looking projects, including Heathrow T5 and the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. The company forged an edge over competitors by developing close and ongoing relationships with specialist contractors in the fields of tensile fabric, ETFE foil, structural glazing, GRP and timber. This holistic approach allowed it to handle interfaces all the more successfully, and provide clients with the confidence in the design development of their projects. The RAF Museum was a prime example of how SH Structures worked to reduce both construction costs and the programme itself. Site induction and safety for its staff was enhanced considerably by the introduction of a 3-d walk-through of the structure before erection of the project.

Runners-up

Britspace

Britspace鈥檚 steel-frame modular system has been in big demand this past year 鈥� turnover has increased 65% to 拢24 million. Its work on the Docklands Light Railway showcased Britspace鈥檚 skill set 鈥� the full turnkey project required delivery of a three-storey high-spec office building on a very constrained site adjacent to a railway depot, which was completed in just 30 weeks. The Home Office was also impressed when Britspace developed a new steel-frame solution for new prison building.

Caledonian 黑洞社区 Systems

Delivering the tallest modular building in the UK 鈥� Berkeley First鈥檚 project in west London for Thames University 鈥� was Caledonian鈥檚 main claim to fame this year. The four buildings provided accommodation for 1,000 students and were put up in 21 months thanks to Caledonian鈥檚 design and project management skills. Its business skills also shone out: turnover for the year rose 10% but profits were up even higher, by 25%.

Clan

Repeat business accounts for 75% of Clan鈥檚 order book, a tribute it believes to its 鈥減roblem solving鈥� approach at pre-tender stage. Recognising the importance of partnering, it has long-established relations with preferred suppliers and other specialist contractors. Specialising in brick, stone and concrete repair, the company鈥檚 拢750,000 brick and stonework contract for Kier鈥檚 project at Bluecoat Chambers in Liverpool was the year鈥檚 highlight.

Concrete Repairs Limited

CRL uses its 50-years-plus track record in repairing concrete structures to win plum jobs like the Gatwick multi-storey carpark refurb and then carry them out to full client satisfaction. Committed to sustainability and technical innovation, CRL drove sales up by 12% this year and profits by a whopping 320%.

Structherm

Strong commitment to partnering, sustainability and health and safety training mean that Structherm and its Fastbuild system continue to be in demand 25 years after its formation. Recent improvements to the pre-fabricated concrete panel system, such as pre-formed window panels and large party wall panels, secured it numerous projects this year, including two big hotels in Barnsley and Newcastle. Turnover was up nearly 50% to over 拢8 million and customer satisfaction hit new highs.