Peter Hansford, Chief Construction Adviser to the Government, has visited leading fenestration design and manufacturer Senior Architectural Systems as part of his ongoing fact finding tour of the UK construction industry.
Mr Hansford chairs the Government Construction Board, created to deliver the Government’s Industrial Construction Strategy Construction 2025, which aims to reduce the cost of construction procurement to the public sector and progress the transition to a low carbon economy.
Mr Hansford was welcomed to Senior’s Head Quarters in Denaby by chairman Lennart Jonsson, managing director Mark Wadsworth, director Steve Wightman and business development Manager Bernard Harrison.
The visit included a tour of the Denaby facility to find out more about the contribution that Senior is making towards Construction 2025 and the many energy saving initiatives that have been introduced throughout the company. Recent improvements to the factory include the installation of a state-of-the art waste reducing powder coating line and new Biomass boiler installation, which generates enough energy to provide free heating throughout the factory. There was also opportunity to find out more about Senior’s latest product developments, such as the new PURe range of aluminium windows that feature an innovative polyurethane thermal barrier to gives ultra-low U values and help improve a project’s carbon footprint.
Discussions covered a wide range of topics including the work that Senior is doing with local schools and academies to help promote construction as a valuable career option and also the wider problems facing the construction industry. Late payment, and sometimes non-payment, by contractors, which was creating cash flow problems and putting many suppliers and sub-contractors out of business was highlighted as a significant issue.
Commenting on the visit Mr. Hansford said; “Companies like Senior Architectural Systems are the backbone of the UK construction industry. Innovation and a strong environmental ethos are vital if the Government are to achieve their vision for the construction industry and from my visit today, it is clear to see that both are in strong supply at Senior. We now need to make renewed efforts to address the issue of late payment by main contractors to put the construction industry on a firmer footing for the future.”
