Industry Online Industry Profiles & Industry News

Chemical Industry - An Overview

2008-08-28T22:17:00.001-07:00

Chemical Industry is one of the fastest growing Industries globally. Demand in different segments of chemical Industry like pharmaceuticals, Inorganic Chemicals, Organic Chemicals, Fine and specialties, Bulk Drugs, Agrochemicals, and Paints and Dyes are also increasing rapidly. Industry players are following state of the art techniques and extensive research and development policies to fulfill this increasing demand for chemical.

Chemical Industry and India

India was importing chemicals during early 1990s, but now India has become a net exporter of chemicals because of implementation of several large scale petrochemical plants, and tremendous growth of exports in sectors like bulk drugs and pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and dyes and intermediates.

Currently India is a strong player in chemicals export. Following are some facts related to Chemical Industry in India (Analysis based on Year 2005):

* 13% of total export
* 13% of total industrial output and 7% of GDP
* 10%-12% growth rate annually
* 2% of global chemical industry
* Indian pharmaceuticals industry ranks 4th in volume and 13th in terms of value in world
* 2nd largest producer of agrochemicals in Asia

Factors Affecting Indian Chemical Industry

There are few factors resulting growth of Indian Chemical Industry. Some important factors are as following:

1. Friendly Government Policies: In recent years government policies have become more and more industry friendly, following the similar global industry friendly trend. Government is eager to provide land and basic infrastructure for new industry establishments, because industries are powerful elements in contributing rapid growth of development.
2. Increasing Demand: There is increase in demand of chemicals globally, be it pharmaceutical, agrochemicals, adhesives, fertilizers, or other chemicals. So industry players are trying to increase their current production to match increasing demand.
3. Technology factors: The change in technology is also a factor in development of chemical industry. Newer machinery, better technology, and research are major cause behind growth rate of this industry.
4. Involvement of major players: Involvement of major industry players in chemical industry, as well as acquisition of overseas companies by Indian Giants led strong worldwide reputation of Indian chemical manufacturers.
5. Presence of raw materials: India is rich in minerals and other raw materials required in production of chemicals that decreases input capital required and increases overall revenues of manufacturers.

In coming years industry is going to grow with more than current growth rate. In 2005 its contribution to GDP was 7%, which increased to 13% in year 2007. Domestic demand is also increasing so we don't need to look for exports always. Past few years witnessed tremendous growth and we can expect similar trends in future too.

Shanti Chemical Works is a partnership firm with a commitment to manufacture and supply Best Quality Sodium Silicate and Potassium Silicate as per customers' specifications. The firm believes in Total Customer Satisfaction and works towards achieving it. For more information, visit us at: http://www.shantichem.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alex_S_Smith

Why the Travel Industry is the Best Business Industry

2008-08-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

When choosing a business opportunity, it is very important that you chose one that is associated with an industry that is flourishing. The last thing you want is to have to market a product or service that is not in demand. One of the best industries you can chose to focus your business efforts is the travel industry.

Travel is one of the luxuries that won't be going any anytime soon. In fact, the travel industry is the largest commercial industry in the world. It is currently a 7 trillion dollar industry and it is predicted to double over next 8-10 years. That's crazy! The internet has really played a significant role in the growth of the travel industry. Forty-three percent of every dollar spent on the internet is spent on travel.

The travel industry is one that most business gurus are trying to get their piece off. The travel industry is so lucrative that even some of the richest people in the world are getting their piece. Donald Trump started his own travel company in 2006. Even Bill Gates has a piece. He bought a whole chain of hotels!.

Another thing that makes the travel industry a great venture are the baby boomers. The baby boomers are the largest target market out of any group of individuals. Ten thousand baby boomers turn the age of 60 each day. And with 74 million baby boomers, that's one every 8 seconds for the next 20 years. These retirees have time and money and they want to travel. With a target market that big, the travel industry is positioned to always be ahead of the pack. For more information on the baby boomers, check out my other article.

Copyright © 2008 Nate Falconer.
Nate is a professional network marketer who teaches others how to be successful in network marketing using both traditional and non-traditional methods. If you want to get in touch with Nate or learn more about network marketing success please visit:

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Falconer

E-Expos are Big Hits with Industry Associations

2008-08-22T03:37:00.001-07:00

Marketing for an Industry Association is very difficult because there are a limited number of businesses in each industry and only a percentage of those businesses are willing to join an association. Also many industry associations compete against each other and in some cases there are several Industry Associations for a single industry. Then there are often regional associations and not every company wishes to join all of them. This makes it difficult for Industry Associations to survive.

For this reason many Industry Associations work very hard to recruit vendors of the industry to also join to support its members. Unfortunately if too many industry vendors join invariably the members who are constantly being bombarded with marketing and sales reps choose not to renew. Most large Industry Associations have annual conferences and Expos to keep their Industry Association strong. Often they also have trade journals or they work with other magazines in their industry to help promote them in a win-win situation.

Large Industry Associations looking for more ways to market and increase revenues and many are turning towards online Expos, which allows them to help market all of their industry vendor members to their regular business members. E-Expos are nice because they work 24/7 on the Internet and this allows new leads to constantly manifest themselves for the vendor members. Perhaps you have noticed in your industry this new tactic of E-Expos and its growing popularity. It is rather nice for the business members because they know where they can find information, which will be there all the time.

Such a strategy for E-Expos and Industry Associations is a very good use of the Internet for sales and marketing, association brand name and keeping peace between the various types of members in the Industry Association. A decade ago this did not exist, but it is becoming very popular today. It is another good way to turn an Industry Association web site into an industry portal and therefore increase membership of all types of members. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Becoming a Successful Online Poker Affiliate

2008-02-14T01:37:00.001-08:00

Many people say you can't get something from nothing, but in the world of affiliate marketing there lies an exception. Setting cliches and phraseology aside the realm of affiliate advertising has made the Internet a vibrant entrepreneurial playground. Like at no time before people are able to profit from virtual space and advertising. Requiring little or no effort or initial outlay the affiliate system has revolutionised website ownership.

But when an individual decides to become an affiliate, which website or sites should they advertise for. There is such a huge collection available on the Internet that the variety is truly staggering. Arguably the most important factor should be how popular or how likely is it that persons visiting a personal website are likely to follow the links to another. The bigger the industry the bigger the potential clientele. Very few industries these days can match the growth and the sustainability than that of the online poker business.

The virtual realm of the Internet has revolutionised the entire gambling and gaming industry. Making betting possible from the comfort of your own home and at any time of the day. The ease at which people can place bets or play games is staggering and has no doubt influenced the phenomenal rise of all gaming sites, but most notably that of online poker. For a long time poker had a very underground hushed up reputation even going to the extent of seediness. But now with online poker the barriers and the preconceptions have been blown away. The online poker revolution has changed the game forever, making it more popular and more accessible than at any point in it's long history. The global village that is the Internet allows players from all over the world to lock horns in matches and tournaments, pitting their wits against professionals and amateurs alike.

Due to the surge in popularity of the online poker industry, there has been a huge boom in the revenue that these companies can turn over. As with any successful industry companies are desperate to cash in on the lucrative businesses. So the role of the advertising persons becomes all the more important as companies vie for new customers, to stay ahead or catch up with the leading sites. It is a dog eat dog billion dollar business so it is easy to understand why they might be willing to share some of the profits in order to maintain their reputation and expand the sites. This is where the average affiliate comes in. In exchange for a few advertisements on their personal site, they can quickly generate a nice income.

Profitable Audio Streaming - Will Audio Streaming Stay for Good?

2008-02-14T01:36:00.000-08:00

In the world of online, there are a lot of possible things that can be done. Actually, more has been integrated; from graphics to streaming video to streaming audio.

The presence of audio streaming not only in some areas of the online world adds up to the very exciting arena. Whether audio streaming is going to last or just a mere fad nowadays, the fact remains that audio streaming becomes a common craze to many.

So what can an audio streaming do?

Audio streaming is certainly good most especially in a very animated life that we have on the internet. Most websites include in their area an audio streaming and even the welcome page has voice-recorded files that make it appealing to most visitors. Audio streaming is becoming a healthy addition to most internet users due to its new and exciting promise.

Apart from the aesthetic side of having an audio streaming, it also brings good to business transaction because it allows voice interaction to occur between two people. This is something good in the business as voice interaction provides more concrete and substantial amount of confidence and trust in any transaction made. The addition of audio streaming also allows for some inter communication to exist between and among different people in the company. This has brought the business industry into a new whole dimension of communication.

Audio streaming can and will exist in the online industry because it offers a greater dimension that plain text is limited to doing. Gone are the days when one should content himself with boring and lifeless text documents that we read. The era of voice and graphics have begun to revolutionize!

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Online Casino Review - Select Your Best Online Casino

2008-02-01T03:20:00.000-08:00

Online Casino Review can be more delivate than what you think. When choosing an online casino you may want to play the best online casino, where you will find the online casino game that fits better to your abilities and expectations, but for that you have to consider some points:

1. Is that online casino a reliable one?

2. Do that online casino have free online casino games?

3. Will you receive an online casino bonus?

4. Are you sure this online casino is one of the best online casinos to select?

5. Can you play in your language on that online casino, whether you like playing online casino in english or spanish, italian japanesse or french?

The best online casino is not one specifically, is the online casino that will satisfy you... yo ucan choose a reliable online casino with big online casino bonuses, or a casino online with a cowboy look-n-feel, or the one with most diverse kind of online casino games, or maybe you just want to find an online casino to play with other online casino players.

Whichever your decision is, I encourage you to go over the best online casino reviews and top online casino directory listings and find the best online casino.

Online Healthcare Degrees - Changing Careers the Easier Way

2008-02-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

The growth in the number of people looking for online health care degrees is no big surprise. Healthcare reform, an aging baby boomer population and longer life expectancy have all fueled a demand in degrees that puts it at one of the top spots for job openings.

In addition, while the healthcare industry demand is there, so are your personal life's demands. Because of this, and the simple fact that the demand for workers is outweighing the supply, it's also no surprise that the availability of more flexible online degrees is on the rise too.

While online healthcare degrees are available for nursing, other specialty online healthcare degrees are available as well. Degree programs including respiratory therapy, radiology, and medical assistant are just a few of the other online degree programs available.

In an industry with so much personal and clinical hands-on contact, it's obvious that these degree programs are going to require some time spent in classrooms, clinics and/or hospitals as well. Part of your online health care degree search should be to uncover exactly how much clinical time requirements you will need to allow for. As with any other online program though, the bulk of your class work will still likely be done from the luxury of your home.

For those looking for a position in a hot industry but in a non-clinical role, healthcare certificate programs are available in fields like medical billing, medical assistant or medical transcription as well. Unlike the clinical positions (nursing, respiratory therapy, radiology...etc.), these certificate programs can usually be completed entirely online.

For those already in the field, there are online health care degrees available for those pursuing advanced degrees too. Finding a classroom environment is challenging for a 9-5'er. Try finding a classroom environment that fits into a nurses 3-11 calendar or their Sunday-Wednesday 12 hours/day schedule. You already know this would be hard, if not impossible. In response, many universities are offering online health care degrees for both Bachelor and Master degrees in nursing as well as other fields of study.

Take some time and request free detailed information including admissions requirements, costs and general course requirements from several schools. If it seems like a pain just remember that you're taking a big step here. You owe it to yourself to have at least a few options to put next to each other to truly do an apples-to-apples comparison of the different programs.

Article Marketing And Writing Articles On Public Relations For Your Industry

2008-01-31T04:44:00.000-08:00

Many article marketers are running out of things to write about in their industry and in doing so they are missing targeted traffic that they need to ensure their online business success. May I be so bold as to recommend writing articles on public relations in your industry? Why you ask?

Well, if you position yourself as someone in your industry who understands public relations then you will find businesses in that industry who are very interested in promoting their own businesses and therefore they will wish to read your article. These same folks since they are in business for themselves in your industry are the exact targeted traffic that you need.

So how do you write a public relations article for your industry? Well, first to describe all the pains and negative publicity that businesses in your industry sub-sector often has to deal with from the public or the press. Then you merely offer three are four ways that can help any business overcome the negative stigma and unfortunate perception that some people in the public have about the industry.

Next you recommend that they hire a public relations specialist and someone who is an expert in the field to help them out so that they stay on top of their public relations and increase their community goodwill. And perhaps you will meet people who are public relations specialists in your industry who will network with you.

Maybe they will feel you know what you're talking about perhaps you can contract with some of their clients to provide services or work on public relations campaigns with them. That is why you should write public relations articles in your industry as soon as possible. Consider this in 2006.

Online Dating - Be Cautious

2008-01-31T04:39:00.000-08:00

Online Dating industry has been witnessing an upsurge since the time it has seen its inception. The industry is on a boom and the number of people getting hit by this plague increase manifold by each passing day. As the industry progresses, more and more of its problems and faults come under the microscopic scanner of the critics. Hers a list of what plagues the industry and what needs to be sorted out to let the industry continue with its booming ways.

The most conspicuous problem with most of the online dating sites is that they expect the users to sign-up 'blindly', that is without showing you a preview of what kind of profiles to expect from it. Then there are ones that do give you an access but to profiles that are not real but serve the purpose of being 'baits' to attract new members. Also, most online sites do not update the member's list and profiles for years altogether. Hence, even if a member has stopped using the service his name would continue to appear in the member's list.

Trial memberships make up for another problem faced by the users on online dating sites. They do not give you all the facilities that are given to the regular members and sometimes, the trial membership is automatically transformed to a regular membership without any further action by the user. In this way, the credit card information given by the users is misused.

Mistrust amongst members of such online dating sites is a common phenomenon owing to the lies that members might divulge about their height, weight and vital statistics! Sometimes, even the photographs are not real. Hence, there are more chances of members being misled by such liars on the online dating sites.

Just a little caution on your part and honesty on the part of the site owners can amend these problems easily. Enjoy the benefits of Online Dating sites and get a dream partner for yourself. The only pre-condition being that you discreetly choose a site that is reliable and trustworthy.

Know more about Online Shopping and Adult Dating Services here.

Intermediate Tips for Growth in E-commerce

2008-01-30T02:34:00.000-08:00

The increasing growth of e-commerce has brought with it a lot of new and bigger business challenges. Being able to sell quality and affordable goods or services is no longer the end all of e-commerce activities. In order to meet the demands of the stiff competition in this rapidly evolving business trend, you need to maximize the use of the available technologies and be more creative in promoting online your business enterprise.

In order to increase your business advantage in the e-commerce industry, it is important that you are familiar with today’s Internet technology. Use all e-commerce tools to your advantage like having a good and appealing domain name for your website and by increasing your online advertising presence. For example, you can post pay-per-click advertisements on search engines and other affiliated websites in order to divert more users to your website. You can also provide information about your business, share some advice or opinion and include a link to your website on online forums and blogs. Users are likely to click on these links and get to your own website.

Increasing your e-commerce advantage requires you to learn new techniques and more strategies that could keep your edge in the online business world. In comparison to offline businesses, competition is rather stiff and most products and service improve faster in the online industry. Being in direct contact with targeted customers like answering inquiries and taking online orders can help you realize your business targets with very little or no cost at all. As use of information technology continues to grow, e-commerce will usher in new and more effective ways of doing business. With the world becoming more and more a global village, the future of e-commerce, including the increased market profit and business volume, continues to be as limitless as the borders of the World Wide World.

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E-Books and Internet Publishing Will it Replace Print and Bookstores - A Writers Comment

2008-01-30T02:33:00.000-08:00

Today we have all sorts of options as writers that we just did not have a decade the prior. For instance if there is only a limited market for our chosen topic, we can publish without all the hassles immediately online. Indeed, I am a co-author of one book in print, but this year I produced 10-ebooks and put them online and realize that was in only 4 months.

In fact my goal is to write a total of 90 more e-Books in the next twenty months, sure it can be done and without all the hassles or barriers to entry, or marketing angles that the publishers are looking for. What is this new trend going to do to the Publishing Industry? Well, I suppose over time that the publishing industry is dead meat. But it will not go quietly or easily of course.

If your books sell well on the Internet you may find yourself with a much bigger chuck of the price of each book sold. Think about it, no shipping costs, no inventory costs, no printing costs and the marketing costs are quite low. There are many advantages to writing eBooks on the Internet and skipping the printing industry entirely.

Another advantage to selling eBooks on the Internet is the fact that you have a much closer link with your audience and the reader, for quick feedback. With a fast feedback loop you can modify your works slightly and give the readers more of what they want and insure continued sales growth too. Think about it.

Online Networking Can Help Boost Job Prospects In The Biotechnology Sector

2008-01-29T06:04:00.001-08:00

It is difficult to find the best jobs by using the conventional way of job hunting because they are hardly ever advertised. In reality, people are recommended for the positions by someone within their professional network who would also provide tips on how to ace the job interviews. Dr. Obi Igbokwe, CEO of Biohealthmatics.com (http://www.biohealthmatics.com), a biotechnology career website, agrees that to get the best jobs, it is important to have a solid network of contacts. He also mentions it is now easier to have those contacts by networking online.

Online networking, which involves the mutual exchange of information and knowledge between people through online forums and websites, has moved the art of networking from conferences, industry breakfasts and power lunches to the comfort and privacy of one’s home.

“Online networking not only provides the freedom of participants to get to know thousands of people from any part of the world at their own schedule, it also removes social barriers like shyness and financial barriers which include the cost of travelling and staying in hotels for conferences and industry events.” added Dr. Obi Igbokwe, speaking on the launch of the career networking service on Biohealthmatics.com.

Another advantage of online networking according to Dakotta J.K. Alex, a social networking expert and author of “Damn, I Need a Job. Again!” and “The Recruiters Guide Book”, is that it helps professionals keep abreast of the latest happenings in their industry and thus keeps their skills updated.

This is an area that Biohealthmatics.com is addressing with its online networking service, as registered members not only have an online forum where they can communicate, they can also post links to industry related websites, news headlines and articles written by themselves on the website. Users are awarded points for their contributions.

Dr. Obi Igbokwe says the reason behind this is to encourage users interact more with each other, by sharing knowledge. Their contributions and public interactions within the forums are the accessible from their profile page. This makes them more attractive to potential contacts, who are themselves registered members. He also stressed that, when networking online, it is important to remember that getting to know and maintaining a relationship with the people in one’s private network is just as important as making the initial contact. With that in mind, people would soon find themselves being offered positions that they only ever dreamed of

Online Fashion Merchandising Courses-A Convenient Path to a Fashion Career

2008-01-29T06:03:00.001-08:00

The Internet has revolutionized education. Distance and online learning is one of the fastest growing segments of the educational field. If you are thinking of attending fashion school for a fashion merchandising degree or certificate, you may want to consider an online fashion design program. These online programs have evolved and are more comprehensive and sophisticated to meet student needs.

As a fashion merchandising student, you'll learn the nuts and bolts of fashion design and marketing. You'll study the whole cycle of fashion creation, concentrating primarily on the manufacturing, buying, selling, and promotion of items to retail and other outlets. You'll also learn about the actual textiles that create fabrics, and their manufacture.

There are many advantages to studying fashion merchandising online. You will have a more flexible schedule, and can study around your job, or other responsibilities. A great way to get even more prepared for working in the field is to take a fashion-related job while you are attending school online. This will help you get real world fashion experience that can enrich your online education, and help qualify you for your fashion merchandising career once you graduate.

There are a number of schools that offer online programs. Many respectable and respected fashion campuses also offer an online component. Its better to enroll in an online program that is well-known and has a presence in the fashion industry. Many schools offer a two year associates degree or a certificate, and some schools offer a four year bachelor degree. Whatever degree program you choose, you want to make sure that your online program has the appropriate accreditation, so that when you graduate, your achievement has merit in the industry, and is recognizable.

Another factor to consider is the job placement assistance offered after you graduate. Most schools will have statistics regarding the number of graduates working the fashion merchandising industry. Before you enroll, you should review the school's job assistance program, and make sure it is comprehensive as possible.

A fashion merchandising career is one of the most flexible and varied in the fashion industry. Once you have achieved your diploma or certification, there are a wide variety of positions available. You could work in retail as store manager, or store owner. You could also work as a fashion buyer, merchandiser, fashion event planner, and that is just a small number of the variety of positions available.

If you live too far away to attend an on campus fashion school, or need more flexibility with your schedule, an online fashion merchandising program may be a good fit for you. More and more schools are catering to the needs of their students by offering online degree and certificate studies, and there are now a number to choose from. Your fashion career could be just a few mouse clicks away.

Shopping Online Is The Fastest And Best Way To Purchase Products And Find Services Offered

2008-01-05T03:03:00.000-08:00

By shopping online, you will find many advantages that will help make your shopping experience pleasurable. Selecting and purchasing products online has never been easier. Find out how quick and easy it is to shop merchant sites that assist you in the simple process of obtaining the product that you want.

Save time and money

The time and money that you will save by shopping on the internet is quite significant compared to the local shopping mall. Online, you can make specific searches for products in a matter of minutes, whereas shopping for products at the local mall takes a great deal of energy and time.

Another big advantage of online shopping are the benefits of great prices, sales, and exclusive offers. On some sites you can save up to 50% or more on selected items. Depending where you shop online, you may also find huge savings on shipping and delivery.

Product selections

You can find more product selections online than a brick and mortar business. You can choose a category and refine your search for that special item. It's also possible to find discontinued products that shopping malls no longer stock. Are you in the market for a new car? Why not search for it online? Look for home furnishings, gifts, clothing, and more online.

Look for services offered online

Products are not the only items of interest that you can shop for online. You can find businesses offering their services also. There is banking online, computer services online, grocery shopping online, investments online, dating services online, real estate online, employment online, and many more services at you fingertips.

The way of the future

Online shopping is quickly becoming the way of the future. The advancements of technology are creating avenues of convenience to suit the ever-increasing busy lifestyles of this century.

More and more people are using the internet to access information that is readily available. With this in mind, it only makes "cents" that it is profitable for businesses to be online and a great advantage for the customers to do their shopping

7 Options to Make Money Online

2008-01-05T03:02:00.000-08:00

The Internet is full of Scam about making money online. Our own experience shows that you can make money online and you have 7 options that are real. You have to understand your capabilities to make money online.

Making Money online is possible even if you are a simple Internet user or surfer. For instance, Filling surveys online does not pay much, but you still can make money ranging from $5-75 per survey. Trading stocks or foreign exchange requires a capital and some financial background.

Data entry jobs or even reading emails pays as well. Building a Website makes money ranging from $10 to $5000 per month. Going to daily job can pay from $1000 to $20,000 per month.

It all depends on you to make money online. Your skills, how hard you want to work, your education, and your background will set your course to make the money you deserve.

Here are some options to help you start making money online. Starting with the simple ones first that makes little money and ascending to the one that requires most dedication:

1- Filling Surveys Online (Simple, No Capital required)

2- Data Entry Online (Simple, No Capital required)

3- Trade Stocks online (Easy to Do, Require some capital to start and lots of luck)

4- Trade Foreign Exchange online (Specialised, Requires capital to start and knowledge to win)

5- Build a Website online (Easy if you have the will, requires $10-25 a month and authoring time)

6- Find a Job that suits your skills. Find this online, but you report to it daily!

7- Start your own business from home

Online Job Recruitment - Trends, Benefits, Outcomes And Implications

2007-12-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

Little more than a decade ago, online job searches were primarily the province of a tiny population of hardcore techies. Today, online recruiting forms one of the central pillars of a smart staffing strategy for firms in every economic sector.

Increasingly, job seekers are turning to electronic resources such as corporate web sites, federal, state, and municipal job postings, online job search engines and aggregators, Internet classifieds, and online versions of local and national newspapers to facilitate the job search process. Conversely, a growing majority of employers have moved a significant proportion of their recruitment efforts online. For professionals on both sides of the hiring equation, the notion of conducting a job search or candidate hunt offline is virtually inconceivable in 2007.

However, while it is undeniable that the movement online of many recruitment functions and job search resources has vastly expanded the scope, accessibility, ease, and efficiency of the recruitment process, the long-term implications of this trend remain shrouded in ambiguity. In the interim, the ever-quickening pace of technological advancement has thrust many HR practitioners into the awkward position of being forced to define a set of best practices for online recruitment on the fly, as it were, even as the protocols and methods that are being used in the process continue to evolve.

As with any moving target, the exponentially expanding trend of online recruitment resists easy definition and description. But by relying on a number of recent analyses and indices, it is possible to piece together a clearer picture of what the trend of online recruitment is and what it isn't -- and what it may portend about the future of HR.

Tracing the Trajectory of the Online Recruitment Trend, 2000-2007

Like virtually every other Internet-facilitated service, online job search and recruitment activity have vastly expanded since the year 2000. However, unlike many other Internet-based service trends that declined in the early 2000s, some analysts contend that the dot-com crash and the subsequent tightening of first the IT and then the general labor market actually facilitated the expansion of online job searches and recruitment efforts.

As the labor market was flooded with a sudden influx of laid-off workers, many of whom were refugees from the IT industry, online job search resources gradually emerged as a touchstone for millions of jobseekers. Although many firms had been listing open positions on their corporate websites long before this, the early 2000s was the period during which a truly distinct online recruitment paradigm emerged and first attained a level of critical mass.

Market data and statistical analyses of the burgeoning online recruitment industry seem to confirm this account. In 1999, it was reported that less than one-third of Fortune 500 companies were engaged in any form of online recruitment whatsoever, including the posting of open positions on the firm's own corporate website. By 2003, that figure had jumped to 94%; today, it registers as 100%.

Job seekers are also focusing extensively -- and in many cases, exclusively -- on online sources in the process of seeking a new position. In 2003, it was reported that 45% of job seekers confirmed having consulted the Internet as part of their job search. By 2006, a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management put the number of job seekers who used online resources in their job searches at a staggering 96%. It appears that for a growing number of employees on the lookout for a new position, the concepts of "job search" and "online job search" are now virtually synonymous.

In the early days of online recruitment, most job sites were either maintained by a corporate parent solely for the purpose of internal recruitment, or operated on a volunteer or donation-only basis by individuals involved in a particular field or industry. Today, however, online recruitment is a lucrative industry in its own right; the top job search sites now regularly pull in hefty profits. This income is derived largely from ad revenues generated by companies willing to pay big bucks to market their wares to the millions of job seekers who regularly peruse sites like Monster.com and Yahoo! HotJobs.

In 2003, the online recruitment industry was generating slightly more than $3 billion in annual revenues. In 2007, the figure now exceeds $16 billion, with analysts estimating that the online recruitment industry could take in more than $20 billion annually as early as next year.

Taken together, all of the statistical indicators tell a story of exponential growth and expansion in the prevalence, popularity, importance, and profitability of the online recruitment industry. In the course of just a few short years, what once was a narrow niche market has exploded into mainstream ubiquity.

However, while there's no denying the skyrocketing popularity of online recruitment, the outcomes and implications of this trend are not as clearly defined -- or readily definable. Once the easily quantifiable variables of ad revenues and user counts are left behind, we enter the somewhat murkier territory of gauging the efficacy and impact of online recruitment.

These more subjective measures aren't as precise, but they still offer valuable insight to firms seeking to refine and optimize their online recruitment strategy. In the next section, we'll take a look at some of the benefits and pitfalls of online recruiting -- and how they can impact your firm's bottom line.

The Advantages of Online Recruitment

The widespread advent of online recruitment has ushered in a brave new world for jobseekers and employers alike, rife with myriad benefits and rewards. Some of these advantages are obvious, while others, though more subtle, are no less significant.

The most immediately apparent benefit of online recruitment is the vastly improved degree of recruitment process management this approach offers. Throughout every phase of the recruitment process, an online system facilitates a much more streamlined, standardized approach than traditional, paper-based recruitment. Many once-manual tasks, such as sorting, coding, filing, and routing application materials, can now be performed automatically. Some experts estimate that the average recruitment cycle is one-third to one-half as long as it was in the pre-Internet era.

This enhanced process efficiency contributes significantly to another major benefit of online recruitment -- its cost-effectiveness. Although the costs of developing and implementing a full-scale recruitment system on a firm's corporate web site are often not inconsiderable, recent studies and industry surveys indicate that most firms' recruitment costs have decreased sharply after the shift toward online systems.

Some leading-edge online recruitment tools hold the promise of extending the efficiency of this approach even further. Applications like qualification quizzes, instant 'fit' assessments, skill-based evaluations, and other metrics can be administered instantly to candidates over the Internet, thus further winnowing down the number of résumés that must be hand-coded by HR personnel. Although not yet widely used, industry experts see this trend as an important component of online recruitment's future.

Conversely, even as new and emerging tools can help firms weed out unsuitable applicants automatically, the shift toward online recruitment has also improved the 21st century job search by allowing employers to cast the broadest net possible in the search for qualified candidates. By using the Internet as a recruitment platform, companies have eliminated many of the geographical, cultural, and time-zone constraints that once narrowed the candidate pool. This benefit is particularly well-suited to today's workplace, in which team diversity is appreciated as a way to gain competitive advantage in the global marketplace.

Experts have also noted that when properly managed, online recruitment's positive impact can transcend the realm of HR and enhance the firm in other ways, as well. In an era in which image is everything, online recruitment can form an important component of an overarching brand management strategy. Whether or not a candidate opts to apply for an open position, the marketing collateral that's packed into a carefully-crafted online job posting can help enhance brand awareness, an intangible but vital variable in today's cut-throat competitive landscape.

The Disadvantages of Online Recruitment

Despite the rich promise inherent in the practice of online recruitment, there are potential drawbacks, as well. Although many of the current concerns will likely be able to be overcome through future advancements in the technology, they still merit serious consideration.

In the early days of online recruitment, many expressed concern that qualified applicants may be overlooked by recruiters focusing primarily on candidates who submitted online applications. Initially, this point was valid, as most of the jobseekers who were "early adopters" of online recruitment were a self-selecting group of college-educated, computer literature, and, for the most part, demographically homogenous individuals.

However, Internet use among the general public has skyrocketed over the last five years. Virtually every demographic group has an online presence, making it likely that the right candidates will find a way to connect with the right position. In addition, most companies continue to maintain traditional application channels to accommodate the needs of offline jobseekers.

Conversely, while some experts fear that the growing popularity of online recruitment may exclude too many potential applicants, others fear that online application methods aren't exclusive enough. Now that virtually anyone can submit an application with just a few clicks of the mouse, the traditional barriers that worked to keep out wholly unsuitable candidates have now been largely eliminated.

Admittedly, this can pose a logistical problem for some companies. The glut of entry-level applications -- most from wildly unqualified candidates -- that descend upon companies in weeks following college graduation have attained near-legendary status.

But overall, most firms report that the number of inappropriate applications is manageable, and a small price to pay for the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness gains they've realized from online recruiting. Furthermore, as the use of automated screening applications becomes more prevalent, the negative impact of inappropriate applications will be virtually eliminated.

A somewhat more thorny issue is the complaint that online recruitment erases the "human" aspect of human resources management. Although the automation of many phases of the recruitment process has led to massive gains in efficiency and cost-effectiveness, some critics have questioned whether this approach is too impersonal. This concern has validity in an era in which intangible factors such as a candidate's organizational "fit" and the sense of "clicking" with the existing team dynamic are considered more important than ever before.

The counter-argument, of course, is that the parts of the application process that are now regularly managed by an online system are typically those that were once handled through postal mail. After the initial rounds of information exchange, most companies take the application process offline and proceed with telephone or face-to-face interviews. However, the fact remains that the same streamlined standardization that boosts the efficiency of online recruitment does depersonalize and decontextualized the process to a degree, depriving both recruiter and candidate of some of the subtle cues and clues that can convey so much information in human interactions.

What Does It All Mean? Considering the Impact and Implications of Online Recruitment

While it is abundantly clear that online recruitment has inexorably altered the hiring process, its impact upon the overarching practices and principles of human resources and personnel management are not yet fully defined. At the current juncture, it seems as if the primary change has been a technological one, in which the newspaper help-wanted ads and snail-mailed paper résumés of the past have been neatly replaced with their electronic successors.

In other words, although the tools we use have changed, most of the underlying principles that govern the recruitment process have remained basically unchanged. Today, the HR profession stands at a critical junction. We have been presented with the unique -- and formidable -- opportunity to help usher in a new paradigm that combines the best of both worlds -- the efficiency and unparalleled reach of the Internet with the high-touch, intuitive, and exceedingly human focus of traditional recruitment methods.

Technology has been and will continue to be an important factor in this process, but we should bear in mind that it is a tool, rather than an end unto itself. Our overarching objective remains unchanged: as recruitment professionals, we are charged with the responsibility of finding and keeping the best candidates. Online recruitment should be regarded as just one of the many techniques we use to achieve this goal -- no more and no less.

Not playing around: it's no longer all fun and games in the online video game market—you now have to add profits to the mix - Biz 101 - Industry Overv

2007-07-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

MORE THAN 100 MILLION PEOPLE ARE expected to play online games by the year 2005. Intrigued? Considering that computer and video games generate billions of dollars in sales every year, there's quite a lot of money that can be made in taking the concept online.

But getting into it--therein lies the challenge. How does an entrepreneur really get a piece of the online video game market? Check out Game Wisdom (www.gamewisdom.com) to start. This educational Web community is a prime place to find everything you'll need if you plan on starting an online video game empire. For a monthly membership fee that ranges from $7.95 to $24.95 (depending on what services you subscribe to), aspiring entrepreneurs can learn every aspect of how to design an online video game, from working with the technology involved to coming up with creative content A part of Ultimate Arcade Inc. (www.ultimatearcade.com), Game Wisdom was launched in May of this year by Tina Louise Feldman and Alan Balode to help start-ups break into the growing industry. "People don't realize that making a good online game requires a lot of effort and team cooperation, much like real hard--core video games," says Feldman, senior vice president of licensing and sales at Ultimate Arcade.

The many step-by-step tutorials the company offers let you polish your skills in everything from graphics and animation to sound effects and music. And if you're looking for partners or employees, check out the Talent Search Application. Says Feldman, "If you are at all interested in getting into game development as a career or as a hobby, the time has never been better." YOU'VE DREAMED OF OWNING A RESTAUrant since the first time you sauteed on your family stove. Now, with start-up capital in hand, you have to design your restaurant from the inside out--or "from the heart of the house," says Michael D. Owings, founder of restaurant design firm Creative Culinary Design in Costa Mesa, California.

That means starting where your food begins--the kitchen. Imagine it: You have the greatest ambience in the world, but the food takes forever to prepare because of an inefficient kitchen layout. It's critical to lay out the pantry, saute and cooking stations wisely. "In designing kitchens," says Owings, "lay your cook line out so that there's no cross traffic [and] people aren't running up and down," he says.

Try to find someone who is already in the restaurant business to help you out. He or she can tell you that your broiler is too small to actually create all the food on your menu or that your refrigerated drawers are hard to get to. And according to Owings, success comes from two things: "A good strategic plan along with a design that understands [your] market, location, staffing requirements and management skills--those are critical issues."

Need more design ideas? Check out Entrepreneur's Business Start-Up Guide, How to Start a Restaurant.

A Penny Saved...

AND YOU'VE TAKEN YOUR FIRST STEP TO STARTING A BUSINESS.

YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE BOTH WORK, and you're barely making it--how will you save money to start a business? We asked David Bach, author of Smart Couples Finish Rich (Broadway Books), to share some money-saving tips:

* TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT YOUR EXPENSES. Keep track for a few months to see exactly where the money goes. (A program like Quicken or Microsoft Money can help.) Divide expenditures into fixed (every month) and variable (change from month to month). "Go through it, almost with a knife, and figure out what you can cut," Bach says.

* REDUCE SPENDING. If one person quits working to start the business, you'll only have one income to work with. Practice living on that one income now. Things like switching from "super cable" to basic cable can save you from $50 to $80 per month. Clip coupons and buy generic--simple changes add up.

* OPEN A DREAM ACCOUNT. Get a separate money-market account for your business and set up an automatic deposit for every payday--$50, $100, whatever you can afford.

* GET YOUR SAFETY NET. Before you quit your day jobs, make sure you have health and disability insurance in place. You'll need it out there on your own.

* PAY YOURSELF FIRST. The moment you start your business, get a retirement plan like an SEP or IRA. Says Bach, "The biggest mistake entrepreneurs make is to put every dollar they make into their business--it's really important that you pay yourself first.

CPA2Biz delivers update to AICPA council: CPA2Biz, the AICPA's marketing and technology provider, experiences steady online growth, releases new site

2007-07-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past year CPA2Biz, the exclusive marketing provider of the AICPA, has launched a pair of new initiatives enabling CPAs to build stronger relationships with their clients or employers. Now it's looking ahead to several new Web site enhancements and CPA programs for the coming year.

This news was delivered at the AICPA Spring Council meeting by Erik Asgeirsson, CEO of CPA2Biz. The JofA recently caught up with Asgeirsson, as well as CPA2Biz COO Patrick Bonnaure and several AICPA members, to fill out the picture of the current status of CPA2Biz. CPA2Biz develops and manages client-focused business solutions programs such as the Paychex Partner Program (for payroll) and the Chase CPA Advantage Program (for banking) to meet the needs of small and midsize public practitioners and CPAs in business and industry. Just 10 months after the November 2003 launch of these initiatives, more than 8,000 CPA firms from 47 states are participating in the Business Solutions Program and more than 1,500 new CPAs are signing up for it each month. With built-in benefits for CPAs and their clients, these programs bring large firm resources to all firms.

"More than 8,000 clients have been successfully referred by enrolled CPAs," says Asgeirsson, as of the April 2004 Spring Council meeting. Through the Paychex Partner Program, participating CPAs can offer their clients one month of free payroll processing and a six month satisfaction guarantee. In addition, CPA2Biz and Paychex have put procedures in place to assure the CPA remains the client's main contact at all times.
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CPA2Biz also has teamed with Chase to roll out the CPA Advantage Program. This small business banking program offers CPAs a dedicated hot line, direct access to client financial information, a special small business account manager to work with and preferred pricing for the firm and its clients.

CPA2BIZ REACHES NEW MILESTONES

After two years of improving financial performance, CPA2Biz has attained a new milestone. In its most recent fiscal year, CPA2Biz had positive cash flow from operations as well as overall positive net cash flow. This is a result of the marketing and operational investments that have made CPA2Biz a valuable asset to the CPA community.

"CPA2Biz is meeting the needs of AICPA members," according to Mark Zinman, name partner in a local CPA firm in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. His firm is active in CPA2Biz's Business Solutions Programs. Under the programs, CPA2Biz leverages the voice of the profession to deliver a valuable and unique set of benefits to AICPA members.

"The more we utilize our buying power, the better it will be for all of us--CPAs, firms and especially, these days, clients," Zinman says.

The CPA2Biz Web site now serves as a key resource for over 50% of the CPA profession. More than 200,000 CPAs and financial professionals regularly use CPA2Biz to search for the latest articles, tools and career resources and to access a selection of more than 1,000 professional products. More than 50,000 site searches are conducted on average each month on topics such as COSO, ethics, SAS no. 99 and CPE. CPA2Biz also recently released new Web site enhancements, including a new capability in the online store to show real time data on the most popular products customers have purchased, allowing AICPA members to quickly see what professional tools their peers are relying on and what new editions have been released.

CPA2Biz also continues to provide the AICPA with sophisticated online and off-line marketing operations to drive AICPA sales in books, periodicals, online resources, conferences and webcasts. Most of the AICPA'S direct marketing to members is handled by CPA2Biz.

But at the heart of the CPA2Biz culture, officials say, is a dedication to be driven and directed by member needs, experience and input. Major new product strategies and site changes, for instance, are rolled out only after weeks or months of testing and refinement as "beta" projects with rank-and-file CPAs acting as advisers and testers. "This is a customer-driven process," Asgeirsson says.

CPA Bill Bloom of New York sits on one of those advisory panels. "We're not rubber stamps," he says. "They run ideas for new products or services or partnerships past us. And we give them our opinions and reactions--and I mean our honest opinions and reactions." Feedback from CPA2Biz's customer advisory group informed the recent rollout of the small business banking program.

NEW FEATURES TO COME

In coming months CPA2Biz will be launching a new e-newsletter service and staging a series of online seminars with CPAs and their clients, covering business issues such as strategic planning and trends in financing. These services will be offered to CPAs participating in the business solutions programs and are designed to cement the relationship between the CPA firms and their clients.

For the AICPA, CPA2Biz will be launching tightly focused direct-marketing campaigns in specialty areas of practice, all the while maintaining the production and mass distribution of comprehensive product catalogs. "We want to give members what they need and only when they need it," Asgeirsson says.

Armchair prospecting: online services offer plans and specs without fighting traffic

2007-06-19T02:33:00.002-07:00

Information is power, or at least a competitive advantage. Now, two big players in the construction information business have unveiled subscription, online tools to help producers keep track of prospective projects.

A few years ago, computer hardware was one big data bottleneck and interconnectivity was another. But hardware capabilities have skyrocketed while the price has dropped, basically removing that roadblock. And as Internet use has mushroomed, getting connected has grown easier and more affordable, becoming a necessity in business.

Taking advantage of these changes, online information providers McGraw Hill and Reed Construction Data offer plans, specs, and bid information based on dedicated Web sites that are loaded with information. Both provide producers key data about planned, current, and future projects, and both offer free trial subscriptions. Like any tool, though, your best bet is to try out the software and see what it can do for you.

The McGraw Hill Construction Network at /network/uses the company's Dodge Projects report numbers for its underlying structure, although users also can search by keywords. Data is continually updated as projects progress from pre-design through bidding and construction.

Producers can set up searches based on various parameters, such as area, type of project, the current stage of a project, and ownership type. Another nice feature is the ability to receive daily updated project information by e-mail.

All systems go as Lincoln goes online with new service

2007-06-19T02:33:00.001-07:00

W&H Properties has completed its mission to give tenants of all buildings in its portfolio access to Internet-based work order and tracking systems, announces Richard C. Heller, who oversees engineering supervisory services at the buildings.

The "Aware Manager" system, already in place at The Lincoln Building, has now been installed at 250 West 57th Street. Similar systems are in use at the other W&H buildings, 1359 Broadway and 501 Seventh Avenue.

The benefits of the systems are many, notes Mr. Heller. "Tenants can request services via the Internet, and create a traceable record of their requests right from their computers. Requests are immediately processed, and work orders can be directly for warded to the appropriate party, which means that there is no need for a middleman," he explains.Quotes for non-maintenance work and cleaning services can also be delivered through the online system. "There's no playing phone tag," Mr. Heller concludes. "It's all about speed and efficiency and ease of use with accountability

Hitwise confirms Google as most popular search engine for online shopping

2007-06-18T23:03:00.003-07:00

Google Inc was the most popular search engine used for online purchases during the December shopping period, according to a report from Hitwise, an Internet measurement company.

Hitwise said that 11.1% of all online visits relating to shopping started with Google in December, representing a 28% increase from the previous year.

Auction site eBay Inc, retailer Amazon.com, Google's Froogle and Shopzilla's BizRate were the four most popular shopping sites originating in December from Google, representing 18.1% of the retailer traffic generated.

Search engines Yahoo! Search and Microsoft Corp's MSN Search, generated 4.05% and 0.79% of visits to shopping sites, respectively, during the period. Hitwise reported that 18.3% of visits to classified and shopping web sites originated with search engines.

Hitwise also revealed that eBay, the most visited online shopping site, generated over 13% of retail traffic to shopping sites during December, while Amazon.com generated 0.75% of visits to other online retailers.

Music download sites reached their highest number of visitors on Christmas Day, increasing 172% from the previous year, with iTunes taking 39% of visits. Searches containing the word 'iPod' increased 175% from the previous year, during the holiday season.

Online travel agencies expected to face competition for airline contracts - claim

2007-06-18T23:03:00.001-07:00

Online travel agencies are expected to have to show their worth as almost all contracts between US-based airlines and online travel agencies are due for renewal this year.

The situation is likely to cause new competition for the online travel agencies such as Expedia Inc, Sabre Holdings' Travelocity and Cendant Corp's Orbitz, and industry experts have reportedly said that online market is in for hard times. Companies like these are the end points for global distribution systems (GDS) but according to Reuters traditional GDSs such as Amadeus Global Travel Distribution, Galileo International, Sabre and Worldspan are having to take on competition from a new generation of companies.

Norm Rose, president of Travel Tech Consulting Inc and an analyst with PhocusWright, a travel research company, has said that he expects a certain amount of business to leak away from the GDSs with travel agencies having to show airlines that they are worth the spending.

James Beer, chief financial officer at American Airlines, said that all the airline's contracts with the main four players are due for renewal this year and the airline is focussed on new options to widen choice. Additionally, Continental Airlines has recently said that it is planning to get the lowest possible rates from the GDSs.

For the record: an online music retailer builds indie cred with exclusive, limited-edition releases

2007-06-07T02:46:00.000-07:00

WHEN INSOUND , the Amazon.com of indie rock, was having a difficult time reaching its target audience in 1999, co-founder Matt Wishnow dreamed up a new way to get heard. With his team's help, Wishnow, 31, who started the New York City music seller in 1998 with Ari Sass, 32, periodically chooses promising, actively touring independent rock bands and requests at least four free, unreleased tracks to put on a limited-edition CD. Insound then presses 1,000 copies of the exclusive tracks, giving 500 copies to the bands to sell during their tours.The bands keep the money they earn as an incentive to participate, and Insound gets exclusive merchandise to sell," explains Wishnow. Even better, branded Insound goods get into the hands of the company's key audience--people who love indie-rock bands. This promotion is hitting all the right notes: It has delivered at least 20,000 new customers to the $4 million company in less than three years.

The PWBA selects its official online pro shop - New Products & Industry News - Professional Women's Bowling Association and BowlersParadise.com - Bri

2007-06-07T02:45:00.002-07:00

THE PWBA AND BOWLING WEB SITE BowlersParadise.com came to a multiyear agreement that makes the new media company the tour's official online pro shop. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"This partnership provides the PWBA with a great promotional opportunity," says PWBA marketing director Jan Schmidt. "In addition to finding great bowling products at affordable prices, BowlersParadise.com shoppers are able to link to featured bios of PWBA athletes and key pages of PWBA.com, including the ESPN television schedule."

A key part of the agreement gives BowlersParadise.com an array of PWBA properties to help with its marketing initiatives, such as TV commercials, event signage, and exposure in future PWBA publications. In addition, a new feature called "BowlersParadise.com Ask the Pro" will be added to PWBA telecasts.

Using both the Internet and television broadcasts, the innovative segment will allow PWBA viewers to ask tour pros questions during the week of each national tournament. One question per week will be selected and answered during each broadcast. The viewer who has his or her question selected will receive a coupon or discount toward a purchase from BowlersParadise

New Online Industry Forum

2007-06-07T02:45:00.001-07:00

"Gearhead Gab was created in the same spirit as the Clevite Engine Builder Club - as an industrywide resource, not just a Clevite resource," said Ted Hughes, light vehicle brand manager for Clevite Engine Farts. "Our mission behind this was to create a communication tool for all people in the industry - builders, machinists, students - who need information and away to get it fast and easy."

The focal point of Gearhead Gab is a series of forums that center on a variety of topics, including technical information, a parts swap and all types of racing. Gearhead Gab even features an offtopic forum dedicated to providing an opportunity for users to ask questions and receive answers on more general topics, and even post and view jokes.

Before formally launching Gearhead Gab, Clevite asked some well-known industry friends to give it a test drive.
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"The topics and forums that Clevite has included within Gearhead Gab are right on target,' said Joe London, engine builder for Dale Karnhardt, Inc., and Clevite Engine Builder of the Year for the Busch Series for 2004 and 2005. "Gearhead Gab is a great place to get information on parts, industry issues and my favorite topic - racing."

Josh Garbert, National Automotive Aftermarket Director for Universal Technical Institute, said "Clevite's Gearhead Gab is a great way for students to build their connection within the engine rebuilding and machining industry. Our students and staff are already participating in the forums and look forward to building knowledge and relationships with other industry members

New online store for VTEC Industry Europe

2007-06-02T02:55:00.000-07:00

INTERNET BUSINESS NEWS-(C)1995-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Memory and portable data solutions provider VTEC Industry Europe has launched a new online store.

The web site can be found at http://www.vtec.co.uk and features special offers as well as a resource for portable storage and complementary products. VTEC Industry Europe is also offering free delivery to anywhere in the UK so long as the weight of the product does not exceed 5kg.

A spokesperson for the company said that under the current special offer users spending GBP150 or more will receive a free V-DRIVE 16MB NAND Flash Drive.((Comments on this story may be sent to info@m2.com))

Gas conference exhibitors announced

2007-05-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

Cenex has announced the companies exhibiting at the Naturally Gas conference at Holywell Park, Loughborough University, Leicestershire. Designed for promoting the production and use of natural gas and renewable natural gas (Bio-methane) in low-carbon automotive applications, the highlight of the conference programme is the participating companies displaying natural gas vehicles.

The event also marks the launch of the National Forum on Bio-Methane as a Road Transport Fuel.

Delegates will be able to view a dedicated natural gas Mercedes Econic, currently being trialled by Tesco, a Mercedes Ecovito, and a DAF and a Volvo demonstrating dual-fuel technology (capable of running on natural gas and diesel) to get a tangible understanding of these low-carbon applications.

Exhibitors at the conference include: CompAir, Clean Air Power, Hardstaff Group, Organic Power, Earth Tech, Active Compost and Daimler Chrysler.

The event will help to maximise an understanding of the effectiveness of the Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technology Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) which promotes communication and knowledge transfer between the many organisations interested in alternative automotive fuel applications.

Speaking on the significance of the event for natural gas users in the automotive sector, Robert Evans, CEO, Cenex said: 'Bio-methane and natural gas present totally viable, highly beneficial fuel options for a wide range of vehicles today'.

'The environmental case for harnessing the use of organic wastes to produce bio-methane is indisputable and this event provides a forum for demonstrating the real possibilities whilst bringing together some of the industry's most respected figures to discuss the options and benefits of using low-carbon fuels'.

Conference promotes low-carbon fuels

2007-05-01T03:10:00.000-07:00

The conference, to be hosted in partnership with the Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA) and the National Society for Clean Air and environmental protection (NSCA), is based on promoting the production and use of methane and bio-methane in low-carbon automotive applications. The conference also marks the launch of the National Forum on Bio-Methane as a Road Transport Fuel.

With a growing pressure on the UK fuel market to find alternatives to fossil fuels for long-term stability and environmental friendliness, reducing CO2 emissions has become one of the key factors to achieve this.

Using bio-methane as a transport fuel could be of great significance in realising this goal.

The forum will discuss the potential of bio-methane and its future applications.

The conference will include presentations related to vehicle, waste management and hydrogen technologies by speakers from a wide spectrum of low-carbon and transport industries as well as government and local authority policy advisors.

The main highlights of the programme will be current CNG, LNG and biogas technologies; regulatory policies framework and renewable fuels obligations; experience of natural gas users in the automotive sector; anaerobic digestion and sustainable waste management; hydrogen technology strategies; business opportunities and KTN link-ups.

Speaking about the target potential of the event, Robert Evans, CEO, Cenex said: 'The conference will bring together some of the industry's most respected figures in an intimate networking environment and will provide an unmatched opportunity for environment policy makers to discuss the the future uses of methane in low-carbon automotive applications'.' The event will further help maximise the effectiveness of the low carbon and fuel cell technology knowledge transfer network by promoting communication and knowledge transfer between the many organisations interested in alternative automotive fuel applications.

UK imports outstrip exports

2007-05-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

In 2006, exports of manufacturing technology equipment from the UK were worth GBP 1.021 billion, an increase of +9% on the 2005 level. On the same basis, imports rose by +15% to reach GBP 1.063 billion. This gives the UK a trade deficit of -GBP 42.4 million compared to a surplus of +GBP 13.2 million in 2005.

Andrew Manly, MTA Director General commented: 'The move from surplus to deficit reflects the strength of the UK market during 2006 which generates a significant increase in imports'.

'However, at the same time, exports also increased, which shows that the UK is able to play its part in the world market for engineering goods which was buoyant last year'.

Within this total, exports of metal working machine tools from the UK were worth GBP 477.8 million, also +9% higher than in 2005; imports increased by +24% (which is broadly in line with the UK market) to GBP 500.9 million, giving a deficit for machine tools of -GBP 23.1 million.

For exports of machine tools, while deliveries to the European Union fell (-8%), there was a sharp rise in exports to the rest of the world, led by the USA (+31%), India (+23%) and Japan (+76%).

Although exports to China were 23% lower than in 2005, the level (GBP 33.7 million) was the second highest on record, just beating the 1995 figure.

Imports of metal working machine tools saw the opposite trend with a large increase in arrivals from the European Union (+37% for the EU15 countries) and a more modest rise (+14%) in imports from elsewhere.

The tooling sector also had a small trade deficit (-GBP 9 million), with exports 3% higher than in 2005 at GBP 264.5 million and imports increasing by 8% to GBP 274.6 million.

In 2006, exports to the EU countries account for 69% of the total, while for imports this percentage is only slightly lower at 65%.

Outside of the EU, the largest export market was the USA, although at GBP 20 million, it accounted for less than 10% of the total.

For imports there is more diversity, with both Japan (GBP 37 million) and the USA (GBP 30.0 million) being significant non-European sources of tooling.

The third category in MTA's definition of manufacturing technology is a combination of work-holding equipment and parts and accessories (the latter group accounts for the majority of trade in this category).

Overall, these items also recorded a trade deficit of -GBP 9 million, with exports worth GBP 278.4 million in 2006 (an increase of +16% on 2005) and imports valued at GBP 287.5 million (+9% higher than the previous year).

For this category, the EU countries are not the main trading partners, accounting for only 31% of exports, although the ratio for imports is higher at 54%.

The largest export markets were the USA (GBP 49.1 million) and India (GBP 31.2 million), while the main sources of imports (apart from Germany which dominates the EU in this category) were the USA (GBP 49.1 million) and Japan (GBP 42.7 million).

Engineering group sounds

2007-05-01T03:08:00.001-07:00

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Europe's largest professional engineering and technology society, will this week warn that the government's current energy policy is failing to recognise the critical importance of reducing our demand for energy, and this will have to be tackled in the imminent Energy White Paper if the government is to meet its own targets.

The IET will issue its warning at its Energy Principles briefing to MPs at the House of Commons today.

The Institution says that it's not too late to change the course of action and the technology is already available to promote leaner and cleaner energy use.

John Loughhead, chair of the IET Energy Sector Panel said: 'Our national energy priorities are upside down'.

'We are failing to tackle the fastest growing areas of energy use, which are our homes and transport systems'.

'Individuals are directly in control of half the country's energy use, and need to be offered the motivation and the means to contribute to the solutions'.

'There is plenty of clean technology that can be used right now without breaking the bank'.

The IET has set out 10 energy principles which they are urging MPs to use to measure against government proposals in the Energy White Paper which is expected in May.

The challenge facing the government and the UK is to develop an energy policy that prioritises the reduction of energy use before seeking to meet the demand by the cleanest means possible.

Loughhead added: 'Government also needs to make sure that more radical technological solutions are available in the future'.

'This means creating the conditions and providing support to encourage innovation, and making sure our education system delivers tomorrow's engineers and technologists'.

'We are not going to overhaul our energy system overnight, but we should be setting our priorities and developing essential skills now'.

Engineers visit the House of Lords

2007-05-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

On 5 March the engineering sector put on a show of strength as 200 people turned up at the House of Lords to show the government and Parliamentarians that there is still a vibrant engineering sector in the UK. 25 MPs plus three peers attended the event and Minister for Industry Margaret Hodge MP was the guest of honour.

Hodge praised the work of MTA and EAMA saying that the event was not only a great lobbying event but also a great networking opportunity.

She went on to say: 'You are absolutely vital to us but you are also vital to each other'.

MTA President Geoff Lloyd and EAMA Chairman Graham Hayes took the opportunity to remind the Minister and other MPs of the importance of manufacturing to the UK economy and the crucial need for the right skills and investment to keep Britain an internationally competitive country.

Geoff Lloyd commented: 'The United Kingdom lags behind its competitors in productivity and, this is not only down to our poor investment in high-tech equipment but also our poor training record'.

'We have a dire situation in science teaching within our education system'.

'We are not educating our young people sufficiently to be champions of our country's future productive needs'.

And Graham Hayes told the guests: 'I urge all of you representing firms here tonight to talk to your local MP at least once a year about what your business is doing and how it is contributing locally'.

Industry agreement to increase gypsum recycling

2007-04-16T22:18:00.002-07:00

Plasterboard manufacturers in Great Britain have signed up to trailblazing agreement that is set to bring significant reduction in amount of waste plasterboard sent to landfill.

Plasterboard manufacturers in Great Britain have today signed up to a trailblazing agreement that is set to bring a significant reduction in the amount of waste plasterboard sent to landfill. The voluntary agreement was initiated and brokered by the Gypsum Products Development Association (GPDA) which, in Great Britain, represents Knauf Drywall, British Gypsum and Lafarge Plasterboard. The GPDA approached Defra last year with an outline proposal and has since been working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and the government-funded Market Transformation Programme to define the targets to which the industry will work.

Formalised within the Ashdown Agreement signed today, the targets are:.

* to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill from manufacturing operations in Great Britain to 10,000 tonnes/year by 2010.

* to increase the take back and recycling of plasterboard waste, for use in plasterboard manufacture, to 50% of new construction waste arisings by 2010.

In addition, all parties have agreed to work with other parts of the supply chain to develop processes to reduce the amount of wastage generated in new construction and to make further progress towards achieving the ultimate objective of zero plasterboard waste to landfill.

Ben Bradshaw, Minister of State for Local Environment for Defra, welcomed the agreement.

He said: 'Reducing the waste we produce, reusing what we can, and recycling as much as possible of what's left are all essential if we are to cut the amount of waste we send to landfill.

'This agreement represents an important step forward for the construction sector and it is particularly encouraging that it has been achieved on a voluntary basis.

I hope the example it sets will be recognised by other parts of the industry and that sector-wide agreement can be secured'.

Ross Finnie, Minister for the Environment and Rural Development for the Scottish Executive, said: 'I welcome this agreement to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

This is in line with our Scottish Business Waste Framework which highlights the role voluntary agreements can play in sustainable waste management'.

Environment Minister for the Welsh Assembly, Carwyn Jones, welcomed the agreement.

He said: 'It is essential that we recycle and reuse as much as possible to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill.

'This agreement is a big step forward for the construction sector and I am particularly encouraged that it has been achieved on a voluntary basis.

It is a great example to set for the construction industry as a whole, and I hope that it will lead to a further, sector-wide agreement in future'.

Crispin Dunn-Meynell of the GPDA explains: 'Much has already been achieved by plasterboard manufacturers and construction contractors in Great Britain, both in terms both of recycling manufacturing process waste and waste from construction sites.

This new initiative sets tough but achievable targets for the future and, critically, has broad government support.

'We will now be working further with WRAP, the Market Transformation Programme and other parts of the drywall industry to develop similar agreements with distributors and contractors'.

Ian Wardle, Construction Programme Manager for Materials Recycling at WRAP, adds: 'The Ashdown Agreement is important not just because of the impact on waste reduction but because it is a voluntary initiative.

Plasterboard is an increasingly popular product; approximately 2.5 million tonnes were used in construction in 2006, and some 300,000 tonnes of plasterboard waste was generated.

'Best Buy' should reflect true cost of mortgages

2007-04-16T22:18:00.001-07:00

Ecology Building Society call for mortgage lenders to be fairer to potential borrowers and provide a more transparent comparison

Ecology calls for 'Best Buy' tables to reflect true cost of mortgages. Recent reports have revealed that mortgage application fees have nearly doubled since 2004. Not so at Ecology Building Society, where the application fee for all residential mortgages is a mere GBP150 and has been for more than five years.

Many lenders' exit fees have come in for criticism from the Financial Services Authority for being unnecessarily high, but some resulting reductions have been quietly recouped by more increases in application fees.

In contrast, Ecology's exit fees have remained just GBP75 for nearly 10 years.

The best buy mortgage tables help lenders disguise their mortgage application fees, which are often hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds.

The tables are based on the introductory interest rate only and not on the true cost of the mortgage over its lifetime.

It would be fairer to potential borrowers and provide a more transparent comparison if the tables were based on the true cost of a mortgage over a period of years, taking into account all charges and fees incurred.

Often the interest rates published in these tables are short-lived, designed to lure new customers, with the rates increasing steeply after the introductory period ends.

Ecology Building Society's residential mortgages on the other hand are completely different as they commence on the Standard Variable Rate and then reduce after two years when a long-term discount of 0.25% is applied, so there are no nasty surprises.

Other applicable discounts, such as our 1% C-Change discount, also endure for the life of the mortgage.

The Ecology's Chief Executive Paul Ellis feels passionately about this subject.

'We call on the Financial Services Authority to look at the role best buy tables can play in ensuring transparency in the mortgage market.

There are no free lunches when it comes to mortgage deals, as consumers are finding out.

Our mortgages first and foremost provide long-term value to our borrowers, so we are not interested in attracting new business with gimmicky upfront deals that don't last.

Nor do we feel the need to charge the unjustifiably high fees that some lenders impose as they cannot retain their borrowers once the deal rate ends.

e-calculator quantifies water and energy savings

2007-04-16T22:17:00.001-07:00

Electronic calculator available on BrightWater Environmental Web site provides instant report of cost-savings achieved with their showerhead and urinal products.

An electronic calculator available on the BrightWater Environmental Web site provides an instant report of the cost-savings achieved with the company's showerhead and urinal products. Water-saving Oxygenics showerheads and the ZeroFlush waterless urinal range feature in the BrightWater portfolio. Demonstrable cost-savings are key to the success of BrightWater's product lines: this has led to the development of the e-calculator which enables reports of savings to be made quickly and easily before full site surveys are carried out.

Commenting, Alan Flight, BrightWater Environmental 's Managing Director said: 'Anyone working in today's building and water services markets will appreciate that all aspects of a project need to be fully quantified and assessed'.

'The BrightWater cost-savings calculator has been developed as an intuitive Web tool that provides an instant and detailed report of the savings to be made with the Oxygenics and ZeroFlush products.' The BrightWater Environmental cost-savings calculator is available for immediate use, free of charge for both Oxygenics showerheads and ZeroFlush waterless urinals, on the Web site.

Warehouse opens doors to sustainable future

2007-04-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

Grade II listed building is being sustainably restored and rebuilt, to provide eight serviced offices, community space for workshops and events, and a bistro serving local and organic produce.

Having stood derelict for over a decade, the historic warehouse at Great Bow Yard, Langport, will be re-opened by Ecos Homes and the Langport Area Development Trust (LADT) on Friday 27 (1pm - 5pm) and Saturday 28 April (10am - 1pm). The open days will give people the first opportunity to see how the Grade II listed building is being sustainably restored and rebuilt, to provide eight serviced offices, community space for workshops and events, and a bistro serving local and organic produce. Charles Couzens, Executive Director of Ecos Trust, comments: 'We are very pleased to be re-opening the doors of such a prominent building, which has been in a state of dereliction for such a long time.

The warehouse is of great historic value to the town and we have been sensitive to this throughout the project, during which we have preserved as much of the building's original character as possible.

'Our vision is that the building will become a valuable community resource that will encourage economic regeneration by offering space for fledgling or existing businesses, training, exhibitions and support facilities.

Although there is still work to be done, we want to show visitors what has been achieved in the warehouse in the last year and they'll also get a glimpse of its idyllic surroundings beside the River Parrett and Somerset Levels.' The warehouse played an important role in the growth of Langport as a river port.

It was formerly used by a firm of influential merchants, Stuckey and Bagehot, whose families individually and respectively went on to become founders of Stuckey's Bank, now part of Natwest Bank, and The Economist magazine.

Restored, the warehouse will complete the picture of Great Bow Yard as a mixed-use development - 12 eco-homes, built using state of the art design, and the multi-functional warehouse, brought back to life with sympathetic construction techniques.

The warehouse will be opened officially in September when ownership of the building will be handed to the LADT - partner to Ecos Homes during the project.

Gillam and Chivers, a local company specialising in the conservation of old buildings, has used sustainable building techniques and existing local building materials to gradually restore the warehouse.

All features have been carefully preserved or rebuilt, for example; existing timbers have been carefully restored in-situ and window frames have been made locally by Ian Pope from Timber Reuse Community Enterprise (TRUCE) in Minehead, who has used reclaimed and recycled timber.

Floorboards have been reused and it is estimated that over 80% of the original roof tiles will be placed back on the roof.

Despite being a listed building, it has been possible to include several key sustainable features within the warehouse; solar panels have been placed discreetly on one of the roofs, high levels of Warmcell insulation have been used, and efficient sun pipes let in light without loss of heat in the main corridors.

As a result of these energy efficient measures the warehouse will be carbon efficient.

Richard Coldicott, LADT Project Manager concludes: 'Our vision is that the warehouse will become an integral part of the local community and be a valuable aid to the local economy.

This project is a fantastic example of how an old, neglected building can be sustainably transformed into a community resource and we very much look forward to showing people around.'

Energy Saving Trust sponsor Grand Designs Live

2007-04-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

Partnership to promote energy efficient home living to the exhibition's audience of design fanatics and self-builders Grand Designs Live (8-10 June, ExCeL London), the record-breaking exhibition based on the hugely popular talkbackTHAMES series for Channel Four, today announces that the energy saving Trust will be the headline sponsor for its 2007 event. The Energy Saving Trust is an independent non-profit organisation promoting energy saving. Working closely with the show organisers, it is building an interactive eco-home.

The Energy Saving Trust's house will be constructed using energy efficient products and will demonstrate how visitors can minimise energy consumption - whether they're building from scratch or adapting their existing homes.

Furthermore, the Energy Saving Trust's 'Energy Doctors' will be conducting brief one to one sessions with show visitors to decipher the amount of energy they use in their homes, and will offer practical tips and advice to help them reduce individual usage.

The Energy Saving Trust invites visitors to complete the Home Energy Check on its website before visiting the show, so that the 'Energy Doctors' can use this information to offer a more personalised service.

Over the coming months, Grand Designs Live and the Energy Saving Trust will work closely to ensure that the show is an energy efficient event by communicating clear messages on the importance of sustainable living in the home - a central theme reflected throughout Grand Designs Live in 2007.

Richard Morey, Director of Media 10, the show organisers, said: 'The sponsorship agreement between the Energy Saving Trust and Grand Designs Live marks the beginning of what we hope will be an ongoing relationship.

Grand Designs Live continues to lead the way in communicating the need for 'eco-friendly' alternatives for the home.

This partnership further strengthens this position.' Mark London, marketing manager, the Energy Saving Trust, commented: 'Grand Designs Live provides us with an effective way to communicate our key messages and initiatives to an audience, who are starting to show an increased appetite for sustainable living.

The show provides a great platform to offer practical advice to curious visitors keen to make the first steps towards a more energy efficient lifestyle.' 'At the exhibition, we will be constructing an eco-home to show visitors how easy it is to convert homes that are energy efficient but still look good.

We hope that our presence at Grand Designs Live will encourage more people to take action' Grand Designs Live: an overview Based on the popular talkbackTHAMES series for Channel 4 and presented by design expert Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs Live, the number one UK consumer show for design and innovation, is set to inspire with new show features, more celebrities and more expert advice.

Grand Designs Live has grown into a truly exciting and inspiring show and visitors will feel part of the whole Grand Designs experience: entertained, informed and stimulated, with the opportunity to meet the architects, suppliers, designers and homeowners from the new TV series.

At Grand Designs Live 2007 visitors get six shows for the price of one plus a unique shopping experience:.

* GRANDBuild - The biggest and most comprehensive self build show in London, providing visitors with everything they need to know for each stage of their self build project, from planning through to construction and fitting out a Grand Design.

* GRANDInteriors - The most cutting edge, contemporary interior design exhibition of its kind in the UK.

* GRANDKitchens - The biggest consumer kitchen event in the UK, showcasing cutting-edge cooking spaces and kitted-out kitchens.

* GRANDBathrooms - The sleekest bathroom designs and state-of-the-art technologies will be on show, with experts to show how they will work best in the 'smallest room in the house'.

* GRANDGardens - Full of products, services, ideas and information for outdoor living, from full redesign, to timber decking and planting schemes.

* DESIGN Shopping Arcade - An exclusive collection of designer furnishings, many of which are not available to buy on the high street.

HandV07 second successful show at Birmingham NEC

2007-03-27T04:11:00.001-07:00

HandV07 enjoyed a second successful show at Birmingham's NEC recently, with a record number of exhibitors unveiling a diverse range of handv products under the show's theme of 'Sustainable Solutions For The Future'. The event was hailed a great success by organisers Emap Maclaren, who confirmed that it was 70% bigger than the inaugural event in 2005, attracted more visitors and is well set for 2009 with pre-reserved bookings for space at HandV09 standing at 55%. 'We, our exhibitors and all visitors were delighted with HandV07' says Event Director Rowan Crowley.

'Sustainable Solutions For The Future' provided the perfect platform for the event's Skills Centre and seminar programme, the energy saving products and many of the innovative technologies on show'.

'It also set the right context for visitors who came to the event seeking practical answers and advice to the important energy and environmental issues of the day'.

'As the established event for the industry, we're now looking forward with confidence to HandV09'.

Over 120 exhibiting companies used HandV07 to unveil a diverse range of handv product and service innovations.

Taking up some 3800m2 of floor space in Hall 19, the exhibition stands allowed the high proportion of quality visitors attending the show an opportunity to get to grips with the very latest technology.

As the national event for the heating and ventilating industry, HandV07 attracted an audience comprising consultants, contractors and installers, with an overall attendance figure of 7029 (pre audit figure), up nearly 7% on HandV05.

The seminars, running throughout the show, were well attended and enthusiastically received by participants.

An impressive line up of leading experts addressed the big issues facing handv contractors, consultants and end-users.

Topics included making money from sustainability, legionella compliance, asbestos regulations, renewables and planning regulations, Biomass technology, the Competent Persons Scheme for the domestic heating industry, the CIS Scheme and the Low Carbon Building Programme.

Another popular feature of HandV07 was the interactive Skills Centre and demonstration area.

Installers, engineers and contractors benefited from a programme of free practical advice and hands-on demonstration sessions.

Under the guidance of industry experts, visitors refreshed their installation and servicing techniques and received an update on the technical, legislative and health and safety topics at the heart of their daily work.

Sessions on sustainability were particularly popular, including a session on fitting a ground sourced heat pump and a session on solar thermal installation.

Meanwhile, the first day of the show saw FETA director general, Cedric Sloan, accept an award on behalf of the Roman Hypocaust underfloor heating system, in an informal ceremony held in the VIP Lounge.

The epoch-making technology, advocated by Cedric Sloan, had been voted the top product of all time in the HandV07 Hall of Fame initiative.

An on-line vote via the HandV07 website allowed the industry to choose which landmark equipment had made the most impact on the development of the handv sector.

The online campaign attracted 900 votes, to which the Roman Hypocaust system proved the clear winner.

All the Hall of Fame nominations were displayed in the special 'Hall of Fame' area on the exhibition floor allowing visitors to view them during the show.

HandV07 was supported by some of the biggest names in the sector including Baxi Potterton, Daikin, Ferroli, Flaktwoods, Lochinvar, MHS Boilers, Powrmatic, Systemair, Vaillant, Viessmann and Vokera.

It was also fully supported by the industry's leading trade associations, CIBSE, FETA the HVCA and ICOM Energy Association.

Emap Maclaren has announced that HandV09 will take place from 24 February - 26 February 2009 and will continue to run alongside the well established RAC (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) exhibition, helping to ensure that HandV09 remains a powerful draw for all those involved in the building services sector.

StrategicFusion builds profile for Balfour Beatty

2007-03-27T04:10:00.000-07:00

Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services (BBIS) has completed the first phase of a new five year business strategy with the assistance of strategic brand, marketing and communications advisor, StrategicFusion. Formerly known as RCS, the transport infrastructure and support services provider is now proactive in leveraging its position as part of the Balfour Beatty group of companies in order to achieve its ambitious growth targets. The move was driven partly by the results of a MORI poll carried out in early 2005 showing that although customers who had previous experience of RCS understood its offerings, the brand was not well known to a wider audience.

The company recognised that lack of awareness would potentially impact on its ability to compete for new business opportunities and therefore hinder its aim to increase turnover from GBP260 million to GBP400 million by 2010.

Glen Player, director at BBIS, explains: 'As part of our business development strategy, we regularly monitor external perception of our brand and how it compares with the competition'.

'When research confirmed that this was no longer aligned with our vision and targets we employed StrategicFusion's expertise to assist us in fulfilling our potential'.

'Key to this was creating a company profile that would have instant impact with prospective customers and ensure we remained 'top of mind'.

StrategicFusion was instrumental in developing a strategy aimed at creating a new, more defined and competitive position that would underpin the company's growth.

The work included shaping the brand, vision and corporate values, advising on the use of the Balfour Beatty name prefix and supporting design and roll out of the new brand identity.

It also incorporated extensive activity to ensure that the company's evolvement was effectively communicated to both internal and external audiences.

Stephen Rogers, managing director at StrategicFusion says: 'Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Services has the benefit of its heritage and accrued experience, reinforced by the Balfour Beatty name'.

'However, investment in a new vision, strategy and brand is not maximised if these are not clear to all stakeholders'.

'BBIS has reassured current customers as well as marketed the repositioned company to prospective ones'.

'It has also taken the critical step of ensuring that staff understand fully what is at the heart of the new strategic direction for the business and the impact this will have on their day-to-day working activities'.

Player concludes: 'For a project on this scale to succeed, it is essential that everyone involved sees value in working to achieve the end result'.

'StrategicFusion smoothed this process with its close 'fit' with our own company in terms of vision, values and culture'.

'It also brought heavyweight credentials of dealing with our sector, as well as experience of other industries and the fresh perspective essential to ensure our development is truly progressive.'

GDS acquires Clearview Displays

2007-03-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

Global Display Solutions (GDS), market leader in the design and manufacture of industrial displays, has announced the acquisition of Clearview Displays LLC, providers of bonded display enhancement services. This acquisition will enable GDS to build on its existing range of display technology while offering superior manufacturing and engineering services to its customers in North America to support fast turnaround times on advanced bonded display services. Under the terms of the acquisition, Clearview Displays will become a subsidiary of GDS, known as GDS Clearview, retaining its staff and headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon and reporting directly to GDS Inc's US Headquarters in Roscoe, Illinois.

Clearview Displays specializes in display enhancement solutions, and is the creator of the G-BOND process.

G-BOND overcomes optical challenges for display product manufacturers at an affordable price, and is particularly effective when used with outdoor displays such as ATM screens, outdoor kiosks and gas pumps displays.

Clearview Displays G-BOND technology will enhance GDS's current product ranges, in particular its outdoor display collection which require advanced optical enhancement and sunlight readability.

Through the acquisition, GDS's customers will have access to an even wider range of optically bonded services and solutions with panel sizing ranging from 6.4' to 65', and options such as touch screen enhancement and optical filters.

Marco Cohen, Sales and Marketing Manager at GDS, comments, 'This strategic acquisition will allow GDS to provide our existing customers with an improved range of products and a better all round service'.

'We believe that GDS Clearview will also help to support faster turnaround times on advanced bonded display services, and we hope to further grow our presence on the West Coast as a result of this acquisition'.

David Blass, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at GDS Clearview, comments, 'Clearview is excited to become part of GDS.

GDS Clearview will continue to offer the same optical bonding services that we have always provided and the integration into Global Display Solutions gives customers of both businesses access to a wider range, and support worldwide'.

In January 2007, GDS Clearview moves to a new facility four times larger than its previous capacity.

This 8000 square foot site caters for the growing demand for bonded LCDs.

Cables 2007 discusses current issues

2007-03-27T04:08:00.002-07:00

The 7th AMI international conference on cables was the most successful event ever. The venue at the Maritim Hotel in Cologne was packed out. Kerry Satterthwaite (AMI) gave an excellent overview of the European cable industry.

Around 2% of the plastics processors in Europe are cable producers and polymer consumption varies in different geographic regions, despite EU efforts to harmonize the industry.

A primary focus of the conference was the new European construction products Directive - wire and cable are now considered as building materials.

This new legislation classifies cables by their fire safety performance and the testing protocols are still being worked out as described by Terry Journeaux of Prysmian Cables and Systems.

The problem is to develop repeatable and reproducible standards so that accredited laboratories all give the same fire classification for the same cables.

There is a lot of cable in modern buildings and as electrical failure is a common cause of ignition, cable fire performance can be critical.

David Kiddoo of AlphaGary gave a spectacular presentation including live video clips of cable fire testing to different safety standards, from the Steiner Tunnel to the riser cable test.

He commented on combustion toxicity, a topic also addressed by Dr Rick Whiteley.

Dow Corning has also been carrying out fire testing - on a variety of new compounds under development.

Vivien Kilian (Albermarle) examined trends in automotive wire and cable.

Materials differ in different global regions and include PVC, or XLPE and PP with flame retardants.

The paper examined potential future trends in flame retardants.

Elastogran has TPU materials for cable applications - around 50% of use is in automotive applications where the company has worked on flat cable technology for automated installation.

PolyOne has examined the hot oil resistance of compounds for applications such as railways, offshore, marine, military and machinery.

The key application discussed by Borealis this year was data cable, a sector driven by the rapid growth in IT and communications systems.

The trend is to install as advanced a cable as possible to anticipate demand.

There are issues with 'crosstalk' between cables and this requires the development of new test protocols and standards.

James Robinson described foamed PP for this application.

New materials for cables were introduced at the conference including metallocene based elastomers (Exxon Mobil), elastomer modified polyphenylene sulphide for high temperature wire coating (Chevron Phillips Chemicals), halogen-free flame retardant compounds (AlphaGary, Arkema and Budenheim), electron beam cured elastomers (Lanxess), coupling agents for halogen-free polyolefins (DuPont de Nemours) and silanes for faster crosslinking of PE (Degussa).

Dow Wire and Cable is working on new semiconductive compounds to speed up production.

Herbert Baur talked about the design of bedding compounds, which lie between the insulating compound and the cable sheath.

Compatibility is important and factors such as plasticizer migration have been studied as it can have a major effect on long-term performance.

Dr Gunter Beyer of Kabelwerk Eupen has been working on nanocomposite flame retardants for the cable industry.

In his experience, layered double hydroxides have a major synergistic effect with halogen and non-halogen flame retardants.

They appear to act by altering the degradation pathway and imparting barrier properties.

Cables 2008 is moving to a larger capacity conference hall and has been scheduled for 3-5 March 2008 in the Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany.

Early winner on path to coveted MBA scholarship

2007-03-27T04:08:00.001-07:00

Institution of Civil Engineers and Manchester Business School Worldwide announce winner of the first regional heat in the competition for the ICE Graduates and Students Paper Competition.

Institution of civil engineers (ICE) and Manchester Business School (MBS) Worldwide announce today the winner of the first regional heat in the competition for the ICE Graduates and Students Paper Competition - where the ultimate winner receives a scholarship to an engineering MBA at the coveted Manchester Business School. The competition is open to graduates and students with 4,000-word papers on engineering design research or practice. The winner of the 2007 ICE Graduates and Students Paper Competition will receive a full scholarship (worth GBP14,400) to study for MBS Worldwide's MBA for Engineering Business Managers, as well as a medal and a Thomas Telford book voucher worth GBP150.

In the northwest region, the winner is Mr Kavi Dhunnoo, who is an engineer with Scott Wilson Group plc in Manchester.

Commenting on his achievement, Mr Dhunnoo said: 'The opportunity to do an MBA, which is part of my career development plan, at the prestigious Manchester Business School was a real motivation for entering the competition'.

'This MBA is orientated towards engineers and gaining the knowledge, contacts and improved future prospects was very attractive to me'.

A panel consisting of James Hannah (Fellow of the ICE and ICE Council member), Graham Dalton (Fellow of the ICE and ICE Council member), Dr Alistair Benson, Academic Director from MBS Worldwide and an ICE Graduates and Students Network Committee representative, judge the winning papers from each region.

The top three papers from each region are awarded prizes, which consist of varying amounts of money from GBP100 to GBP500.

The winner from each regional heat is then entered for the national competition, where they are short-listed to five finalists.

This culminates in a Finals competition where the top five scoring candidates present their papers.

The Final is being held at the ICE headquarters in central London on Thursday June 21st 2007.

Commenting on the northwest entries, Peter Hallsworth, ICE North West Chairman said: 'The North West had a total of eight papers submitted and a really difficult choice for the judging panel'.

'The over-riding theme was sustainable engineering and it was obvious that the up and coming generation is concerned about how civil engineers can contribute to creating a viable earth for the future'.

'The judges were impressed by the standard of presentation and the enthusiasm that all the authors brought to the event.' Regional heats are still underway in the West of Scotland, with an entry deadline of 3rd April.

Latest construction cash flow and profit report

2007-03-23T00:25:00.001-07:00

Quarterly survey produced by Euler Hermes UK and NTC Economics show construction sector profits decline for fifth consecutive quarter and cash flow unchanged from a year ago

Euler Hermes UK Cash Flow and Profit Report Q4 2006. A quarterly survey produced by Euler Hermes UK and NTC Economics. Latest construction industry findings: Construction sector profits decline for fifth consecutive quarter - Cash flow unchanged from a year ago.

The Q4 Cash Flow and Profit Report (2006) from Euler Hermes UK, a company of Euler Hermes, subsidiary of AGF and member of Allianz, confirmed 2006 as a poor year for the financial performance of UK construction firms.

Companies surveyed have reported a decline in profits in each of the four quarters of the year, while cash flow has struggled to improve over this period and the incidence of payment delays from customers has risen.

The latest sharp decline in construction sector profits in Q4 was blamed on margins being squeezed by the combination of sharply rising raw material and labour costs and the discounting of charges in the face of strong competition.

Only the strength of the domestic economy was reported to have exerted a positive influence on profits through the quarter.

While profits continued to slide, construction firms reported a negligible improvement of just 0.4% in their cash flow in Q4 from a year earlier.

This was once again well down on the year-on-year rate of growth of cash flow recorded across the wider UK economy, which posted 7.6% in Q4.

Looking ahead to 2007, construction firms expected to see growth of cash flow of just 1.3% over the coming twelve months, well down on the economy-wide average of 6.0%.

Reduced turnover, increased investment and rising raw material prices were all reported by those construction firms expecting to see weakness in their cash positions over the coming year.

Construction companies nominated for PLC awards

2007-03-23T00:24:00.001-07:00

Six engineering and construction companies nominated for awards at PLC Awards, designed to reward excellence in the smaller quoted company sector of the London Stock Exchange.

No less than six engineering and construction companies have been nominated for awards at the PLC Awards, which are designed to reward excellence in the smaller quoted company sector of the London Stock Exchange. Speedy Hire Plc, the plant hire group, Connaught Plc, the social housing company, ROK Plc, the building and development company, White Young Green Plc, the engineering consultants, have each been nominated for an award in Investor Communication. Scott Wilson Plc, the multi disciplinary construction consultant has been nominated for 'New Company of the Year'.

Keller Plc, the ground engineering services company, has been nominated for 'Company of the year'.

Steve Corcoran, at Speedy Hire Plc, has been nominated for 'Enterpreneur of the Year'.

This was won last year by John Morgan, the Chairman of Morgan Sindall Plc, the regional construction and affordable housing company.

Jonathan Hook, UK construction and housebuilding leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which sponsors the PLC Awards, commented: 'It is excellent that the engineering and construction sector is so well represented at the PLC Awards'.

'For instance, every single one of the nominees in the 'Investor Communication' category is related to the engineering and construction sector'.

'This serves to highlight the extent to which these groups have become more focused and more adept at outlining their key performance indicators and presenting core information to shareholders and analysts'.

'A sector traditionally viewed by the city with some degree of caution appears to be communicating its messages more effectively'.

The results of the award nominations will be announced at a dinner on March 8 2007.

Atradius report risks to UK retail sector

2007-03-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

Leading credit risk insurer Atradius launches the latest report in its 'sector performance' series, this time on the UK retail sector. This series of reports is designed to provide UK companies doing business with a particular sector, information on the risks and opportunities in that sector as well as a general outlook for its future health. Commenting, Simon Groves, UK and Ireland Brand Manager at Atradius, said: 'Our report examines the recent casualties on the British high street and looks at the trends that have created the success or failure of some of our most established names'.

'It also gets behind the company-focused marketing hype and looks at how customers' buying behaviour will shape the evolution of shopping across the major retail segments'.

There are major competitive pressures across all sub-sectors.

Higher rents and wage costs are not being offset by similar increases in consumer spending, as the higher interest rates and personal debt pressures start to bite.

Key points for businesses to be aware of include:.

* The main problems over the next 12 months are likely to be in the DVD/CD market: the recent failure of Music Zone has resounded round this once-buoyant market, and for such big ticket items as white and brown electrical goods and furniture as deep discounting increasingly commoditises these products.

* There is a debt maturity time bomb waiting to explode for some.

Underlying the seemingly healthy performance by some of the venture capital owned retailers is a high level of debt, with the consequent interest obligations * Unsurprisingly, the internet is the main growth story.

The online spend by consumers in the 10-week run-up to Christmas was GBP7.66 billion and in just one day Amazon received more than 750,000 orders.

Total internet sales in 2006 were GBP30.2 billion - about 12% of total retail sales.

* In a number of sectors, the major trend is towards polarisation: for example in women's fashion, the budget stores like Primark and Peacocks are faring well, as are high-end designer names such as Burberry, Prada, Hugo Boss, which are becoming ever more popular with a younger consumers.

* Much growth seems to be coming from expansion - of product ranges and floor space - or from out-of-town outlet parks.

Homebase, for instance, is installing mezzanine floors in its larger outlets, creating new space at relatively low capital cost.

* The world domination of the supermarkets continues apace as they continue to expand into non-food product lines, with 77,000 non-food products launched by the big supermarket chains in 2006.

Author of the report, Atradius Senior Underwriter, Simon Rockett, concludes: 'This report is just one output from our constant monitoring of trends and trading patterns across all business sectors across the globe'.

'We can see clearly from this report's findings that customer demand is shaping the sector's future'.

'The challenge for retailers is to ensure that they evolve in a way that responds to buying patterns'.

'Businesses trading with the retail sector need to understand these buying trends and view their partners accordingly'.

25% building sector will be trading On Demand

2007-03-23T00:22:00.002-07:00

Over 50% of builders merchants and manufacturing companies are now using or considering using the On Demand model to improve supply chain performance.

By 2011, 25%* of the building sector will be trading on demand says Wesupply.. Continued pressures to reduce costs, improve performance and compete globally have ushered in On Demand Software as a Service (SaaS) supply chain management solutions. Over the last year these web-based supply chain solutions have seen an exponential growth of 125%.

Over 50% of builders merchants and manufacturing companies are now using or considering using the On Demand model to improve supply chain performance.

For many years the On Demand model has taken a back seat - yet now the 'quiet revolution' is turning into a stampede as more building companies plug in and switch over to On Demand - by 2011 some 25% of the sector will be trading that way.

The 'plug and go' stampede is already revolutionising the way many merchants and their suppliers are doing business.

The top issues facing the Building retail sector for both customers and suppliers are:.

Load Management.

Delivering the perfect order, on time and in full Vendor Managed Inventory.

Process Compliance.

Improved electronic trading with full visibility between trading partners.

Meeting customer electronic trading mandates.

Trading partner performance and relationship.

Collaborative forecasting.

Wesupply's On Demand supply chain management applications confront these requirements with perfectly dove-tailed solutions.

What is most exciting about the advent of On Demand for the building industry are the opportunities it creates for the future in terms of collaboration and issues such as Load Management.

With the pressure on supply chains to be more and more efficient there is an ever increasing need for businesses to communicate trading information that dovetails with their existing IT infrastructure, leveraging the existing investment in IT - this is where On Demand comes into its own - the ability to link into the established infrastructure without costly new hardware or software.

On Demand Collaborative Trading.

No.1 Load Management .

With ever-rising fuel costs the necessity of ensuring full truck loads grows more and more important.

The key lies in manipulating the quantities of each SKU to balance the requirements of a full load with the theoretical optimum stock level, ensuring that high-value/fast moving items are prioritised above low value/slow moving items.

Wesupply can provide sophisticated solutions which can be used with their own Inventory Planning solutions or as an extension to an existing planning system.

What it does.

Put simply, Load Planning takes an SKU- level replenishment plan and refines it to minimise the number of deliveries required and ensure that each delivery is a full load.

Load Planning can be run over a medium-term horizon to determine how many deliveries are actually required, so transport and delivery slots can be arranged.

The process can then be run on a short-term cycle to refine each load at the time it is released for picking and/or packing.

The benefits.

Improved visibility of future deliveries means earlier bookings of transport, possibly at preferential rates, and reduction in emergency freight costs.

Earlier allocation of delivery slots at an RDC or final delivery point means you can deliver when it suits your schedule.

Increasing the percentage of full loads obviously means reduced transport costs and increased profitability.

Tackling financial exclusion of small businesses

2007-03-23T00:22:00.001-07:00

Equifax launch range of business reports designed to help small and new companies do business.

As business failures rise in 2006, Equifax launches a range of new business reports that take the mystery out of dealing with new and small businesses London, 1st March 2007 - Leading consumer and business information expert, Equifax, has launched a range of business reports designed to help small and new companies do business. Government figures show that every year 500,000 new businesses start up but that 300,000 of them will fold within 3 years. And the latest business failure figures from Equifax show that in 2006 4% more businesses failed than in 2005.

A key reason for new and small businesses finding it difficult to succeed is the fact that there is limited information available on their creditworthiness for larger companies to access.

These potential suppliers and customers, therefore, choose not to do business with small and new businesses, creating a whole community of financially excluded organisations.

Equifax believes this small business financial exclusion is severely impacting the growth of the UK economy as a whole and has, therefore, developed its unique range of business reports, which tackle the problem by combining business data with personal credit information for an organisation's directors or owners.

Gary Powell, Head of Business Information Services at Equifax explains: 'It is well proven that the way a director or owner of a small business runs their personal finances is indicative of the financial stability of their business'.

'Our new reports therefore capitalises on the combination of this valuable knowledge to give corporates and large companies the confidence to trade with small and new businesses'.

''As a result, we firmly believe it will open the doors for the development of these businesses - and the UK economy as a whole'.

With their consent, directors' and business owners' personal credit data can now be taken into consideration when their business is being assessed as a potential business partner'.

'This data, when combined with Equifax business information, gives a much greater insight into an organisation's financial situation, its stability and growth potential, and will enable more informed and confident decisions'.

'The power of Equifax's consumer data can now be used to create new opportunities for start-ups in the UK, while reducing risk for more established companies', confirmed Powell.

'And we believe the directors or owners of new and small businesses should be happy for potential partners to view their personal credit information if it makes the difference between them winning a contract or not'.

'Our new reports mean large and small businesses can build relationships with each other, encouraging growth in the UK economy as a whole'.

'Up until now it has been very hard for new and small businesses to develop working relationships with larger companies, stopping them from getting better credit limits'.

'Similarly, big companies will be able to expand their supplier and customer base to include small companies, with the minimum risk of bad debt'.

CALA awards for design and community involvement

2007-03-23T00:20:00.001-07:00

Two of CALA's largest brownfield regeneration developments in Scotland were recognised as best in the UK at the Your New Home Best Developments of 2006 Awards ceremony held at the Royal Geographic Society in London. The leading housebuilder's sustainable mixed-use community, Grandholm Village in North Aberdeen, was awarded Highly Commended in the Best Newbuild Village category. Greenbank Village, the biggest refurbishment project in Edinburgh when it began in 1999 and now a popular residential area in its own right, received Highly Commended in the Best City Development category.

CALA has also been recognised with a major award from the Scottish Executive and Royal Town Planning Institute for a ground-breaking approach to community involvement in the planning process.

The leading developer received the award for Community Consultation in the annual Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning which recognise outstanding work by, or within, planning authorities, community organisations and other bodies.

The award recognises CALA's Community Involvement and Engagement programme designed to secure community input into the masterplan for the town extension of Winchburgh in West Lothian.

The Winchburgh community involvement programme has already been recognised as best practice by Malcolm Chisholm MSP in his former position as Communities Minister.

Gerry More, Managing Director of CALA Homes (East) Limited, comments: 'CALA forged a reputation for designing luxury homes over thirty years and today, as we celebrate a third successive year of growth, our portfolio is richer than ever extending to some of the country's most exciting and successful urban regeneration projects'.

'We are passionately committed to designing and building the sustainable, attractive communities people want to live, work and relax in and engaging with the local community.'

Builders Merchants are acquisition targets

2007-03-23T00:19:00.002-07:00

Top five major builders' merchants have grown their market share to over 80% and the acquisition of independent merchants is set to continue, according to analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Independent Builders' Merchants remain acquisition targets. The top five major builders' merchants have grown their market share to over 80% and the acquisition of independent merchants is set to continue, according to analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The acquisitive growth strategies of the major merchants will underpin ongoing transaction activity and a degree of healthy competition in the sector.

Jonathan Hook, UK construction and house building leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, commented: 'The major builders' merchants have been increasing market share by two to three percentage points per annum since 2000'.

'Maturing store portfolios, reducing available plot sizes for new store openings and increased competition for acquisitions present a challenge to sustaining this growth but acquisitions, new stores, and expansion into new areas - such as electrical equipment and specialist joinery - continue to drive growth above the overall market'.

'Leading independents, with a turnover of over GBP35 million, which represent 9% of the market, may also make acquisitions; however these are likely to be smaller scale, potentially of single branches'.

While the major merchants can benefit from scale advantages and network coverage, the leading independent merchants are able to compete successfully in a variety of ways.

PricewaterhouseCoopers work, which has included surveying customers, suggests that independents have differentiated themselves and succeeded.

Quality of service, specifically speed of branch service, product knowledge of staff, flexibility and speed of product delivery have been highlighted as advantages by customers who actively select an independent merchant.

Chris Temple, director, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, concluded: 'Acquisitions of independent builders' merchants are set to continue in 2007 and beyond'.

'Attractive independent targets for majors are likely to stand out as offering margin uplift potential, sustainable growth and the ability to drive increased market share'.

'They may also present specialist propositions or represent expansion into new product areas and offer geographic fit'.

'Leading independents also have acquisition opportunities going forward in order to further differentiate to their key customer groups.'

New Construction Industry Scheme for taxation

2007-03-23T00:19:00.001-07:00

Bibby Financial Services is advising construction firms to get their finances in order to make the transition to the online system stress-free and to avoid any potential cash flow problems.

April deadline could 'cost unprepared dearly' warns Bibby. Ahead of the 6 April deadline for the new Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) for taxation, Bibby Financial Services is advising construction firms to get their finances in order to make the transition to the online system stress-free and to avoid any potential cash flow problems. From April, the current CIS will be replaced with an industry-wide online financial reporting system.

The aim of the new scheme is to streamline processes and provide alternatives to the current paper-based processes of construction taxation.

'The main difference for construction companies is that there will no longer be a need for CIS annual returns, or CIS cards, certificates or vouchers'.

'Despite the fact that the majority of subcontractors registered under the existing CIS rules will be automatically transferred over to the new system without the need to re-register, inability to use the new system correctly will have real ramifications for companies', said Bibby Financial Services product development director Andrew Dixon.

Construction firms that don't understand the changes and fail to use the new scheme correctly could see a significant drop in income as a result of the 30 per cent emergency taxation that comes into play if the new system is not adhered to, which, Bibby warns, could cause a serious cash flow crisis and, in the worst case scenario, could even lead to insolvency.

'With a fast-approaching deadline, businesses must really focus on getting paperwork and financial processes organised before the new electronic reporting systems become mandatory'.

'Getting financial records in order is not only worthwhile to ensure CIS compliance, but it is also good business practice for maintaining a healthy bottom line and cash flow', added Andrew Dixon.

With this in mind, Bibby Financial Services has developed the following tips to help construction companies get their finances in shape and aid a smooth transition to online reporting:.

1.

Perform checks.

Under the new CIS scheme contractors must check or 'verify' new subcontractors with HM Revenue and Customs.

This will not only ensure the company is compliant with the CIS, it will also act as a safeguard against 'cowboy' operators.

2.

Organise financial records.

Contractors must make a return every month to HM Revenue and Customs, showing payments made to all subcontractors.

Having a system in place to summarise all the information required will make this a simple process, if not it will be impossible to transfer information to the new CIS electronic format.

3.

Communicate.

Under the new scheme subcontractors will still be paid either net or gross, depending on their own circumstances, but it will be HM Revenue and Customs who tell the contractor which treatment to use during verification.

4.

Keep the cash coming in.

Perform credit checks and set sensible credit limits, do not accept excuses.

If in doubt, review current credit limits and if necessary reduce them.

Keep records and don't let customers slip behind or your business will pay the price.

5.

Send accurate invoices.

Do not delay sending invoices, statements and applications for payment out on time.

Keep a record of all ongoing projects so it will be easy to raise an accurate invoice.

On completion of the job, raise the invoice immediately clearly stating the date payment is due.

6.

Investigate funding options.

Think about how your business is funded.

Will it carry you through any temporary financial difficulties?

If you are stuck with a bank overdraft that is repayable on demand then consider more innovative methods of funding.

Specialist solutions like Bibby Financial Services' Construction Finance takes into account the individual and specialist requirements of those operating in the construction industry'.

'Construction firms heeding this advice will ensure a healthy cash flow and will find the transition to online reporting a much smoother process than those who simply bury their head in the sand'.

'Most importantly however, those that are prepared won't run the risk of facing a 30 per cent emergency tax, which could spell real difficulties', said Andrew.

To find out more about Bibby Financial Services' Construction Finance solutions please visit the website.

Asset Structured Solutions cement deal with BEBO

2007-03-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

Asset International Structured Solutions (Asset ISS) has become sole distributor across the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland, for BEBO concrete arch systems.

In a move to further develop the Asset International Structured Solutions (Asset ISS) portfolio, the company has now become the sole distributor across the UK, Northern Ireland and Ireland, for BEBO concrete arch systems. Asset International Structured Solutions currently engineer and manufacture a number of galvanised steel structure solutions primarily utilised in bridges, long and short span, and buried structure projects such as tunnels, culverts and underpasses. A number of the company's existing products are currently approved for use by the Highways Agency and other specified worldwide bodies.

The addition of the BEBO concrete arch structure to the offering means the company can now offer a larger range of bridge and structured span solutions, incorporating concrete as well as steel.

The BEBO system of concrete arch is used in a wide variety of structures such as underpasses, bridges over streams, waterways, roads and railway lines, underground storage vaults, parking garages and cut-and-cover tunnels, and was originally developed in Switzerland in the early 1960's.

With spans of up to 31 metres, BEBO concrete arch structures offer the largest pre-cast arch span in the world.

Almost 700 BEBO Arch Structures have been built worldwide across Europe, North America, Australia and the Far East.

All of these structures currently remain in service and have required virtually no maintenance to date.

Asset ISS Divisional Director Richard McTavish explains the significance of the partnership, 'The engineering and design of our solutions has always been focussed on specific customer needs and bespoke responses to client requests'.

'Adding this significant bridge solution to the Asset ISS proposition not only offers our customers a globally accredited solution, but one that we believe is key to the ongoing development of bridge and tunnel infrastructure across the UK'.

The specific benefits of the BEBO system include lower material costs and faster installation, with the arch units pre-engineered off-site and delivered on flat-bed trucks ready for installation.

The time-saving element offers significant advantages over similar cast-in-place concrete structures.

From an environmental perspective the shape of the arch design produces large, open bottoms that can span wetlands and small streams with little or no impact to the river bed or surrounding environment.

The shape doesn't require large abutments and, in most applications, concrete spread footing can be used, reducing the need for soil support systems which can have a major impact on the surrounding environment.

'The opportunities for the BEBO system across the UK and Europe are significant and the results across existing global projects speak for themselves,' added Mr McTavish.

'Asset ISS looks forward to continued growth within the next phase and BEBO is expected to play a significant role as part of the expanded range of Structured Solutions, moving forward.'

Wolf signs deal with Randek BauTech AB

2007-02-15T21:48:00.004-08:00

Wolf Systems, the whole house timber engineering specialist, is now supplying equipment from Sweden's premier timber frame machinery specialist, Randek BauTech AB, in the UK and Eire. The agreement includes the installation and servicing in the UK by AV Birch, the Bridgenorth-based specialist timber machinery manufacturer. The agreement follows other significant moves by Wolf Systems in presses, saws and floor equipment for the three major timber engineering sectors; roofs, the Easi-Joist metal web floor system and wall panel manufacture.

Wolf Systems is now able to service the entire timber engineering sector with a range of eight presses, four saws, wall and panel equipment and handling equipment.

Alan Ritchie, Sales Director at Wolf Systems comments 'Wolf's commitment to the whole house approach has seen us pull away from our software competitors, widening the gap even further'.

'This is an important next step into whole house manufacture'.

'Wolf has brought in specialists in all sectors of timber engineering including our latest move into timber frame manufacturing equipment'.

'We are very pleased that we have reached this agreement with a superb company whose experience, range and build quality are well known in our industry.'

First sales success for Platz Haus (UK)

2007-02-15T21:48:00.003-08:00

Launched into the UK market in March 2006, Platz Haus (UK) has announced the first UK sales of its post and beam and wood panel 'dream homes' precision engineered in Germany. In December 2006, contracts were formally signed for individual homes in Leeds and Scotland, with two more orders for houses in Exeter and North London expected to be finalised shortly. With a further four contracts in the later stages of negotiation, UK General Manager for Platz, Helmut Gross, is delighted: 'We have made an excellent start to 2007'.

'Entering the UK market for the first time last year, our aim was to establish the company and generate a healthy database of potential customers'.

'The number of serious enquiries has exceeded all expectation and we have doubled our sales target in nine months'.

'We are now looking to build on this in our second year as an increasing number of small and medium sized developers show interest in our dream homes in addition to individual self builders.' The first home in Leeds will be a Komfort design 'timber and glass' home.

Featuring post and beam construction, room-high glass walls replace windows while a striking gabled roof overhangs the exterior ensuring occupants are shaded during the hot summer months when the sun is high.

The home will be built in Germany and assembled on site by a team of Platz master carpenters during April/May.

The home in Scotland is an architect designed Scottish 'long house'.

Platz is the only manufacturer of off site timber framed homes to offer a service to architects, producing detailed designs and manufacturing homes from concept drawings provided by architectural practices.

Of the contracts expected to be finalised shortly, the home in Exeter is from the latest Fusion range combining post and beam with wood panel construction techniques.

Bespoke manufactured to meet the exact specification of the homebuyer or developer, Fusion homes feature a wood and glass facade for the 'sunny side' of the house and a traditional, better insulated wood panel facade where more privacy is needed.

A traditional post and beam design from the Komfort range has been chosen for the North London home.

All houses are built to the highest insulation values and feature eco-friendly, carbon-neutral heating technologies including ground source heat pumps, solar panels and a sophisticated heat recovery system, ensuring compliance with the new UK SAP rating and carbon emission requirements.

Two of the homes to be built this year also include a full 'German-style' basement area providing ample space for technical installations, a utility/storage area, home cinema/games/recreation room and office or guest room, creating additional living space from the plot.

Platz Haus (UK) is the UK distributor for Carl Platz , the German-based manufacturer of precision engineered homes manufactured off-site primarily from wooden materials.

Targeting both the self builder and small/medium size developers of premium homes, off-site construction offers real added value and potential profit.

The final market value of a completed Platz home is likely to significantly exceed the original market value of the plot and the cost of the house.

Carl Platz is located in Bad Saulgau, in southern Germany close to Lake Constance and Friedrichshafen and just 75 minutes flying time from London Stansted, visitors from the UK are welcome at the factory and show home village.

UKTFA new carbon-neutral stand at Futurebuild 2007

2007-02-15T21:48:00.001-08:00

The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) will unveil its new-look exhibition stand at this year's Futurebuild. The UKTFA has a two pronged focus at Futurebuild 2007: to raise the profile of the Association to attract new members; and to inform architects, designers and the development community on the ways timber frame can help them rise to the forthcoming challenges of the Code for Sustainable Homes and the drive towards zero carbon housing by 2016. The stand will provide visitors with an interactive experience where they can and#145;take the timber test' to reveal interesting and surprising facts and figures about timber frame, as well as testing their knowledge on the carbon credentials of timber frame construction.

The Association has also pledged to make its stand carbon neutral, offsetting the impact of the construction of the new stand, its transport to the exhibition and any travel impacts of the UKTFA staff attending the exhibition.

Recyclable materials will be used throughout, and the timber will be from FSC certified sources.

The UKTFA will chair the free seminars on timber technology and offsite construction on Wednesday 28 February, covering topics such as the way timber continues to be adapted for offsite applications from volume construction of homes through to multi-storey buildings and award winning one-off projects.

Bryan Woodley, chief executive of the UKTFA, said: 'Futurebuild is an important exhibition for us as it helps us talk to the designers and developers who are clamouring for more information on how to use timber frame'.

UK Timber Frame Association appoints new Chairman

2007-02-15T21:47:00.003-08:00

Stewart Dalgarno has been appointed as the new chairman of the UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA). Stewart Dalgarno is also managing director of Stewart Milne Timber Systems for England and Wales. He has been with the Stewart Milne Group for 23 years, beginning his career in design and then working his way up to the position of managing director to lead the growth of the company and its geographical expansion.

Stewart has played an active part in the UKTFA for eight years, carrying out the technical, commercial development and vice chair roles.

At just 39, he is the Association's youngest ever chairman.

Bryan Woodley, chief executive of the UKTFA, said: 'Stewart has just the right experience, skills and drive for the Association at this important stage for the industry'.

'Timber frame construction is at the forefront of the political and technological push for lower carbon buildings and zero carbon homes'.

'There is no other method of building that has such a positive impact on reducing the UK's carbon emissions'.

'Stewart's leadership skills, energy and ambition will help us to extend the UKTFA's influence and our work to grow the market for all timber frame manufacturers and suppliers'.

Stewart Dalgarno, said: 'I am delighted to be able to lead the UKTFA at such an interesting time'.

'My role, and the role of the Board and the UKTFA staff, will be to focus our energy on promoting the benefits of the UKTFA to the whole development community'.

'We want to ensure that timber frame remains the number one choice among house builders, designers and architects who care about high quality, cost effective homes that can help us tackle the long-term threats of climate change.'

Timber frame is up for the Carbon Challenge

2007-02-15T21:47:00.001-08:00

The UK Timber Frame Association (UKTFA) has welcomed the launch of English Partnerships' latest competition, the Carbon Challenge. Stewart Dalgarno, Chairman of the UKTFA, said: 'Timber frame manufacturers are expecting a lot of calls from housebuilders who will want to enter the Carbon Challenge. Both public and private sector developers aiming to meet the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes will gain a real, cost-neutral boost by using timber frame construction.

We also know that it's both commercially and technically feasible to reach Levels 5 and 6 of the Code using timber frame in volume housebuilding - the proof will be put on display at BRE's Offsite 07 exhibition in June.

'Of course it's possible to achieve energy and water efficient new homes without using timber.

But it seems completely daft that such homes should be built using other, more polluting materials that have such a high environmental impact.

Timber has the lowest carbon cost of any mainstream building material, even allowing for transport.

In contrast, the impact of extracting, refining, processing and manufacture of other building materials like concrete and steel is incredibly high, accounting for more than 10% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions.

'The carbon dioxide emissions from a single timber frame three bed detached home are 16.5% less than its brick and block equivalent, and new research shows that it is possible to achieve up to 86% reduction in greenhouse gases simply by increasing the amount of timber specified in buildings*.

'We urge English Partnerships and the other judges in this Carbon Challenge to give greater recognition to truly sustainable building products and to highlight their use in exemplar developments, so that the learning can be shared across the whole housebuilding industry.

In this way, we believe high quality, low and zero carbon homes can become a mainstream reality well before 2016'.

Redevelopment project at Swinfen Hall

2007-02-10T03:36:00.001-08:00

A Cyril Sweett-led HOCP team recently completed the final GBP15m phase of a redevelopment project to provide state-of-the-art education, healthcare, catering, administrative and recreational amenities at Swinfen Hall Young Offenders' Institution near Lichfield. The principal contractor on the redevelopment was Morrison Construction, part of Galliford Try Plc. Cyril Sweett has been working as project managers to Home Office Custodial Property in order to update the 620-strong adult male young offenders' institution with modern, well-equipped education, skills training, healthcare and other ancillary support services.

The project was the final phase of a GBP44m scheme to expand the prison.

The scope of work included delivering a new healthcare unit offering day care and mental health in reach facilities; four new workshops to deliver vocational training with nationally recognised qualifications in trades such as carpentry, brickwork, painting and decorating, computer repair, plumbing and plastering; 14 new classrooms to provide education courses/classes; a new sports hall, weights room, gym and two five-a-side football pitches; improved visiting facilities for prisoners' families; a new kitchen to provide meals for 620 prisoners daily; new horticulture department; new environmental management unit, a new chapel, a new prisoner reception, and extended gatehouse, fitted out with the latest biometric identity equipment.

Environmental considerations included introduction of sun tubes, water-saving devices and power saving lighting.

Pete Knapton, Governor at Swinfen Hall, said he was confident the new facilities would provide a greater range of opportunities for prisoners and help to reduce re-offending.

Pete Knapton added:- 'We aim to restore hope for prisoners and their families by facilitating change, promoting good citizenship and supporting their return to the community'.

'If we are to turn lives around and make society a safer place, we have to work to reduce risk by identifying and meeting individual needs through an active and integrated programme of education, skills training and group work'.

He continued:- 'The Prison Service is in the midst of considerable change, with public protection at the forefront of all we do, tough targets to reduce re-offending, and effective end to end offender management to ensure this takes place'.

Peter Summerside, Associate Director, Cyril Sweett commented:- 'One of the key challenges on this project, in addition to the usual ones of timely completion and budgetary constraints, was to ensure that the work did not impinge on the day-to-day operations of the prison'.

Financial close on PPP Scottish education scheme

2007-02-10T03:35:00.002-08:00

A consortium comprising Cyril Sweett Holdings , Carillion and HBOS has achieved financial close on the 30 year, GBP76million South Ayrshire PPP Schools Scheme. Under the contract the consortium will design, construct, finance and operate three new primary schools at Barassie, Alloway and Monkton; two new secondary schools at Belmont and Prestwick and also construct a new annexe to the Kyle Academy. The first school will be delivered by the end of the year, with all schools being completed by the end of 2008.

Ken Gill, Director of Cyril Sweett Holdings said: 'The consortium has, in partnership with South Ayrshire Council, developed original, flexible, robust proposals that will create an educational legacy of which we can all be proud'.

'We are delighted to have reached financial close on this project and are now looking forward to delivering first class facilities for the local communities'.

To date Cyril Sweett has provided bid management services, whole life cost advice, building surveying and due diligence services for HBOS.

Going forward Cyril Sweett will provide due diligence through the construction and concession period, act as Employer's Agent and undertake operational monitoring.

Councillor Gibson T Macdonald, Leader of South Ayrshire Council added: 'Now that the final agreements have been signed, it is a case of 'full steam ahead' for the building work to begin'.

'I offer my sincere congratulations to all concerned with what has already been achieved'.

'There is no doubt about it, 2007 is going to be an exciting one for South Ayrshire.'

Corporate Manslaughter Bill spells major changes

2007-02-10T03:35:00.001-08:00

Mace and Jones corporate lawyer Ian Hodgkinson urged business owners to pay close attention to the draft Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill

Companies are to face prosecution for manslaughter if they are suspected of causing the death of an employee or member of the public through management failings, a leading law firm warned last night. Mace and Jones corporate lawyer Ian Hodgkinson urged business owners to pay close attention to the draft Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bill as it passes through the House of Lords early this year. The Bill follows years of debate in Whitehall - and three manifesto promises from Labour.

'It is vital businesses are aware of how the law is to be changed,' he said.

'The Bill, which covers the whole of the UK, will enable the courts to consider the overall picture of how an organisation's activities were managed, rather than focusing on the actions of one individual.

However, it will not be possible to prosecute a company when the failings are solely at junior levels.

Mr Hodgkinson said an organisation can be guilty of the new offence if someone has been killed as a result of the way in which the company's activities are managed or organized, if this amounts to a gross breach of a duty of care.

'The bill is wideranging in its scope,' he said.

'It will also cover organisations providing goods and services to members of the public and will to an extent lift Crown immunity so that government departments and some other public sector organisations will for the first time be faced with the same regime as the private sector in this regard'.

Mr Hodgkinson added the new offence will not apply to strategic decisions about the spending of public money or activities such as statutory inspection, holding prisoners in detention, the response of the emergency services, policing or child protection.

In 2005 220 people died at work and 117 members of the public were killed in work-related incidents.

Unions claim that in the 30-years since the Health and Safety at Work Act was introduced ten thousand people have been killed in work-related accidents.

In that same 30-year period 11 company directors have been convicted of manslaughter; of those 11 convictions only five directors have ever been imprisoned.

Construction industry business failures down

2007-02-10T03:34:00.001-08:00

Construction sector recovers from difficult start to minimise business failures across the year according to 2006 says Equifax Business Failures Report.

Construction sector recovers from difficult start to minimise business failures across the year according to 2006 Equifax Business Failures Report. The start of 2006 saw the UK Construction sector experiencing a rise in business failures of 8% compared to the same period in 2005. However, leading credit information specialist Equifax now reveals in its 2006 Business Failures Report that the year ended on a better note with just a 1.1% increase in failures for the sector.

The Construction sector even benefited from a steady performance in the last quarter of 2006 with business failures increasing by just 2% over the same period last year.

However, these improved figures should not lead to complacency urges Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax: 'Companies of all sizes should protect themselves by implementing risk management procedures including basic credit checks.

'Many small businesses in the construction industry in particular are more vulnerable to the impact of bad debt and fraud yet many fail to take even the most basic steps to protect themselves.

Even the very small businesses can benefit from the latest online tools allowing them to check a customer or prospect's current credit worthiness instantly so that they know exactly who they are doing business with.' Also in good shape across 2006 was the Service sector with 7.7% fewer business failures than in 2005 according to the Equifax Report.

And the last quarter of 2006 suggests that this positive trend could continue in 2007, with a 4% reduction in failures year on year.

Other areas of UK business and industry also came out of 2006 with creditable performances.

The Manufacturing sector showed improvement across the year with an overall drop in business failures of just over 2% on the year compared with 2005.

But a note of caution was sounded by Quarter 4 figures where business failures jumped to 11.3% year on year.

The Wholesale sector failures over the year only rose by 4.9% compared with 2005.

However, even here the final quarter was ominous with failures up by 6.6%.

The Transport and Communications sector fared better with an increase in failures of just 4%.

However, things weren't so positive in the Retail sector.

Seasonal trading patterns may well have been the underlying cause of a much poorer performance on the UK High Street where a tougher story was told.

The Retail sector recorded the highest level of business failures across 2006.

The underlying picture painted by the 2006 Business Failures Report suggests that despite the hype of increased retail spending many shoppers were in fact being 'more picky' about where they buy demonstrated by the rise in online spending.

The increase in business failures across the Retail sector for January to December 2006 was up 17.2% compared to the same period in 2005.

The story was only slightly improved by the news that the final quarter of 2006 showed a better year end with a lower increase in failures of just 11%, year on year.

'It is vital that businesses of all sizes follow best practice basics by putting in place risk management procedures and make best use of the latest online tools that allow fast checks to be carried out on prospective customers and partners,' concluded Neil Munroe.

Wesupply Top 10 priority supply chain improvements

2007-02-10T03:33:00.001-08:00

Wesupply, a leading provider of On Demand and collaborative supply chain management solutions has identified the most common and pressing Top 10 supply chain projects for improvement. Free, explanatory, no-nonsense solutions fact sheets with clear diagrams are available on each subject off their website and click on Fact Sheets or telephone 08700 703370. Andrew Hubbard, Product Director commented: 'Wesupply has a range of configurable intelligent process solutions addressing specific business process issues to increase the velocity of the supply chain, drive out costs, release significant working capital and improve margins.

These are for companies that have identified supply chain issues and need a technology solution that will address them.' Wesupply will conduct a Collaborative Value Assessment to assist in identifying and scoping projects all aimed at securing maximum return on investment.

The roll out of the solution is non invasive, fast and trouble-free to all trading partners on the network using Wesupply's Rapid Integration System.

The Wesupply solutions are hosted on their own servers and accessible to any PC equipped with a web browser so can be quickly and inexpensively deployed.

In a recent report analysts The Aberdeen Group identified the top Supply Chain Planning areas for On Demand.

These were Forecasting and Sales and Operations Planning, Inventory Optimisation and Replenishment Planning with up to 80% of respondents saying they would consider an On Demand option for these business planning requirements.

The most requested planning areas feature prominently in Wesupply's solutions portfolio.

THE TOP 10:.

1.

Sales and Operations Planning.

2.

Offshore Manufacturing and Supply.

3.

Vendor Managed Inventory.

4.

Perfect Order.

5.

Process Compliance.

6.

Load Management.

7.

Forecast Collaboration.

8.

Inter-Plant Supply.

9.

Reducing working capital.

10.

Supplier Performance.

1.

Sales and Operations Planning .

Wesupply offers the ability to build complex plans with input from multiple parties, review and refine those plans and measure the success of the plan as it is executed.

With Wesupply's OneTime integration combined with its sophisticated modelling and collaboration tools there is a rapid deployment of solutions tailored to needs.

2.

Offshore Manufacturing and Supply.

Wesupply offers a range of low-cost, rapidly deployable solutions for managing demand and fulfilment execution, including tracking of goods in transit.

3.

Vendor Managed Inventory.

VMI can result in reduced inventory holding, fewer stock-outs, improved cash flow and reduced order/invoice administration costs.

Successful execution of VMI requires a robust platform supporting the exchange of transactions in multiple message formats, translation of item codes and controlled access by multiple parties.

4.

The Perfect Order.

Wesupply helps achieve the 'holy grail' of 100% On Time in Full orders through a neutral reporting platform, clear measurement and reporting.

5.

Process Compliance.

Wesupply makes it easier for a company to enforce process and procedures with trading partners and can provide metrics to evaluate compliance.

6.

Load Management .The key lies in manipulating the quantities of each SKU to balance the requirements of the full load with the theoretical optimum stock level ensuring fast moving items are prioritised above slow moving items.

7.

Forecast Collaboration.

Experience shows that statistical models for forecasting demand, generally based on past sales, have their limitations.

Collaborative forecast reviews between customer and supplier allow the combined knowledge and experience of buyers/planners to be leveraged ensuring that the consensus plan is really actionable.

8.

Inter-Plant Supply.

Wesupply can provide a rapid solution using its integration and connection technology (OneTime) to link disparate systems across countries and continents, translate codes and provide a shared process without disruption to participants.

9.

Reducing working capital.

Wesupply is able to achieve significant reductions in working capital through improved supply chain visibility and control - its solutions encompass the entire extended supply network from raw material to end customer ensuring that costs and inventory are removed from the chain.

10.

Supplier Performance.

Wesupply's solutions develop jointly agreed processes based on contractual relationships, implement simple robust and trusted performance measurements, provide visibility on both sides and institute collaborative processes to review progress and improvements.

How to detox your business

2007-02-10T03:32:00.000-08:00

Bibby Financial Services, specialist provider of business cash flow solutions, is urging owners and managers to give their business a thorough detox to ensure a prosperous 2007.

Detox your business. With the nation focused on its New Year's resolutions to get fit and healthy in preparation for the year ahead, Bibby Financial Services (BFS), specialist provider of business cash flow solutions, is urging owners and managers to give their business a thorough detox to ensure a prosperous 2007. The new year is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to take stock and review every aspect of their business ensuring that when new opportunities come along the business is fit to take full advantage of them.

David Robertson, chief executive of Bibby Financial Services, has developed the following top tips to help owners and managers detox their business to ensure a fresh start to the year.

* Conduct a review - a review of the business over the past year can show what worked well and what didn't.

By looking at the successes and the failures over the past year will put you in a far better position to plan effectively for 2007.

- Start planning - meticulous planning is the key to business success.

Ensure you review your business objectives and prioritise everything you want to achieve in the coming year.

Developing a detailed action plan will help.

- Think to the future - take the time to thoroughly research new business opportunities.

With clear minds after the Christmas break you may be able to brainstorm some inspired ideas that could help move your business forward.

* Get organised - organisation is one of the keys to success, ensuring all your files and paperwork are in order along with your finances is vital.

This will enable you to get back into the flow of work quickly.

- Detox your desktop - keep only the relevant information that you are working on at the moment on your desk and keep personal items to a minimum to prevent your mind from wandering.

Clearing the decks will help you concentrate more on the tasks at hand.

- Clear your computer - see the wood from the trees by having a good sort out of your computer and deleting all spam and junk emails that you do not need.

Act on any urgent messages and organise the rest in relevant files.

- Back up data - customer data, stock lists and business records are among the things that, if lost, could have a devastating impact on the business.

Either back up your data onto a disc, or use a professional data back up company to store it for you.

- Take control - be firm with your debtors and develop watertight credit control systems.

Issue regular statements and reminder invoices and call customers if payment is late.

- Manage your cash - good cash flow is the lifeblood of any business.

To ensure your finances are stable throughout the year you may want to consider alternative methods of funding such as invoice finance, which can guarantee your business has a flexible and ongoing supply of working capital, enabling you to put your business plans into action.

- Harness people power - review your staffing levels for the coming year and plan to cover staff holidays or peak season demand.

If there are any significant skills gaps within your workforce that are holding your business back, consider external training courses to boost the skills of your existing staff.

David Robertson concludes: 'Get this new year off to a flying start'.

'Take a closer look at your business and how it is performing'.

'With a fresh outlook, renewed enthusiasm and ambition for the year ahead, now is the time to review your business plan and build a solid platform for the future'.

Responsibility for safety on building projects

2007-02-10T03:31:00.002-08:00

Mace and Jones warns that new regulations will radically change way HSE decides who is responsible for safe procurement and management of building projects - and for accidents.

Responsibility for the safety of construction will soon be placed on to those who commission and pay for developments - as well as those who design, manage and build them. A leading North West construction lawyer, Ken Salmon of Mace and Jones, warns that from 6 April new regulations will radically change the way the Health and Safety Executive decides who is responsible for the safe procurement and management of building projects - and for accidents. The biggest impact of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 will be on companies or individuals (the clients) who commission new buildings, even if they have no direct role in the work.

'At present if an accident happens, such as a crane toppling over on a building site, it is contractors, designers or managers who face the music.

From this April, those who pay for the building works will be in the frame as well,' said Mr Salmon.

'Many companies may mistakenly believe there is not much new in these revised regulations - but they would be wrong.

Everything is different - the definition of construction, for instance, will change to include demolition and dismantling.

'And most importantly, a client will not be able to hide behind its agent if something goes wrong.

If he knows or should have known of deficiencies in the procurement, design, management or construction process, he will have a duty to do something about it and be at risk if he fails.' The new regulations are part of a purge to reduce the number of accidents on building sites, with 79 fatalities, 4687 major injuries and 8250 significant injuries to workers and members of the public in 2004/5 (the last year for which figures were available).

In the nine years to 2005, there were 761 fatalities, nearly 44,000 major injuries and more than double that number of significant ones requiring more than three days off work.

The numbers have remained fairly constant over that time despite increased industry vigilance and regulation.

And as the amount of development increases so do the risks.

Punishments following a conviction in the Crown Court for breaches of Health Safety and Welfare law include an unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment.

'The thinking behind the spreading of responsibility is that it will force the person who commissions the project and pulls the purse strings to think harder about who carries out the work, and how it is to be done' explained Mr Salmon.

'It will become less tempting to cut corners, choose the tender with the cheapest price or to insist on short lead-in times when that increases the chances of something going wrong - leading to a prosecution.

The more experienced or 'hands on' client will be less able to rely on his professional team to get things right.

'The client does not have to manage the project himself but he must make sure he appoints the right people and they properly manage it.

That means checking the competence of designers, project managers and contractors before you engage them.

'In addition, the client has to be satisfied that all the right measures will be put in place to enable the project to be carried out without unnecessary risks to the health and safety of workers and the public'.

There is not much time left.

The new Regulations will apply to all projects current at April.

Mr Salmon added: 'One thing a client should do now is to get an understanding of their new duties'.

The Code of Practice supporting the Regulations should be available from the first week in February to view and download on the HSE website.

It should be required reading.

Construction sector poised for buoyant 2007

2007-02-10T03:31:00.001-08:00

Rising numbers of firms pledging to raise prices on back of rising orders, according to Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets.

The construction industry is poised for a buoyant 2007, with rising numbers of firms pledging to raise prices on the back of rising orders, according to the Business in Britain survey from Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets. Thirty-five per cent of firms plan to raise prices over the next six months while only 8 per cent expect to lower them. While the 27 per cent balance - the percentage of raising firms minus the percentage of lowering firms - only represents a slight improvement on June's 25 per cent level, it remains high on a survey-average basis, suggesting that demand for output will remain robust in the months ahead.

One of the key drivers behind companies' bullishness is the strength of their order books, which improved in the second half of 2006.

Forty-nine per cent of firms reported stronger orders over the period while 20 per cent reported a fall: the 29 per cent balance improves on H1 20061 and is set to advance further over the next six months, with 36 per cent of firms expecting orders to rise rather than fall.

With order books filling rapidly, construction companies are increasingly willing to invest.

Twenty-eight per cent of firms plan to hike investment in the next six months while 13 per cent plan to rein spending back.

Although the 15 per cent balance, up from June's 13 per cent balance, is fairly low on a historical basis, it is higher than every major UK sector except for business services, at 21 per cent.

Despite construction firms' optimism about the next six months, however, fewer companies expect to boost their bottom line profits.

Thirty-nine per cent of firms expect to see higher profits compared to 18 per cent who expect to see lower profits: the 21 per cent balance is down from June, when it stood at 23 per cent - a probable consequence of the higher wages firms have been forced to pay due to shortages of skilled workers.

Trevor Williams, chief economist, Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets, says: 'Lack of skilled labour in the construction industry has forced firms to hike wages but immigrant workers have taken up some of the slack, helping companies to meet strong demand with only a marginal reduction in profits.

'The sector should enjoy another good year, with commercial property booming and individuals increasingly renovating or converting instead of moving house.

House prices are buoyant but it is remarkable - and very encouraging for the sector - that construction firms' order books are so strong after such a good run in the last few years.'

Cyril Sweett receives Star Status rating

2007-02-10T03:30:00.000-08:00

Cyril Sweett the international construction and property consultant has been awarded a Star Status rating in the Best Companies accreditation Scheme. Cyril Sweett was one of only 273 organisations that received the significant accolade this year. Upon receiving the award, Cyril Sweett Chairman Francis Ives said: 'We are delighted to have received an award of this nature and standing'.

'This accreditation provides a great incentive for us to maintain and improve our people management processes still further throughout the organisation'.

'We will use the accreditation feedback to help shape our human resource strategies and policies and create an organisation that our people are even more proud of and in this way help us retain and attract staff'.

This year, 434 organisations registered to go for 'Star Status', and since September over 100,000 employees have been surveyed.

Jonathan Austin, Chief Executive, Best Companies said: 'Cyril Sweett's 2007 accreditation is an outstanding achievement'.

'It confirms their commitment to the on-going journey of workplace engagement'.

'Our role is to set a rigorous benchmark so that organisations can become even better employers'.

Cyril Sweett is unique within the industry as it is a wholly employee owned company.

Cyril Sweett has won an award for offering the 'Best European All Employee Share Ownership Plan' by The European Centre for Employee Ownership in 2005 and 2006.

Prepare now for smooth transition to CIS

2007-02-10T03:28:00.000-08:00

Builders and those involved in the construction sector need to prepare for the new Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) this April

With the introduction of the new Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) this April, builders and those involved in the construction sector not wanting to fall foul of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) need to prepare now or risk the prospect of a lengthy and costly tax investigation. That's the view of Brian Lovie, Director of Employment Taxes at PKF Accountants and business advisers, who believes that investing a little time now will avoid untold problems later on. A CIS scheme has been in place since 1972 and was introduced to help deal with problems, which were endemic in the industry, of engaging workers on a 'cash in hand' basis.

The current CIS has been in place since 1999 but retains the basic structure of its predecessor which relies on paper vouchers to evidence payments between contractors and subcontractors.

It suffered problems because of this and the new scheme is being brought into place this April as a result.

Brian said: 'Most contractors and subcontractors will be affected'.

'Those who fail to change the way they operate are basically drawing attention to themselves'.

'The last thing that anybody wants is to become subject to an enquiry by HM Revenue and Customs because it is a fraught and very worrying process which can be intrusive, time-consuming and costly'.

'While the new CIS regulations may be an irritating distraction, I believe that the revised scheme will reduce the regulatory burden on the construction industry, improve the level of compliance by construction businesses with their tax obligations and finally help construction businesses get the employment status of their workers right'.

One of the main changes being brought into force is the submission of monthly returns showing to whom payments have been made, the amount paid and the amount of materials used on a job, where as previously this was required on an annual basis'.

'The monthly return will also act as a declaration that the builder considers the subcontractor to be self-employed'.

'Failure to provide monthly returns will result in penalties for late submission based on the number of subcontractors on it'.

Brian added: 'Of all the new regulations this new rule will probably have the biggest impact as not only will it be a monthly administration burden but the penalties for getting it wrong or late could be costly'.

'Our advice to those in the construction industry is to get expert help from a company like PKF which can guide them through the various changes in the CIS.'

A True Trade Show Story - What Not To Do

2007-01-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

Here Is My Horror Story

It was my first trade show. I was a young businessman who had landed a huge account. Now, the year before we had purchased about $250,000 worth of promotional T-shirts from our primary supplier (which was respectable) and $50,000 from our secondary supplier. (If you haven’t figured it out yet, I started in this industry as a T-shirt printer!)

I decided to take a walk over to my primary T-Shirt supplier’s booth. (Who we had bought about $250,000 worth from during the course of the year) What happened? I stood for about 10 minutes and was completely ignored. (Keep in mind, the average attendee will wait only 3 to 5 minutes without being attended to.)

Ok, so I left and came back a few hours later. Sure enough, there I was in the booth again for about another 10 minutes - completely ignored. Man, I thought I was a big fish to these guys, but they didn’t know or even care who I was.

So here’s what happened next. I went two isles over to my secondary supplier (who I ordered a small amount from during the year). They came up to me immediately and spoke with me as if I was the biggest customer they ever had!

To this day, I remember our conversation. They gave me a nice pen, thanked me a million times and asked what they could do better.

The result? The following year I bought $1,000,000 worth of promotional T-shirts from them and only $50,000 from the other guys.

But it didn’t stop there either. 12 months later the rep from my old supplier showed up at my plant. He was completely blown away by the expansion. He was eager to know why our sales with them had dropped so dramatically. My response? “We got a better deal from the other guys.” He still thinks he lost the business because of pricing.

I learned a valuable lesson that day. I decided that when I started exhibiting at shows I would do everything I could to avoid this ever happening to me. Like many other businesses, I have many customers who I’ve never met face to face. Keep this in mind… trade shows are a great opportunity to either build on our relationship, or destroy it.

Eye Care Practice Marketing: Eye Care Providers Can Compete with Internet Contact Lens Retailers

2007-01-03T23:25:00.001-08:00

Every 3 seconds there is an online search for an eyecare provider-related product or service!

According to data obtained from Overture, a leading online advertiser that tracks keyword search queries, in July 2004 there were more than 800,000 search queries for such terms as optometrist, eyecare provider, eyeglasses, contact lenses and lasik. Is your practice optimized to get its share of the nearly 9.5 million online vision care searches expected per year? Can you afford to ignore this growing population segment estimated to be upwards of 110 million U.S. residents (according to an August 2004 report by PEW/Internet and ComScore) that have reportedly used search engines?

While attending a 2004 search engine strategies conference (a symposium of the most cutting edge tips and techniques to "optimize" your search engine marketing initiatives), I was overwhelmed when presented with some interesting facts - facts about online users, use of search engines and how online marketing has boosted both the top and bottom lines for many companies, both big and small.

While the prospect of mounting an online marketing campaign may sound daunting to many of the "non-technically-oriented" folks out there, there are some very simple measures that even the least internet-savvy business professional can take to capture a bigger slice of that huge, online searcher pie.

Welcome to the 21st Century First of all, if you do not have a web presence, a website where people can learn about your practice and the services you provide, get one. I recently surveyed approximately 80 eyecare practitioners, and asked them what their most pressing concern was regarding their contact lens practice. Not surprisingly, competition from online contact lens retailers was the most common response. Yet, even with this huge concern, 2 out of 3 practices surveyed did not have their own website, and only 1 in 12 could offer their patients the convenience of online ordering from their practice.

Tooting Your Own Horn

2007-01-02T23:28:00.000-08:00

Barry, a middle manager for Lawrence Brooks & Associates, has a big office with a huge desk. He has a pen holder, a business card holder, and three pictures of his family on his desk. On his walls he has a few paintings, and he keeps his accomplished recognition certificates in his desk drawer. Barry is a quiet guy when he talks about his accomplishments, but when he discusses business with others, he knows everything about his industry.

How would it feel to get a big assignment or a big promotion due to your “tooting your own horn?” Very few of us feel comfortable enough to actually promote ourselves in the workplace. Too often we defeat our self-promotion efforts by assuming that other people won’t be interested in what we do, or by carried over childhood notions that it’s not polite to brag about ourselves and our accomplishments. The phrase “self-promotion” means to draw attention to yourself for your own good deeds or accomplishments. Do you ever intentionally seek to draw others’ attention to yourself when you do something nice for someone else?

Do you find it difficult to talk about yourself and your business because you consider it as “bragging?” How often have you heard other’s say you should have an Elevator Speech about your business? Telling others what you do well and how proud you are of what you do makes others aware of your accomplishments. These are the things that helps shape your career and the perception of who you are. You can let others know of your accomplishments without sounding like a braggart.

The barometer of your success is being proud of yourself and your achievements. You are an expert at what you do because it is exciting and fulfilling. If these two things are not true, you would not be doing what you are doing! But to be successful, you need to let other people know about your expertise and your enthusiasm and blow your own horn. There’s nothing wrong with self-promotion.

For those in the entertainment business, self-promotion is very important and key to their success. What if everyone in your workplace had the potential to show what they can do? What is wrong with some self-promotion? Think about it! You work hard and devote long hours to getting ahead. You are passionate in the work you do. Just like entertainers, you are an expert and good at what you do. The hallmark of your accomplishments show who you are. So why not shout it to everyone you know?

The problem is that many of us are uncomfortable with self-promotion, especially in the workplace. As you grew up, your parents told you not to brag about yourself to others. Times have changed, and to get ahead in today’s changing work environment, you have to put yourself out there. You are great at talking to others about your work, but how many times do you find that when you talk about your work are you enthusiastic about your accomplishments? Most of the time, you probably do not want to show off or brag about yourself.

Here are some ways you can begin practicing the art of self-promotion.

1. Reflect on Your Own Professional Accomplishments: Two things come to mind here:

First, write your own Elevator Speech and listen to the way it sounds and how you feel when you say it. What is it that you are proud of? What awards or recognition did you receive? What would you say to a decision-maker if you only had a minute or two?

Second, make a list of your skills and accomplishments. Then write down the top 3-5 accomplishments of which you are most proud. Promote yourself in these areas, and start blowing your own horn about these accomplishments. For example, you are the best negotiator in your department, and you negotiated a big deal for yourself and your company. Or you landed a big account that will move you forward in your career. If so, tell others about how you got the account. (If this is too much for you to handle, then start by telling only a little of what positives took place for you.)

2. Goal Setting: A good starting point to self-promotion is to set a goal and make a plan to become one of the very best people in your field or at least in your workplace. Decide what you would like to be known for. The better you get and the more respected you become, the more you will be the “go-to” person for your expertise. Develop the essential skills that you need to be in the top 20 percent in your field or of your workplace.

3. Learn a New Skill: Gain a new skill or technique that relates to your job. This might be something different that your co-workers do not have or know about. You then become the expert in this area. Your talents, whether they are newly acquired or something you have created, put you in a better position for others to know you are the “go-to” person in this particular area.

4. Feel Comfortable: Many people feel uncomfortable about blowing their own horn as a self-promoting technique, especially in the workplace. You can’t afford to be bashful in today’s business climate. No matter what your product or service is, "toot your own horn" and you may soon find business opportunities will come your way. When you meet someone for the first time, people typically ask, “What do you do?” Most people answer with their job title. This does nothing to enhance the value of what you do. Instead of telling people, “I work for XYZ Company in customer service,” one woman said, “I make angry people happy. Last month, I made sure 23 disgruntled people stayed with us.”.

Get The Job You've Always Wanted! The Power of Personal Branding (Marketing)

2007-01-01T23:27:00.000-08:00

Looking to get that job you’ve always wanted? Or maybe you want to get accepted to one of the toughest schools in the country. Personal Branding (Marketing) may get you there…

Ok I’m beginning to sound like the infomercials I wake up to at 3 in the morning. Usually I just smash the front of the tv with my half dead hand. Sometimes I think I’m lucky enough to have the remote curled under my arm so I can conveniently shut the TV off. But, usually it doesn’t work and I have to throw it at the wall and visually and physically assault the TV in an effort to get the real estate opportunities off of the screen.

The truth is, people don’t establish relationships with companies, they establish relationships with people. And, no matter what your role is at the company you work for or want to work for, or the school you currently attend, or want to attend, it is a powerful and beneficial thing to brand or market yourself (assuming you KNOW what you want to market or brand yourself for).

After unsuccessfully trying to gather information online on a potential hire and colleague (I was looking for a portfolio or writings) I realized how important personal branding is. I wanted to see their real world work, study the code and design that went into a site they had created or maybe read an article or response they had written on a blog… something. But, I couldn’t find anything.

At that moment I realized how important and powerful personal branding is. I tell people (after they ask) that I am a web designer. Some people remember the name of my company and my web address, but more people remember my name.

I did a quick vanity search for “Zach Katkin” and realized nothing came up, especially nothing relevant to web design.

Although many times designers (web, print, etc.) are hired by firms and so don’t have a whole lot to their names, they need to establish themselves through personal branding. Web designers in particular are involved in a medium that uniquely demands personal branding.

Search and search engines have become the tool for quickly studying a person and their qualifications. If you are a web designer, you need to show case it. Your name needs to bring up articles, documents, sites, etc. that you have authored or contributed to.

And the issue of ego is a small one. As long as you are truly knowledgeable and passionate, you are merely participating in the same type of activities and conversations you should be to better yourself in your craft and help others.

Other industries and persons (not in web or web related fields) can also benefit from this. Imagine the sales potential if you are a business consultant who specializes in consulting with large construction firms and you happen to meet a large developer one night at dinner. The developer searches your name later that night and finds articles you’ve authored related to construction and consulting. A powerful thing!

Likewise, if you are a student trying to get into pharmaceutical school, possibly at Nova, or Miami imagine the benefits when an admissions officer looks up your name online and finds you have authored some posts about chemistry, biology or your desire to become a pharmacist.

Marketing Your Non-Profit

2006-12-31T23:26:00.000-08:00

Recently I’ve been receiving a lot of calls from non-profit entrepreneurs looking for help with promoting their programs and services to the community. So I thought it would be helpful to write an article on marketing a non-profit. For a non-profit, marketing requires not only meeting the needs of the clients you serve; but the donor’s needs as well.

When it comes to marketing programs to the community, most non-profit organizations won’t pull out their check books and hire a marketing firm, they will try some grassroots marketing efforts that leave a positive effect on the community. Grassroots marketing uses inexpensive techniques and doesn't focus on selling the organization’s mission; instead, it focuses on building strong and lasting relationships with community members who will support its mission and work along side of them.

Start-up non-profits rarely consider marketing because they may not charge clients for their services to make a profit. Regardless of your funding sources, you still need to market your organization. Sit down with your board, staff, and volunteers to brainstorm on creative low-cost ways to market the organization. Be sure you have a clear understanding of who you are targeting and the services provided by similar organizations. Establish 3 to 5 marketing goals you would like to accomplish and think about how you want others to view your organization.

Marketing involves a wide range of activities to make sure that you're continuing to meet the needs of your clients and getting value in return. Here are a few tactics you can use that won’t break the bank and works well for non-profits.

•Evangelical Marketing – This doesn’t have anything to do with religion. It does, however, involve finding ways to educate, influence, and inspire your supporters to spread the word about your organization.
•Viral Marketing – Individuals pass along your message via word-of-mouth or e-mail. An example would be an email marketing campaign.
•Guerrilla Marketing - Unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. An example of this is when people hold signs near busy intersections.
•Events – An event sponsored by a company or individual to create awareness and raise funds for your programs.
•PR - Communicating with the public to influence their attitudes or opinions.

Top Ten Tips When Business is Slow (Updated)

2006-12-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

How's your business going to keep growing with the holidays and tax time coming? What can you do when most people don't want to spend money now?

If you are concerned the cash flow won't flow and you won't have enough income for the next months, check out these ten tips:

1. Create written copy to email your subscribers and other email lists.

Just for your faithful customers, send a free how-to report, a thoughtful poem to celebrate the holidays, or a free offer of answering a question via email. This action keeps your name out in front of your audience, and it makes them feel acknowledged.

2. Create a form letter to send by email to your potential clients.

It reminds them you are available for them if they are ready to make a decision. Sample: "Dear name or group, Just wondering if this is the time for you to begin action on your book, internet marketing or web project? As you know I work with small business people who want to write, publish and sell their books, that will make a difference in others' lives, become the savvy expert and household name, and build business profits consistently."

Follow with a special offer like a half hour phone session, or your free ezine or articles. Send it during or after the holiday.

3. Organize your computer files to locate the gold.

Perhaps you keep a folder called Articles to Edit as I do. When the muse calls, check it out for an unfinished article that you can edit and send to high traffic web sites and article directories. When you submit articles you will get your web site much higher on the Google and other lists. Slow time is a good time to clean out folders and files and keep only what's important to your business.

4. Offer a strategic alliance with top people in your field.

This can take the form of exchanging tips for ezines, exchanging web links, or even promotional copy to add to your site called, "Professional Resources." When I did this with a large company's ezine of 30,000 subscribers, I received back a spot where my monthly column sits--with a different how to article each time. Just another way to get yourself out there.

Email people who complement your skill area and offer to have them as mentor in teleseminar program, or offer yourself to them. Their email lists add many more prospective clients and sales coming your way.

5. Hire a part-time organizer-computer assistant.

Call your local high school or craigslist.com and place an ad for a virtual or in house assistant. It's a bit more than minimum wage usually, and you can double, even triple your business results with just a little help. If you don't promote each day, you lose your momentum and potential buyer’s responses. You can do the creating, your assistant can send the emails out, clean up your files, and do article marketing for you.

6. Send out an email survey to discover what's on your potential customer's or client's minds.

Ask them what is the number one question they would like to have you answer for them. Then compile the questions and answers. Leverage them to place on your web site, place a few in several ezines to add new content, send out as an article to the high-traffic web sites and article directories where you'll be read regularly and attract these same readers to your web site.

Elements of a Successful Customer Newsletter - 6 - Headlines

2006-12-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

In a minute, I'm going to give you a way to write great headlines for your newsletter that is as easy as painting by numbers. But first...

Several years ago, I worked as an editor on a daily newspaper. I didn't write the stories, but it was my job to make sure they all appeared on the page -- and that as many people were attracted to read them as possible.

No page was more important than the front page. And no story on that page was more important than the 'splash' -- the biggest story in the whole paper.

So guess which story got the most attention? And guess which part of that story got the most care lavished on it?

Of the entire newspaper, the big headline on the front page was given top priority.

Why was this?

Because the editors knew it was this element of the entire newspaper that was most responsible for daily sales. So the headline had to be the best it could be.

But there's no point in having a headline if all people do is read the headline and move on. The main purpose of any headline in your newsletter is to get the story underneath it read.

So here's a quick checklist for eye-popping headlines:

* Your headline should indicate the article contains information that is useful to readers
* Your headline should indicate the article contains information that is interesting to readers
* Your headline should inform readers about the content of the article but be leave enough unsaid to intrigue readers to read the entire article
* Your headline should be an accurate representation of the article -- in other words, it shouldn't mislead people into reading an article
* Your headline should (in most circumstances) be in the present tense
* Your headline should contain short words rather than long words

Want to Sell More Books Than You Ever Dreamed Of?

2006-12-28T23:24:00.000-08:00

Of course you do. Yet, people don't know you exist unless you make them aware you do. It’s one thing to go to networking meetings, do talks, and send out media releases, but these take a lot of time, and the payoffs are small. What I want for you is BIG sales. You deserve them after all the work you've done on your book. Five years ago, I didn't know the power of the internet. Now I do and I want to share it with you.

It simply takes some steps to get there. You will get your well-edited articles on hundreds of other ezine high-traffic web sites and article directories. They want your articles and fiction excerpts to keep their web visitors and subscribers happy. They need free content to keep attracting people to their sites. When droves of people come to your site, they become your 24/7 sales team to spread the word about you, the savvy expert in your area.

Most of all, this technique can bring new daily visitors of 3000 or more a day to your web site if you put article marketing at the top of your priorities. Your audience is online awaiting good information from you. If you don't have a site yet, you can still play this game and win through email promotion.

The best benefits are: this method is FREE, and you attract only targeted buyers because your articles only go on web sites and ezines that want your particular information.

To Sell A Lot of Books for the Long Haul Do These Six Steps

1. Write a short article 300-800 words. 2. Submit to top web sites in your field. You'll need to know specific things such as the front matter for ezines, and the key words and description web sites want..You'll also need a book with 100+web site URLs.to make it easy for you.

3. Read some articles that are sent you from these ezines or go to a web site like www.ezinearticles.com or www.businesshighlights.com. Copy cat the format of excellent ones and see the overall picture of what articles can do for you.

4. Prepare and get edited 2-5 articles to start. Get it edited by a great writer you know or a professional so it will get published. Spell check it and make sure it flows.

5. Submit two days a week to top article directories and watch your growth. Google your name to see your progress in this arena. You can go from being on 300-800 web sites to over 100,000 in just a few years. Advanced article marketing is the easiest and gives the best results of most internet marketing.

Newly revised fencing standards from BSI

2006-12-26T04:16:00.000-08:00

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is revising all standards forming the BS 1722 Fences series. The BS 1722 series aims to establish minimum requirements for materials and workmanship in order to ensure satisfactory service for the purchaser and to assist manufacturers and installers by eliminating unnecessary minor variations in the demands of purchasers. BS 1722 specifies the requirements for components that make up a fence and the way the fence should be constructed.

The standards include requirements for sizes of components, together with the permissible tolerances on size.

However, these are only minimum requirements and it will normally be acceptable to use larger sizes unless this could adversely affect the fitting of components or if replacement parts are required to match those already present.

The following newly-revised parts are now available:.

* BS 1722-1:2006 Specification for chain link fences BS 1722-1:2006 supersedes BS 1722-1:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-2:2006 Specification for strained wire and wire mesh netting.

BS 1722-2:2006 supersedes BS 1722-2:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-5:2006 Specification for close-boarded and wooden palisade fences.

BS 1722-5:2006 supersedes BS 1722-5:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-7:2006 Specification for wooden post and rail fences.

BS 1722-7:2006 will replace BS 1722-7:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-8:2006 Specification for mild steel (low carbon steel) continuous bar fences and hurdles.

BS 1722-8:2006 supersedes BS 1722-8:1997 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-9:2006 Specification for mild steel (low carbon steel) fences with round or square verticals and flat horizontals.

BS 1722-9:2006 supersedes BS 1722-9:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-10:2006 Specification for anti-intruder fences in chain link and welded mesh.

BS 1722-10:2006 supersedes BS 1722-10:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-11:2006 Specification for prefabricated wood and panel fences.

BS 1722-11:2006 supersedes BS 1722-11:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-12:2006 Specification for steel palisade fences.

BS 1722-12:2006 supersedes BS 1722-12:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-14:2006 Specification for open mesh steel panel fences.

BS 1722-14:2006 supersedes BS 1722-14:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-17:2006 Specification for electric security fences.

Design, installation and maintenance.

BS 1722-17:2006 supersedes PAS 47:2003 'Electric security fences.

Design, installation and maintenance.The British Standards Institution (BSI) is revising all standards forming the BS 1722 Fences series. The BS 1722 series aims to establish minimum requirements for materials and workmanship in order to ensure satisfactory service for the purchaser and to assist manufacturers and installers by eliminating unnecessary minor variations in the demands of purchasers. BS 1722 specifies the requirements for components that make up a fence and the way the fence should be constructed.

The standards include requirements for sizes of components, together with the permissible tolerances on size.

However, these are only minimum requirements and it will normally be acceptable to use larger sizes unless this could adversely affect the fitting of components or if replacement parts are required to match those already present.

The following newly-revised parts are now available:.

* BS 1722-1:2006 Specification for chain link fences BS 1722-1:2006 supersedes BS 1722-1:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-2:2006 Specification for strained wire and wire mesh netting.

BS 1722-2:2006 supersedes BS 1722-2:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-5:2006 Specification for close-boarded and wooden palisade fences.

BS 1722-5:2006 supersedes BS 1722-5:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-7:2006 Specification for wooden post and rail fences.

BS 1722-7:2006 will replace BS 1722-7:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-8:2006 Specification for mild steel (low carbon steel) continuous bar fences and hurdles.

BS 1722-8:2006 supersedes BS 1722-8:1997 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-9:2006 Specification for mild steel (low carbon steel) fences with round or square verticals and flat horizontals.

BS 1722-9:2006 supersedes BS 1722-9:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-10:2006 Specification for anti-intruder fences in chain link and welded mesh.

BS 1722-10:2006 supersedes BS 1722-10:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-11:2006 Specification for prefabricated wood and panel fences.

BS 1722-11:2006 supersedes BS 1722-11:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-12:2006 Specification for steel palisade fences.

BS 1722-12:2006 supersedes BS 1722-12:1999 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-14:2006 Specification for open mesh steel panel fences.

BS 1722-14:2006 supersedes BS 1722-14:2000 which will be withdrawn.

* BS 1722-17:2006 Specification for electric security fences.

Design, installation and maintenance.

BS 1722-17:2006 supersedes PAS 47:2003 'Electric security fences.

Design, installation and maintenance.

Hat trick of awards for TrustMark PR campaign

2006-12-25T04:21:00.000-08:00

TrustMark has won three national awards for its outstanding launch and promotional campaign which tells people about the benefits of using TrustMark registered tradespeople to carry out repairs, maintenance or improvement work inside and outside their homes. Ian Livsey, Chairman of TrustMark, said: 'A scheme like TrustMark is nothing without the lifeblood of publicity. It takes a long time to build a brand, but I'm absolutely delighted with our success so far.

TrustMark's awareness-boosting PR campaign has been recognised by communications experts as among the best of any industry anywhere in the UK.

No other building industry campaign has ever had such success.

'But this year's promotional campaign is just the start.

We are committed to raising the profile of TrustMark in a sustained way, in order to help protect the consumer and to deliver the business benefits to all registered tradespeople'.

TrustMark's consumer PR agency, Cow PR, collected the awards from both the major professional bodies for PR practitioners in the UK: an Excellence Award from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and two further gongs from the Public Relations Consultants Association (PRCA).

It is also shortlisted for the prestigious PR Week Awards due to be announced next Tuesday (24 October 2006) and for Best Use of PR in the Construction Marketing Awards, supported by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Construction Industry Group (winner to be announced on the 30 November 2006).

Independent research by Ipsos MORI and media evaluation by Metrica played a key role in helping TrustMark to win the awards, as they proved that the PR had a real and measurable impact on awareness among consumers, tradespeople and the media

'Mates rates' cost first-time buyers dear

2006-12-24T04:20:00.000-08:00

Research just published shows 218,000 (58%) of new UK homeowners admit to calling in friends and family to do work such as electrical, roofing or plumbing jobs on their home rather than calling trained professionals. This puts homeowners at risk of botched jobs, wasted cash and even injury - not to mention ruined friendships. This is according to a report published by TrustMark, the Government-backed scheme to help protect householders from cowboy builders and rogue traders.

The findings show that as a nation, many of us are guilty of looking for 'mates rates', rather than focusing on getting a quality job done in our home, with 44% of us admitting to calling on acquaintances rather than qualified plumbers, roofers or experienced handymen.

The problem of 'mates rates' is even more common among first time homeowners, with half (54%) admitting to cutting corners choosing a mate or family member, because they expect the work to be done cheaply, or even for free.

One in ten (14%) even admit to asking their dad to do the work.

However, perhaps having learned the hard way, more experienced homeowners are less likely to cut corners and insist on getting a quality job done, with over half (56%) opting for professional tradespeople to carry out renovation work on their home.

According to Ian Livsey, TrustMark chairman: 'It's all very well asking family members to help you out with home improvement projects, but it's worth bearing in mind, for example, that it's unlikely you'll be lucky enough to have a father who is a qualified electrician - whatever he may tell you! Homeowners need to remember that selecting a reputable tradesperson is the best way to get a quality job at a fair price.' David Pope from Electrix UK, a TrustMark member firm said: 'Homeowners may feel that by asking friends or family to work on their home they are getting good value for money'.

'In the long run, they need to understand that by not using a qualified and accredited tradesperson they could be risking the quality of work - even the safety of their home.' The research also reveals that UK women are more likely (57%) than their male counterparts (45%) to call on a close acquaintance to carry out work in or around their home, rather than employing a professional.

Females are also more likely to ask a trusted relative (40%) to do the job.

Regionally, homeowners in the South-East of England are the most cash conscious when it comes to home improvement, with three quarters (75%) choosing a friend over a professional because they'll offer a cheaper price.

TrustMark protects consumers from cowboy

2006-12-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Industry and the Regions at the Department for Trade and Industry, today congratulated the trade associations and other organisations on the progress they have made with TrustMark, a scheme to protect consumers from cowboy builders. She called on the rest of the industry to sign up to the scheme which identifies skilled, professional and dependable people to carry out repairs, maintenance and improvements inside and outside homes. The Minister was addressing the TrustMark's Annual Lunch in London this afternoon, and answering questions from guests about the award-winning initiative, which has handled more than 145,000 enquiries from the public and tradespeople since it launched in January.

Margaret Hodge said: 'I'm impressed at the rigorous TrustMark standards required by the scheme for their approved firms'.

'The fact that so many groups have embraced these standards is a credit to the industry'.

''Now it is up to the rest of the construction industry to take TrustMark to the next stage by signing up.

Only enthusiastic industry involvement and support will make TrustMark a success and help drive up standards.' The Minister was also presenting licences to four of TrustMark's newest approved scheme operators - the electrical installers' body NICEIC, the Electrical Contractors' Association, BM TRADA Certification and the Dulux Select Decorator scheme'.

'Also speaking at the TrustMark Annual Lunch was Nick Raynsford MP, Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, and Ian Livsey, Chairman of TrustMark'.

'Ian Livsey said: 'TrustMark has made excellent progress in its first year.

The uptake among the trades is very positive and public awareness and use of TrustMark is continuing to stride ahead'.

'Working together, we can continue this success story'.

'If we falter, the consequences for the trades and consumer alike would be serious'.

'There has never been a better time for the industry to get its house in order.' TrustMark currently has 14 scheme operators covering a range of 17 trades.

DTI awards audit contract to Configure

2006-12-22T04:19:00.000-08:00

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has awarded a contract for full access audits and assessments at its main London offices to Configure, the UK's leading access consultancy. The contract, which was won through a public tender, requires Configure to carry out audits of the DTI's premises in Buckingham Palace Road and in Victoria Street, including the main department offices at One Victoria Street, to evaluate access under the disability discrimination Act (DDA). The audits, which will be conducted using Configure's innovative Smart Audit DDA software, will provide the DTI with an access plan that identifies, and indicates solutions for, any access issues.

Smart Audit will automatically update the plan when additional adjustments are required as the DDA evolves through case law, enabling the DTI's facilities managers to keep abreast of the changes.

Major expansion for SATRA

2006-12-21T04:18:00.000-08:00

SATRA is to invest more than GBP2 million to build a fourth and final phase of its Kettering laboratory and office complex, making the centre's furniture and floor coverings testing facility the largest in the UK. The Board of SATRA Technology Centre has approved the investment for the building of the next phase of SATRA's Wyndham Way complex. The development will provide an additional 24,000 sq.ft.(to make a total of 75,000 sq.ft.) of high quality, air conditioned modern laboratory and office space, which will be utilised for the Technology Centre's ambitious growth plans over the next five years.

Dr Ron Whittaker, Chief Executive, confirmed that the extension would allow for expansion of SATRA's footwear research activities as well as incorporating the largest furniture and floorcoverings test centre in the UK, additional flammability chambers and increased space for SATRA's work on the fast developing construction products Directive.

The new phase is expected to be completed in Summer 2007.

Dr Whittaker described the investment as a major milestone in the Technology Centre's 88 year history.

It is the culmination of a ten year development plan set out in the mid-1990s to develop in Kettering a state of the art consumer product research and testing centre unsurpassed in the UK.

Despite consumer goods such as furniture and footwear being manufactured increasingly in the Far East, SATRA has ensured by offering unrivalled expertise and exceptional customer service that the products are still fully evaluated and tested in its UK based laboratory.

When completed, SATRA's Wyndham Way premises will represent a total investment of over GBP5 million.

New European standard on Geotechnical works

2006-12-20T04:18:00.000-08:00

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published a new European Standard on geotechnical works - BS EN 14475:2006 Execution of special geotechnical works. Reinforced fill. BS EN 14475:2006 establishes general principles for the construction of reinforced fill.

It covers engineered fills which are reinforced by the inclusion of horizontal or sub-horizontal reinforcement placed between layers of fill during construction.

The scope of reinforced fill applications considered in this standard include:.

- Earth retaining structures, (vertical, battered or inclined walls, bridge abutments, bulk storage facilities), with a facing to retain fill placed between the reinforcing layers.

- Reinforced steep slopes with a facing, either built-in or added or wrap-around, reinforced shallow slopes without a facing, but covered by some form of erosion protection without a facing, reinstatement of failed slopes.

- Embankments with basal reinforcement and embankments with reinforcement against frost heave in the upper part.

Principles for the execution of other special geotechnical works using soil nails, bored piles, displacement piles, micro piles, sheet pile walls, diaphragm walls, grouting or jet grouting are established in other European Standards.

Reinforcement of road pavements is not covered by this Standard.

BS 8006 is currently undergoing major revision to bring it in line with BS EN 14475 and BS EN 1997-1.

Some of the requirements of BS 8006:1995 Code of practice for strengthened/reinforced soils and other fills will now be superseded by BS EN 14475:2006.

New standards for lightning protection

2006-12-19T04:17:00.000-08:00

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published the latest guidance for lightning protection. The British Standard BS 6651:1999 is being replaced by BS EN 62305 Parts 1-4. BS 6651 will be withdrawn in August 2008.

BS EN 62305:2006 Protection against lightning.

Parts 1-4 The four parts of BS EN 62305 provide the general principles to be followed in the protection against lightning.

The parts are applicable to all buildings, new and existing and cover:.

- Structures including their installations and contents as well as people.

- Services connected to a structure.

- Risk assessment for a structure or for a service due to lightning flashes to earth.

- The procedure for the evaluation of an upper tolerable limit for a risk.

- The requirements for protection of a structure against physical damage by means of a lightning protection system (LPS).

- Protection, in and around a structure, against physical damage and human injury due to touch and step voltages.

- Information for the design, installation, inspection, maintenance and testing of a Lightning Electromagnetic Pulse (LEMP) protection measures system (LPMS) for electrical and electronic systems within a structure.

The four parts are:.

- BS EN 62305-1:2006 Protection against lightning.

General principles.

- BS EN 62305-2:2006 Protection against lightning.

Risk management.

- BS EN 62305-3:2006 Protection against lightning.

Physical damage to structures and life hazard.

- BS EN 62305-4:2006 Protection against lightning.

Electrical and electronic systems within structures.

Air admittance valves for above ground drainage

2006-12-18T04:16:00.000-08:00

FloPlast are leading the way in demonstrating quality standards for air admittance valves by becoming the first company in the world to achieve BSI kitemark certification for their air admittance valves for above ground drainage systems, to BS EN 12380. FloPlast Limited was founded in 1991, and from its inception has established itself as a manufacturer of high quality plastic building and plumbing products for the construction industry, in particular for domestic new build and refurbishment projects. FloPlast Building and Plumbing Products are widely used by major housebuilders and are specified both locally and nationally to provide the building industry with solutions for domestic new build and refurbishment projects.

BSI and the Kitemark are well established in the industry for testing and certification of a wide range of construction products.

With over 100 years of experience and market exposure the Kitemark can help manufacturers to gain and retain market access, manage risk and increase revenue and profitability.

The testing programmes for the air admittance valves Kitemark scheme are designed to ensure effective product performance in installation and includes endurance testing to assess the ability of the valves to operate at extreme temperature conditions.

Valve opening pressure and vacuum/ pressure testing are also assessed.

Neil Harrison, FloPlast Quality Manager comments: 'Quality is at the heart of all that we do here at FloPlast and we are very proud that just 4 weeks on from our application we have been awarded with the Kitemark for air admittance valves'.

'BSI's flexibility and partnership approach has meant that we have been able to maintain focus and demonstrate compliance with the rigorous Kitemark scheme requirements'.

FloPlast were also recently awarded with a Kitemark licence for their PVC-U rainwater drainage systems to cover gutters, gutter brackets, down pipes and fittings (to BS EN 607, BS EN 1462 and BS EN 12200) and have a quality management system which has been assessed and registered by the BSI as meeting the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2000.

New guidance on BS EN 13108 bituminous mixtures

2006-12-17T04:15:00.000-08:00

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has just published PD 6692 asphalt - Guidance on the use of BS EN 12697 bituminous mixtures. Test methods for hot mix asphalt. PD 6692 provides guidance on the use and application of the BS EN 12697 series of European Standards which specify test methods for asphalt.

Most of the test methods for asphalt are based on national test methods from European countries, including UK test methods specified in British Standards.

PD 6692 gives a description of each of these European test methods, along with guidance on their relevance and familiarity to UK users, and covers the following areas:.

- An overview of European Standards defining test methods for asphalts.

- Test methods required for testing the constituent materials.

- Test methods called up in several standard specifications for asphalt.

- Test methods called up in specific standard specifications for asphalt.

- Test methods and procedures not called up in the asphalt standards.

PD 6692 is primarily aimed at potential UK users of the test methods but it will also be of interest to all in the UK associated with the manufacture and use of asphalt throughout Europe.

TrustMark approves another four scheme operators

2006-12-16T04:14:00.000-08:00

TrustMark has approved four new scheme operators: the Consumer Protection Association, FairTrades , the Flat Roofing Alliance and the Lead Contractors Association. TrustMark now has 19 approved scheme operators and over 10,000 registered firms. The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) is an independent body which offers a range of services to people purchasing home improvements.

The CPA can register any trade to TrustMark and its protection schemes can apply to a wide range of home improvements.

John Travers, Director of the CPA says: 'The CPA joined TrustMark to help protect the public from rogue traders'.

'We are confident that our experience will help the consumer and ensure that TrustMark gains further recognition as an authoritative stamp of approval on local firms.' FairTrades has been trading since 1983, offering vetted companies to consumers and value added products and services to tradespeople.

It is now one of the largest multi-trade associations in the UK, and is approved to register builders, roofers, glaziers, electricians, conservatory companies and kitchen and bathroom specialists to TrustMark.

Nick Egdell, Managing Director of FairTrades, says: 'FairTrades has always maintained and aspired to high standards and we feel that TrustMark is the first UK single body which is aligned with these same values'.

'By working together, we will continue to raise standards throughout the industry.' The Flat Roofing Alliance (FRA) was originally formed in 1938 as the Felt roofing contractors Advisory Board, which acted as a contractors' trade and technical body representing all aspects of flat roofing.

The FRA sets standards for products, specifications, safety and training and represents the flat roofing industry on a wide range of technical committees.

Bill Jenkins, Director of the FRA says: 'We are delighted to have achieved scheme operator status for TrustMark'.

Brick and block housing sees rise in market share

2006-12-15T03:07:00.001-08:00

Brick and block housing sees notable rise in market share. The NHBC (National House-Building Council) release of their Quarter 3 house building figures for 2006 brought some good news for brick and block manufacturers across the UK with traditional construction at its highest level since 2002, holding an impressive 89% of market share across both Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This rise has been at the expense of timber framed construction which has seen the steady growth of the last 10 years start to slip, with a one third fall (1) in its market share since the beginning of the year.

This trend has been echoed across Great Britain with traditional build methods seeing their highest level in Scotland since 2002 with 43% of the market share; this is a significant increase in what has long been considered timber kit country.

In England traditional construction currently accounts for 93% of the market with Wales not far behind on 91%, again both countries have seen a rise since the beginning of this year.

The increase for traditional building has also been seen across all types of house since the beginning of the year: The largest gains have been seen in attached and detached bungalows with market share increasing from 66% to 81% and from 79% to 88% respectively.

Further good news for the masonry builder and customer is that the figures continue to challenge the perception that using traditional methods greatly increases the build time.

NHBC figures show that the median time taken to complete a traditional build is 11 months with the median for timber frame builds only fractionally below this at 10 months.

The Modern Masonry Alliance (MMA) is funding a new four year research project at Loughborough University to improve both construction efficiency and quality of modern masonry.

A spokesman for the Modern Masonry Alliance says; 'We at the MMA believe that these figures go to prove that masonry is still the favoured choice amongst house builders and buyers across the UK with 9 out of 10 of all homes in the UK still benefiting from masonry construction'.

'As our climate changes we will see masonry homes growing even further in popularity as they continue to meet the demands of out hotter summers without the need for air-conditioning'.

'Very successful year' for BRE Trust

2006-12-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

'A very successful year' for the BRE Trust. BRE Trust Annual General Meeting 2006. 'This has been a very successful year, not only in the quality and quantity of the Trust's research and education programmes, but also in the forging of successful partnerships on wide ranging public benefit research and education initiatives.' Sir Neville Simms, Chairman of the BRE Trust, speaking at the BRE Trust's AGM on 21 November 2006.

Highlights for 2006.

A major goal set at the Trust's AGM in 2005 - in addition to maintaining its programme of commissioned fixed-term research projects - was for the Trust to support a number of longer-term initiatives through partnerships and collaborations with other organisations.

'I am very pleased to report that all of these have been successfully brought to fruition,' said Sir Neville at this year's meeting.

They include: BRE- Universities Partnership.

The BRE-Universities Partnership has established Centres of Excellence in Fire Safety Engineering, Energy Utilisation Research, Sustainable building design and Innovative Construction Materials, at the Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Cardiff and Bath respectively.

The Partnership will enable BRE and the Centres of Excellence to jointly explore and exploit research opportunities and their applications in practice.

The Director of each Centre holds a Chair supported by the Trust, which also awards full time PhD studentships at the Centres.

NHBC Foundation.

The NHBC Foundation, a joint venture between the Trust and NHBC was launched.

The Foundation, chaired by the Rt.

Hon.

Nick Raynsford MP, will formulate and sponsor a research programme (initially for three years, with an annual budget of not less than half a million pounds) to produce practical assistance in the urgent task of sustainably overcoming the UK's housing shortages.

Schools Design Forum.

The Schools Design Forum (SDF) an initiative by the BRE Trust and the sustainable development Commission, will work to improve the way sustainability is delivered, both in terms of how schools are designed and constructed, and in the way they engage with pupils and their local communities to promote truly sustainable communities of the future.

Managed research and education programmes.

In addition to its support of long-term collaborative initiatives, the Trust provided funding of nearly a million pounds for its managed research and education programmes.

'With 17 new research projects (making a total of 40 active projects in the year) and five new postgraduate awards, the research and education programmes continue to maintain a very strong momentum,' said Sir Neville Simms.

Financial report Key points from the BRE Trust Financial Statements for 2005/06, presented to the AGM, included:.

* BRE and BRE Certification, the Trust's principal assets, continued to gain strength through developing new markets whilst improving their financial performance.

* The amount of gift-aid passed to the Trust from the subsidiary companies was GBP1,369,000 - a slight fall from the previous year that was more than offset by additional income to the NHBC Foundation, an integral part of the Trust.

* Expenditure on managed research and education programmes was GBP914,000 - a slight drop on last year as a result of the phasing in of Trust-supported PhD studentships and Chairs at the four universities in the BRE-Universities Partnership.

* The Trust's reserves stand at a little over GBP6 million, which the Trustees view as reasonable to meet its future commitments and expand the research and education programmes in future years.

Will the mortgage last as long as the house

2006-12-14T03:06:00.000-08:00

Will the mortgage last as long as the house?. The Modern Masonry Alliance welcomes the move by Abbey to lengthen the terms of mortgage loan periods to as long as 60 years. It hopes that it will bring new buyers into the market for new properties and thereby help to stimulate the market.

The move also raises a question about the design life of new homes.

By convention, mortgage lenders look for a design life that is at least twice as long as the length of the mortgage loan period i.e 50 to 60 years.

That convention is already threatened by the shorter lives of some developments built with Modern Methods of Construction such as Murray Grove where a 30 year design life was used.

The convention is there for a reason - it ensures that there is a valuable asset is in place well beyond the period when the loan is paid off.

The MMA now believes it is reasonable to introduce a 120 year design life for new homes.

Not only does this tie in with the trend to longer mortgage periods such as those brought in by Abbey but it also supports the calls for a more sustainable approach to house design.

In its submissions to the consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes the MMA has consistently called for the design life to be doubled from 60 to 120 years for all materials and systems as part of the move to setting performance standards.

Now the Abbey has set the lending community onto a new path it is time for the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the drafters of the Code for Sustainable Homes to support them and insist on a longer design life of a minimum 120 years.

New Corus wash down facility

2006-12-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

A new vehicle wash down unit has been introduced at Corus' Teeside plant, which not only has the capability to clean vehicles and trailers up to 54 tonnes, but is also fully compliant with ISO 14001 environmental standards. The vehicle wash down unit is located at Corus' Road Vehicle and Mobile Plant workshop at Teesside. The introduction of the new facility will offer a first class cleaning system for all Corus vehicles, with the potential to expand these services into external markets, with a number of local organisations already showing interest.

The installation is sited on a large flood lit concrete bay, measuring 30m x 6m that consists of three, 1.7m hydraulic rams, which can be configured to lift vehicles from small cars to 80ft lorries and trailers.

Corus' own fleet of vehicles at Teeside comprises around 150 vehicles: forklift trucks, tractor and trailor units, light commercial vans, lorries and four-by-fours, so maintenance of these vehicles is critical.

The wash down facility is fully compliant with all applicable environmental standards and has ISO 14001 accreditation.

The process collects the dirt removed from the vehicles and pumps it through a separation system, leaving the water clean rather than polluting the ground like most wash down facilities.

Phil Cheeseman, the unit's manager comments: 'As well as providing our own fleet with first class wash down and pre-MOT inspection facilities, we are also anticipating a significant demand for this service from other Corus business units, as well as local haulage and owners of heavy goods vehicles in the region, as this is currently the only wash down facility of its type in the North East of England'.

The investment is part of a larger business plan for the Garage and Mobile Plant workshop to become a pre-MOT centre, which would provide a variety of tests and services available to Corus vehicles and external customers.

State of the art brake testing equipment has also just been introduced to the workshop and further additions are planned.

Cheeseman continues: 'The new unit is particularly useful for cleaning vehicles that require a pre-MOT wash down'.

'Before the wash down unit was introduced, we were using a mobile steam cleaning unit to clean the vehicles, but this only washes at ground level, not underneath the vehicles, and so some vehicles can fail the MOT if they are not clean underneath'.

'Originally, we considered introducing a facility with a large ramp and excavated pit, with iron and steel works underneath, but after talking with a local garage services company and a hydraulic ram supplier [Fuchs], we decided to construct the hydraulic ram version instead,' he adds.

The wash down unit is tested on a weekly basis and so far, says Cheeseman, less than 0.01% of the waste is contaminant.

The total investment in the new facility was in the region of GBP200,000 but the facility is expected to pay for itself within the next few years.

AECB welcome Carbon Neutral Housing plan

2006-12-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

AECB, the sustainable building association, welcomes the Chancellor's statement that in ten years it is the government's ambition that all new homes will be 'zero-carbon', meeting the highest Code standard for energy efficiency. Chris Herring, AECB chair said 'Building zero carbon homes is a huge challenge for developers, architects, builders, engineers, building control officers - all those involved in trying to improve the energy performance of our homes'. 'We believe that for this target to be achieved there has to be a significant investment in both research and training to produce an industry capable of producing homes that are both carbon neutral and a delight to live in.' The AECB has already published its Gold Standard for the energy performance of buildings and is planning to publish a suite of guidance to help developers achieve it.

The Standard can help the government meet its target of zero carbon new homes as it represents a 95% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the average UK home.

Its Silver Standard is easier to achieve, representing a 70% reduction in CO2 emissions, at the same or only slightly higher cost than the average new build.

Solarcentury project wins top architecture award

2006-12-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

Solarcentury project MANCAT, North Manchester Sixth Form College and North City Public Library, has been named by The Royal Institute of British architects (RIBA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) as the winner of the first prize at the inaugural RIBA/LSC Further Education Design Excellence Awards. Solarcentury is the UK's leading solar energy company, designing and installing solar energy products that integrate within the fabric of the buildings to generate clean, on-site electricity and hot water for commercial, residential, industrial and public sector buildings. The first prize of GBP5,000 was awarded to Walker Simpson Architects, who worked with Solarcentury to design the low carbon North Manchester Sixth Form College.

The project was commended as an effective and innovative learning environment in further education, designing a new style of learning environment for the 21st century.

The architects were awarded for building design which encourages and stimulates both teachers and learners and promotes the positive benefits of education and training.

The six short listed entries were judged on the innovation, excellence, adaptability, atmosphere, and 'feel good factor' they bring to the learning and skills sector.

Factors such as environmental efficiency, innovative use of materials and space, and support for IT facilities were considered by the panel of judges who convened to consider over 20 entries for the shortlist.

The vision for the building was one of quality, the architecture a defining statement of key investment in the regeneration of Harpurhey and North Manchester; raising the confidence of residents, students and investors in the area.

Jeremy Leggett, CEO, Solarcentury said: 'MANCAT is a superb example of what is possible with integrated photovoltaics'.

'We are exceptionally pleased this design has been recognised, the project shows the huge impact that innovative, low carbon buildings can have on the confidence of a community.' John Walker, of Walker Simpson said: 'We are delighted that the award for design excellence recognises a building with affordable sustainable and renewable energy features'.

'We feel greatly encouraged to continue to develop cost effective projects with integrated energy solutions.' Jack Pringle, RIBA President, said: 'The calibre of the short listed nominees was exceptionally high this year and it was a difficult decision to choose one winner'.

'All the designs reflected the quality and variety of work undertaken by RIBA members and but it was North Manchester Sixth Form College that really stood out from the others with the designs having the most positive impact on education and training'.

Peter Tavernor, Principal of MANCAT said: 'We are delighted to have won this prestigious award and its fantastic that Walker Simpson's innovative designs have been recognised as we are very proud of our building'.

'We have found that the investment in the college has created a stimulating environment that helps students to be more responsive, attentive and enthusiastic, which in turn improves their performance'.

Mark Haysom, Chief Executive of the LSC, said: 'These awards commend the excellent new education facilities across the country that are helping to enrich learning by providing stimulating and innovative environments'.

'The designs by Walker Simpson for North Manchester Sixth Form College create a truly inspiring world-class education building'.

'The architecture and atmosphere generate a fantastic 'feel good factor' for learners and staff.' This innovative design minimises solar gain in the summer and, secondly, encourages a 'thermal stack effect' which helps to draw air through the building spaces.

The position of the solar panels in relation to the main wall and a 'cladding void' helps to regulate the internal temperatures of the building.

This minimises the year-round energy demand of the development and helps keep the PV modules operating at their highest efficiency and so maximises the contribution of the PV to the building's energy requirements.

Solarcentury worked with Walker Simpson Architects to engineer an optimal design solution using solar modules.

The four-storey block is at the forefront of sustainable design, The photovoltaic cladding and roof panels have already generated enough energy to light a three-bedroom house for 53 years, and add to the building's distinctive appearance.

Inspired by the installation at the CIS Tower, the south facade of the building is clad in a striking monolithic array of solar PV modules.

Taking advantage of the building's flat roof, rows of PV modules crown the building providing further clean energy.

Revolution in showering and flushing

2006-12-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

As part of its innovative, new water saving systems, Brightwater Environmental has launched two new key products that are having great success in America, where individual water consumption has reached an all-time high. One of the new products is the Oxygenics showerhead range, which significantly reduces water consumption for personal hygiene and saves energy but does not sacrifice shower performance. The other, the waterless ZeroFlush urinal brings a unique technology to this particular field of sanitary products.

They are fully compliant with all the relevant UK and EEC water usage regulations and requirements.

Full details can be seen at www.4ecotips.com.

Both products have special implications for all public buildings such as hotels, hospitals, offices, industrial units, sports centres, as well as local authority and housing association premises and private dwellings.

The Oxygenics showerhead range is said to be totally compatible with all existing shower types and, because installation is a simple 'screw-off and screw-on' procedure, they can be very easily installed without any tools .

Available in various stylish designs and finishes, Oxygenics showerheads adjust automatically to low and variable water pressures across the range of 0.5 to 6 bar.

The patented technology works on the Venturi principle creating a highly efficient mixture of water and oxygen.

Flow velocity is increased as water is propelled through an accelerator fin.

Consequently the showering experience is significantly enhanced, while the amount of water used is diminished.

There's nothing new about waterless urinals! But there is about the new patented, porcelain ZeroFlush (to be available soon on www.4ecotips.com) which brings a unique dimension to men's waterless urinals, totally eliminating the common criticisms hitherto associated with this particular sanitary technology.

Designed to be the most economical and environmentally friendly waterless urinal available in the world today, Zeroflush is said to live up to all expectations.

It will handle up to 15,000 uses between servicing, compared to a meagre 4000 by other manufacturer's models.

Smells are never a problem yet no chemical blocks or odour-masking devices are required.

Consequently it's set to revolutionise men's rooms across the spectrum in fact, anywhere that gents are likely to need a watering hole! Although a comparatively miniscule amount of water is retained in the trap, no water connection whatsoever is necessary with the Zeroflush.

The trap housing is filled with water and then a blue-coloured oil-based water barrier is added.

So there is no inconvenient cartridge to replace and dispose of.

About 4% of urine is made up of uric salts.

When the ZeroFlush is used, urine passes through the trap holes and down into the housing where the salts settle at the bottom.

Solarcentury and Low Carbon Buildings Programme

2006-12-09T20:05:00.000-08:00

Solarcentury and its partner Scottish and Southern Energy have been appointed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to supply and install solar panels on Britain's public buildings as part of its GBP50 million Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP). The initiative aims to fund installation of renewable technology on public buildings, including schools, in the UK. Solarcentury will partner with Scottish and Southern Energy to deliver solar installations with their electrical contracting business, Southern Electrical Contracting (SEC), and The Co-operative Group to assist with funding.

Solarcentury will help those who wish to install photovoltaic panels through the necessary feasibility, application and funding process.

In addition to helping power schools and public buildings with clean, sustainable solar power, Solarcentury will provide education and teaching materials.

As part of the DTI programme full and partial funding will be made available to help schools and other public buildings' go solar' from December 2006.

Interested parties are invited to register interest in photovoltaics for the LCBP.

Jeremy Leggett, CEO Solarcentury said: 'Solarcentury is delighted to be part of the DTI's programme and we are excited to see the DTI committing to solar power'.

'If schools and public buildings follow their lead they will find that solar in concert with energy efficiency can simply, immediately and dramatically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels'.

He added: 'Photovoltaic technology is a widely available clean energy solution that is both very effective and requires little ongoing attention'.

'Our 500 plus systems across UK businesses, homes, schools and offices will be reducing C02 emissions by more than 25,000 tonnes over the next 20 years, and we stand ready to do many more such installations.

'Calling for applications, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alistair Darling said: 'It is vital that we cut the CO2 emissions from our buildings if we are to reach the UK's 60% reduction target by 2050'.

'Combining energy efficiency measures with the fitting of micro generation technologies on schools and other public sector buildings can and will make a real difference'.

Solarcentury has installed solar power for many schools including The Blue School, Somerset.

Head teacher, Steven Jackson, says: 'We are very proud of our solar technology as it not only demonstrates our sustainable initiatives, but complements our specialist science status with a fantastic teaching resource'.

'Schools have a responsibility to offer the best resources to their pupils whilst keeping costs down in the long run'.

He adds: 'It is fantastic that other schools will now have a chance to benefit from the best in solar technology'.

'Children respond to sustainable practice very well indeed and it is vital that we continue to engage them in their everyday lives'.

Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of Scottish and Southern Energy: 'We've believed for a long time that the way to kick-start a real interest in micro renewable technologies in the UK is for the government to lead the way by funding the installation of such technology on public buildings right across the country'.

'It's good to see this happening and great to be playing a role in making renewables do-able'.

Simon Williams, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Co-operative Group said: 'We welcome the announcement of the LCBP funding for renewables'.

'If climate change is to be tackled successfully it will require investment and innovation from many partners'.

He added: 'In addition to the GBP50 million provided by the DTI, The Co-operative Group will be providing GBP1m in 2007 to enable a further 100 schools to install photovoltaic panels at no cost to themselves'.

Axion launches new pipe recycling service

2006-12-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Companies with large amounts of waste rigid plastic utility pipe to dispose of can now benefit from a new mobile disposal service launched by plastic recyclers Axion Recycling to encourage greater recycling of this bulky material. Axion has developed an innovative mobile splitting machine that cuts waste pipe into easily-transportable pieces for recycling, saving suppliers money on its disposal. Mounted on a small trailer and operated by qualified Axion personnel, the equipment can be taken to site where it cuts large HD or MD polyethylene pipes into planks.

Stacked and strapped onto pallets, they are then taken back to Axion's recycling facility in Salford where the material is shredded and turned into pellets for use in high grade applications, such as building products and electrical conduit.

Axion's Commercial Director, Roger Morton, says the new service aims to recycle more waste utility pipes, such as those from the gas, water and fish farm industries, which are currently uneconomical and difficult to transport for recycling due to their weight and bulk.

'Cutting the pipes into smaller, stackable sizes first maximises the density of the material, enabling it to be transported far more cost-effectively.

Companies have the added benefit of saving on disposal costs for these heavy and bulky items, while the impact on the environment is reduced through not landfilling this waste' he explains.

'We predict this service will be a boon for companies involved in extensive pipe replacement projects where disposing of the waste can prove both expensive and time-consuming,' adds Roger.

The new system also has advantages in terms of quality control because Axion's staff can carry out any necessary cleaning based upon visual inspection of each individual section of pipe within the factory environment.

This ensures a higher quality of the output finished polymer compounds by keeping potential dirt contamination to an absolute minimum.

Axion's mobile splitting service is available free within reasonable distance to any UK-based company with significant volumes of waste rigid plastic pipes to dispose of.

Experienced operatives carry out the mobile splitting service and suppliers are provided with full documentation showing the amount of material collected.

BRE welcomes the new Code for Sustainable Homes

2006-12-07T20:04:00.000-08:00

Sustainability experts at BRE welcomed the launch of the Code for Sustainable Homes. The new Code, which is an important tool in the Government's plan to minimise the environmental damage caused by new development, will ensure that all new homes in England have sustainability designed in, right from the start. It means that the UK will continue to lead the world in setting standards for the design, construction and management of sustainable buildings.

The Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) is based on EcoHomes with BRE and DCLG having worked closely together to ensure the new assessment method meets the latest regulatory requirements and addresses the issues that emerged from an earlier industry wide consultation.

The Code will replace EcoHomes for new homes in England from 1st April 2007 and will run as a fully functional scheme with a network of Licensed Assessors ready to provide Code certification from Spring next year.

Martin Wyatt (BRE Chief Executive) said 'This move clearly demonstrates the Government's intention to tackle the environmental impacts of new construction.

BRE is delighted that its EcoHomes system has been used as the basis of the Government's new Code and we are sure that our existing assessor network of UKAS accredited competent people will rise to the challenge of delivering the Code'.

Many house builders currently using EcoHomes will find the Code very familiar, however there are differences, the main one being new mandatory levels of performance across six key areas - energy efficiency, water efficiency, surface water management, site waste management, household waste management, and use of materials.

Under the Code compliance should be reviewed at the design stage, and final certification carried out upon completion of construction (under EcoHomes most homes are certified at the Design Stage).

New points for Lifetime Homes, Security and Zero Carbon Technologies have been added and only the EcoHomes transport credits have been omitted.

BRE will be holding a number of free events in the New Year to explain the Code and details of these can be found at www.bre.co.uk/events EcoHomes and EcoHomes XB will continue to be used to assess refurbished and existing homes in England and new homes in Scotland and Wales where the Code does not apply.

Ecology launches new C-Change mortgage product

2006-12-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Ecology Building Society has launched a groundbreaking new mortgage discount designed to help combat climate change. The new C-Change mortgage discount will reward borrowers with 1% off the Ecology's Standard Variable Rate (SVR) on mortgage funds used to equip their homes with energy saving solutions and renewable energy generation. The installation of energy saving measures such as insulation, double or triple timber-framed glazing, or a condensing boiler will qualify for the 1% discount.

Mortgage funds used for renewable energy generating technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines or wood-fuelled heating will also benefit from the C-Change incentive.

Interestingly, the Ecology's C-Change product was launched just as the government's Housing Minister, Yvette Cooper, called on mortgage lenders to provide 'green mortgages which give homebuyers money to meet the costs of making energy saving improvements'.

The Ecology's Chief Executive Paul Ellis responds 'At the Ecology Building Society we have been offering our distinct brand of green mortgages for 25 years'.

'Our new C-Change discount is an additional incentive designed to help homeowners reduce the cost of improving their home's energy efficiency, which will reduce their energy requirements, lower carbon emissions and of course save on fuel bills too.

With the rising cost of energy and the increasing range of carbon saving solutions available to homeowners, we believe this initiative makes economic, as well as ecological sense.'

BRE and Home Inspector Certification Scheme

2006-12-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

BRE Certification, an independent third party certification body, has been appointed by The Department for Communities and local government (DCLG) to operate a certification scheme for Home Inspectors. Under this scheme, which is part of the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs) in June 2007, Home Inspectors will be employed to prepare Home Condition reports (HCR) and energy performance Certificates (EPC) which will be made available to potential house purchasers. To protect consumers the DCLG has set rigorous standards which define the requirements and responsibilities expected of Home Inspectors.

The BRE Certification scheme has been designed to ensure that these rigorous standards are adhered to.

The BRE Certification scheme is the home of the independent Home Inspector as it will provide the quality framework that is needed, which together with technical support from BRE specialists, will allow them to operate independently in an open market.

BRE Certification is delighted that many professional bodies and the industry have welcomed the BRE Certification scheme.

Carol Atkinson, Managing Director of BRE Certification said 'We are now open for business and ready to accept applications from potential Home Inspectors'.

'Our skills, expertise and experience in certification puts us in a unique position to deliver this scheme'.

'It will also complement the work of our sister company BRE who deliver training, assessment, advice, information and technical support to home inspectors'.

The certification scheme will assess Home Inspectors against the requirements set out in the DCLG standards.

This will include a review of appropriate qualifications as well as other aspects such as criminal records and financial probity.

Successful applicants will be awarded certificates and placed on a central register.

Certification will be maintained through sampling and checking the HCR's and EPC's to demonstrate continued compliance with the scheme standards and requirements.

BRE Certification will be using a specialist partner, Quest Associates, to deliver IT systems to support the Scheme.

Quest Associates has supplied IT and computer systems relating to UK property transactions for over 20 years and is the market leader in the provision of mortgage valuation systems with its products currently handling in excess of 2,000,000 cases per year in over 7,000 installed sites.

This represents over GBP200 billion of lending security.

UKTI changes tradeshow access strategy

2006-12-04T22:55:00.000-08:00

UKTI has launched its new five-year strategy, which introduces the TAP scheme, replacing the SESA funding scheme. Initially, only 'new to market' and 'new to export' companies were only eligible for grant support (the definitions of 'new to market' and 'new to export' being unchanged from those you may previously have seen.) However, recognising that new exporters would be unlikely to export to some of the more difficult markets, the EIA has lobbied long and hard for the assistance to be extended. As a result, grant support will now be given to experienced SME exporters i.e those who are above the 'new to export' threshold, to take part in exhibitions in the following countries and territories provided they are new to the markets involved.

Eligible businesses will be subject to the lifetime limit of three grants counted from the 1st April 2006.

Taiwanese machine tool firm has new plant

2006-12-03T22:55:00.001-08:00

Tongtai - the number one manufacturer of machine tools in Taiwan - has moved into a new factory built on a greenfield site in Kaosiung. Occupying an area of over 86,200m2, this modern facility incorporates six separate air-conditioned production bays all equipped with four 20 ton cranes and a guide rail system to manoeuvre the machines. With 680 employees, Tongtai is building some 200 machine sets/month and has a target turnover for the year of US$160 million.

While over the next five years it plans to double in size.

The company manufactures a range of advanced and high quality machine tools which are shipped all over the world, with the main markets being China, Europe and Turkey.

And following a recent distribution agreement, Surrey-based Matchmaker M/C is now the sole UK agent for Tongtai and the full Topper range of equipment.

With some 30 plus machines always held in stock by Tongtai subsidiary Topper Europe (based in Holland), Matchmaker can offer a wide range of machine tools on a short delivery, with many models available ex-stock.

The types of machines produced by Tongtai are wide and varied including: 15 models of CNC lathe (including twin spindle models and centres with driven tools, Y-axis and gantry loading); 16 types of vertical turning machine, 12 different models of drilling/tapping machine, 14 styles of vertical machining centre (including high speed machines and moving column models), a full range of horizontal machining centres (with 400, 500, 630 and 800mm2 pallets sizes) and, special-purpose machines.

In addition, the company also produces high speed PCB drilling machines and offers full turnkey facilities for multiples of linked machine transfer lines.

In many respects, Tongtai designs and manufactures more technically advanced machine tools than people might first think.

For the Taiwanese company has had technical co-operation agreements with a number of Japanese machine tool builders over the years, and staff from Hitachi Seiki were employed after the closure of that company - including top management and the designers in Japan.

While in terms of customers, Tongtai supplies such house-hold names as Honda, Yamaha, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi on a regular basis.

A number of machines have also been installed in the UK, too.

The full range of Tongtai equipment - CNC lathes, machining centres and tapping centres - is now available from Matchmaker M/C in Leatherhead, UK.

Change work practice to reduce UK roads congestion

2006-12-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

Changing work practices and encouraging smarter working, flexible working, mobile working, remote working and home working, will significantly reduce the need to travel.

'One of the solutions for the issues raised by the Eddington Report, and the Stern Report, is staring us all in the face,' said Phil Flaxton, chief executive of Work Wise UK. The Eddington Report has not taken into consideration one of the most obvious solutions to the problem of transport capacity and congestion, and it is a solution which is both achievable and realistic. Flaxton explained: 'Changing work practices and encouraging smarter working, such as flexible working, mobile working, remote working and home working, will significantly reduce the need to travel.

Working 9 to 5, five days a week, at a central location, coupled with the desire to travel many many miles in order to attend meetings, are working practices which are actually largely unnecessary considering the technology available today.' He continued: 'This rigid work structure, which is largely dictated by culture and nothing else, is wasteful in terms of time and resources, damaging in terms of the environmental impact, harmful in that it impacts upon stress levels and health.' Work Wise UK, which has broad backing from business and the unions, supported by the TUC, CBI, BT, the RAC Foundation and British Chambers of Commerce, is a five-year campaign to encourage smarter working practices.

It was launched in May this year with the objective of half the working population having the opportunity of adopting working practices by 2011.

'Smarter working is a 'win-win' situation,' added Flaxton.

'Any costs will be outweighed by an increase in productivity, and the social benefits of an improved work-life balance for employees will be far-reaching.

Add to that the environmental impact of reduced travel, one of the solutions for the issues raised by the Eddington Report, and the Stern Report, is staring us all in the face.'