CONSTRUCTION
Constructing excellence in Gloucestershire
When the going gets tough they say you find out who your friends are. But you have to make them first. When your sector was not so much hit as beaten to within an inch of its life during the last recession,you can understand the construction sector in Gloucestershire’s determination to cultivate good relationships. That is at the heart of what Gloucestershire Constructing Excellence is all about – forging bonds, supporting one another, and spreading best practice – in a sector which is also one of the most competitive. Jonathan White, vice chairman of the county group, part of a national network, was one of the scores of member businesses that greeted the more than 200 visitors at its most recent gathering at Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm Stadium. “We see the importance of being involved in a group that is bringing together all aspects of construction – from architects and contractors to other professions. “It is about promoting construction in Gloucestershire. We are building some really good projects here in Gloucestershire, but also further afield as well. It is also about promoting that. If you do something right, it is good to get recognised for it. “No matter how good what you are working on is, it is a sector where you are always working on the next project. That is what makes it exciting,” said Mr White,
a senior associate at the Gloucester Quays- headquartered firm Quattro Design Architects. The likes of Barnwood Construction, EG Carter and Quedgeley-based Kier were also there rubbing shoulders with businesses including legal firm BPE, financial experts Crowe, construction consultants Vitruvius Management Services and health and safety specialists Outsource Safety. The spread of disciplines demonstrated, for those who might have forgotten, just how many professions the sector’s tentacles reach. And that the theme of the conference which book- ended the afternoon in the 1873 Club was cyber, and the event was sponsored by telecommunications experts Bamboo Technology, showed yet another sector which will be relying heavily on construction in the near future. Not least to build the much vaunted £650million cyber village beside GCHQ. Guest speaker Jeremy Williamson, of Cheltenham Development Task Force, merged the two themes when he spoke about the plans for the 326 acre greenfield cyber village. That and the issues – both physical, cultural and political - which need to be overcome. Event sponsors Bamboo Technology covered off one of its newest products - a clever security card for remote
Punchline’s next issue, gloucestershire's 50 leading will be published in september
Entrepreneurs
106 | July 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com
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