EDITOR’S MESSAGE
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BRACES ITSELF AGAINST THE CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS... NI Builder to carry on-line
T he Coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis. Almost overnight the frenetic modern world has all but ground to a halt. Words like ‘lockdown’, ‘furloughed’ and ‘social distancing’ have become the new lexicon, and what was once matter of fact is now a matter for nostalgia. We can no longer go where we want, when we want, with whoever we want - freedoms we took for granted now severely curtailed. In a few short weeks the construction industry has become almost unrecognisable. One by one, bustling sites have fallen silent. Government directives have resulted in the pause button being pressed on projects, with no one sure when the permission will come to re-start work. Only essential builds, primarily related to the health service, remain active. With our business so inextricably linked to yours, we too have been trying to figure out the best course of action in these extraordinary circumstances. NI Builder (formerly Northern Builder) has been in existence for more than three decades, bringing readers the latest news on the people, projects, and products that matter in the Northern Ireland construction industry. Maintaining that tradition is not something we take lightly, and it’s one of the reasons why we have decided to continue publishing NI Builder [online] for
the duration of this crisis. By taking an exclusively electronic approach we can also play our part in preventing the spread of COVID-19. With so many in the industry house bound, more time than ever before is being spent online. Desktops, laptops, tablets and smart phones are essential tools, not just to keep up-to-date with the latest industry news, but also to pass the time. Our aim is to fill some of the void with news, features, and stories, to help our partners like the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) keep their members appraised of updates and advice, and to continue providing a service to the magazine’s loyal clients and readers. We’re fortunate that our rapidly developing digital channels can provide that platform. Even before the lockdown, we had witnessed a significant growth in our online and social media networks. Here’s a few stats, for those who like that sort of thing. In the month of February alone we had close to 35,000 impressions [each time a post is viewed] on social media. Our online readership increased, with NI Builder experiencing 4928 unique monthly visitors to the website. We’ve also witnessed a 68.5% increase in monthly web visitors year-on- year, surpassed 3,000 subscribers to our E-zine, and our NI Builder social media channels now boasts over 3,750 followers. What lies ahead in the coming days, weeks,
and months no-one really knows. Perhaps the only certainty is that it will be the greatest challenge to ever face the industry, the country, and each of us personally. ‘We’re all in this together’ appears to be the chosen mantra of Northern Ireland’s construction industry, and that unity of purpose will be key to survival. To that end if you have advice, project or product news, even inspirational accounts of people in the industry going the extra mile to help others, please consider getting in touch with us. Let NI Builder continue to be the construction industry’s communicator.
THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY Finally, I wanted to take this
opportunity to say how delighted we are to announce that NI Builder is now the official media partner for the Construction Employers Federation (NI). In this and future editions of the magazine we will be featuring a special CEF section. ‘The Voice’ will shine the spotlight on the CEF, bringing you the latest news and developments from the construction industry in Northern Ireland.
Roger Anderson EDITOR
www.northernbuilder.co.uk
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