grapevine issue 15 summer 2013

GrapevineISSUE 15 SUMMER 2013

InsideNFB Awards 2013Nuffield Wessex HospitalGrantham Care Home

BrethertonsUniversity of Oxford Collegesand much more...

Grapevine ǀ Summer 2013

Congratulations to all involved in delivering the Mechanochemical Cell Biology Building for the University of Warwick which recently scooped a ‘Highly Commended’ award at the NFB Annual Awards 2013.

The MCBB was entered in the ‘New Build of the Year Award 2012’ in the category for companies with a turnover of more than £5.5m.

Thanks also goes to everybody who contributed to the submission itself.

The Grapevine has gone digital!

Welcome to the summer 2013 (and first digital edition) of the Grapevine.

You will be able to read the Grapevine via the email link or the Stepnell website under the ‘Our Company’ tab.

If you have any stories you would like to feature in our next issue send them to [email protected]

NFB Awards 2013


July each year is the time that we close the formal accounts for the group companies and this year has been more challenging than any I can remember. The pressure that we are feeling on contracts is inevitably reflected in the formal accounts. The Directors have considered in detail the reasons and implications of these results and we have identified a number of areas where we have to improve our overall performance. Key amongst these is the need for all employees (including Directors) to own the tasks for which they are responsible.

Support

Ownership of our duties and accountability for our own performance means that we are each responsible for ensuring that we support those who are passing work to us, to make sure that it is of good quality and allows us to work effectively. It means that we are personally responsible for looking at better ways of carrying out our tasks and ensuring that the person that we hand the job on to can do their work efficiently and successfully. It also means that we must all look around us to see if there is a better way of doing our work, whether

that is involving different people in the job, looking at alternative methods or revising priorities that dictate how we work.

Opportunities

I have often said that the next phase of the economic cycle is the most dangerous. We

are beginning to see a lack of basic resources within the industry and more insolvency within our supply chain. I know that we have a very experienced and capable team within The Group and now is the time that we need to use that experience to our collective best advantage. The Directors are convinced that by owning our tasks

and being personally responsible for our successes we will each ensure our own quality and our ability to work as effectively and economically as possible. There are opportunities in our markets, but we will only succeed as a company if we all pull our weight and pull together, using our experiences and resources within The Group. I urge you all to talk within and across your teams to find the best ways of working.

Mark Wakeford - Managing Director

“this year has been more challenging than any I can remember”

Ownership and accountability


Stepnell are currently involved in a £2.2 million project refurbishing a private hospital for Nuffield Wessex Hospital in Eastleigh, Hampshire.

The current contracts team comprises Trevor Middleton as Contracts Manager, Kevin Green as Quantity Surveyor and Tony Smith as Senior Site Manager. There also four Assistant Site Managers, including Keith Hardy who manages the weekend working team, as well as Martin Hughes, Dave Bough and Rob Trim who each manage their own designated area of works. Up until recently Kevin Farnfield and Neil Shoebridge served as Site Manager and Contracts Manager respectively, before retiring in June.

The project is currently on course to finish in November with the scope of works now extending to include a full refurbishment of the hospital’s hydrotherapy pool. The phasing of the work has been a particular challenge to this contract, having increased from an original 22 areas to 34, which has meant further resources have been needed, both on and off site, to ensure the successful delivery of the project.

“The biggest challenge, by far, has been in planning and carrying out the works within a live hospital environment”

Nuffield Health Refurb


The biggest challenge, by far, has been in planning and carrying out the works within a live hospital environment. Noisy operations, such as heavy demolition, and all works in corridors and communal areas are being undertaken on weekends to ensure that the client’s operational activities are not disrupted.

The client’s ever changing requirements throughout the project, coupled with the unpredictable nature of working in

an environment where operatives may be stopped at any point for carrying out perceived noisy activities has led to numerous programme revisions and required an ever closer dialogue with the hospital to ensure that Stepnell understand and meet their functional needs whilst also delivering high standards in construction.

Kevin Green - Quantity Surveyor Poole


Originally founded in 1922 the Hallam Group was a family owned construction company based in Oadby who operated throughout the East Midlands with a peak turnover of £40m. They employed in the region of 150 staff which included directly employed operatives and delivered projects through Design & Build and Traditional forms of contracts. The markets they operated in were Education, Residential, Healthcare, Commercial and Student Accommodation sectors with project values of £500k to £25m.

Unfortunately after 90 years of trading due to the extreme market conditions facing the construction industry and significant reductions in turnover over the years they entered into administration in November 2012.

Hinckley Hub

The £6m Hinckley Hub is a BREEAM excellent, A rated, Local Authority Hub which provides vital services to the local community and its surrounding areas. Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council are the main occupier of the building with a number of their partnering organisations including

Leicestershire County Council and Job Centre Plus sharing the office facilities. Our client was MRP Developments, a developer based in Nottingham while Aviva Investments are the overall building owner who lease the premises to Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council.

Queensway Medical Centre

Queensway Medical Centre in Wellingborough is a new £1.5m facility to replace the existing Queensway Medical Centre. The project is a two storey construction designed by Maber Architects and incorporates a number of different external finishes including facing brickwork, Trespa cladding, large areas of glazing, coloured feature panels and Brise Soleil. The medical centre provides key services to the local community including minor operations and regenerates the local area.

Since joining Stepnell, in addition to the previous Hallam projects the team have also completed the £5.5m Five Mile Drive Solar Park in Moreton-in-Marsh led by Site Manager Phil Smith.

From Hallam to StepnellGrapevine talks to Tom Sewell, now Commercial & Operations Manager at Stepnell, about the people and projects taken on by Stepnell after Hallam Contracts went into administration in 2012


Looking Forward

On the success of the Hinckley Hub project and the relationship with MRP Developments we are currently working on negotiating three new projects totalling £4.2m.

The Team

Myself (Tom Sewell) – Operations and Commercial Manager I was responsible for the overall management and commercial aspect of the Hinckley Hub, Queensway Medical Centre and Five Mile Drive Solar Park projects. Previously I held the position of Surveying Director at Hallam’s and was responsible for the overall commercial and construction aspects for projects in the East Midlands area. I have 20 years of senior management experience within the construction industry and have operated in all sectors of the market delivering projects to a maximum value of £20m on a variety of different procurement and contractual arrangements.

Richard Wood – Site Manager Richard was the Site Manager who was responsible for delivering the Queensway Medical Centre. Prior to joining Stepnell he

was a Project Manager at Hallam’s and his last project was to construct a Design & Build £11m Student Accommodation scheme in Coventry for Victoria Halls. Richard has 27 years of experience within the construction industry and has delivered all types of projects up to a value of £330m.

Steve Gordon – Site Manager Steve was the Site Manager responsible for constructing the Hinckley Hub. Before joining Stepnell he was a Site Manager at Hallam’s and was responsible for constructing the Hinckley Hub project up to the point at which Stepnell took over. Steve has 30 years of experience within the construction industry and has delivered all types of projects up to a value of £10m.

Stepnell have also taken on from Hallam Forklift Operators - Simon Chippendale and Nick Whitmoore, Joiners - Ashley Barnett, Lee Fulford and Tony Richards and General Operatives - Joe McDonald and Bob Crafter.

Tom Sewell – Operations and Commercial Manager, Rugby

Photos

Top: Queensway Medical Centre

Bottom: Five Mile Drive Solar Park

Left: Hinckley Hub


The project at Springfield Road in Grantham is a £4.2m, 64 bed new dementia care home that will be leased to Orders of St John Care Trust upon completion. The job started November 2012 and is due to finish in January 2014.

Our team comprises Contracts Manager – Colin Moore, Quantity Surveyor – Richard Foster, Site Manager – myself (Patrick Boyle) with Tom Morgan and Dean Moore as my Assistant Site Managers. Grantham operatives on site include the Stubleys (John and Paul), Andrew Minckley, Craig Taylor, John Stafford and last but not least Roy Cooper.

The care home is a two-storey traditional build with four wings. We are currently in our 34th Week (29th July - 2nd August 2013) and are in the process of becoming watertight with windows and doors being installed and around 50% of the roof tiled. The flat roof sections are also around 50% complete.

The inside of the building is coming along well with M&E on first fix. Also the plasterers have started closing off ceilings and the joiners are erecting the stud walls around the building.

We have started removing the scaffold in the first watertight area meaning we can then start work on building the winter garden extensions on each wing as well as building the balconies extending from both kitchen areas.

Patrick Boyle - Site Manager, Grantham

“The inside of the building is coming along well with M&E on first fix”

Springfield Road Care Home


Our Rugby team is currently building a £2.3m office development in the centre of Rugby.

The project consists of the demolition of the existing solicitors’ building and the creation of a three storey, concrete frame open plan office space for leading regional law firm Brethertons LLP Solicitors. The office will front Clifton Road and access to the new development will be via an entrance created from Moultrie Road into a rear car park facilty.

Our team consists of Contracts Manager Paul Charnock, myself (Andy Higham - Site Manager), Assistant Site manager Chris Tew and Quantity Surveyor Glen Moran.

The works are progressing well. The piles, ground beams and pile caps have been formed and concreted, with the starter bars for the concrete frame installed. The substructure masonry work is underway with the preparation of the ground floor slab. The external drainage has been installed as well as the large storm water attenuation tank.

The site is very compact with the building being built close to some boundaries, therefore we will be required to use a pedestrian operated tower crane in order to get materials around the site. We also have a number of restrictions in areas due to some tree preservation orders which require protecting and maintaining throughout the contract. The building will consist of exposed concrete columns and ceiling soffits in the majority of areas finishing on the second floor with a 45 degree pitched roof section in concrete.

Recently BBC Newsnight chose the Brethertons site to do an interview with Mark Wakeford on the state of the economy.

The new office is set to be completed in spring 2014.

Andy Higham - Site Manager, Rugby

Stepnell Developments work with local Architect on a landmark office building in Rugby

“The works are progressing well. The piles, ground beams and pile caps have been formed and concreted, with the starter bars for the concrete frame installed.”

Home Grown


No quick fixConstruction adviser to the government visited Rugbyfor strategic talks with the West Midlands constructioncommunity


Peter Hansford, the government’s chief construction adviser, visited the Rugby head offices of Stepnell in February to discuss how the construction sector and government can work more effectively together to tackle barriers to growth, employment, industry innovation and carbon reduction in the West Midlands. During his visit Peter Hansford toured the Banner Lane care home site and met with the site team, project teams and West Midlands representatives from the National Federation of Builders to hear their views and strategies for regional growth.

Peter Hansford’s visit followed figures released by the Office of National Statistics show construction output fell by more than £9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, a decline of nine per cent. Peter Hansford has been tasked with progressing the government’s Industrial Strategy for Construction. The Strategy, which will be launched in the summer, will provide a plan for the construction industry and government to work together to make British construction world-class.

No quick fix

“I was pleased to accept the invitation to visit Stepnell and join local business leaders to discuss the future of the construction industry in the West Midlands,” said government chief construction adviser Peter Hansford. “It’s clear construction is facing challenging times. However, there is no quick fix, particularly in regards to up-skilling the workforce, which is why Government is developing its Industrial Strategy for Construction alongside industry to create a pathway to long-term growth.”


As Mark Wakeford has commented, the Company’s Accountants have confirmed the difficult trading conditions that the Stepnell Group has experienced these last twelve months. The outcome is far from satisfactory for all of us, although we have been able thus far to maintain turnover and continuity of employment for the majority of our staff. For current contracts going forward, particularly on larger and longer projects inflationary pressures on materials and subcontractor prices remain a real concern in eroding our margins.

Estimating the market price of construction work as the economy stirs out of a recession has never been easy to call in the past, but more so now, given the depths of the financial crisis over five years, compounded by the short term uplift to the New Homes market through political expediency. That is the challenge that besets Directors and estimating staff in bidding for new contracts to sustain and enhance turnover on acceptable and profitable terms. The need is recognised for closer scrutiny of tenders and informed collaboration with contract teams, during tenders, to ascertain current subcontract prices and availability in the market. This must allow us to provide the best value offer to our customers.

Building Regulations

Recent times have also witnessed a seemingly endless growth of regulations that can frustrate site working practices. The latest Building Regulations, driven by the low carbon agenda, have imposed significant changes to long cherished and understood construction working practices. Both Architects and Contractors have struggled to come to terms with these changes, which have been compounded when client’s teams have sought to transfer detailed design compliance down to the construction team with inadequate time to review all the implications. This can result in an unquantifiable, irrecoverable cost and significant risk being borne by the contractor. Changes to the Building Regulations will continue as the carbon goalposts are raised over the next few years, which is intended to promote fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of fuel poverty.

“Our intention remains to create business processes that support and add value to our activities.”

The Long View


Business processes

The Directors acknowledge that they imposed the Triple Standard work procedures across The Group at a difficult time but there was no way of avoiding these measures of compliance since the majority of our usual clients insist upon their adoption as essential prequalification criteria. Earnest endeavours continue to be made by the Directors to refine and simplify the form filling, including co-ordination between existing construction contract procedures and Horace. Our intention remains to create business processes that support and add value to our activities. Recent recruits to the business suggest that even now Stepnell procedures are “paperlight” compared with other comparable or larger companies, which Directors believe reflects the consistency and competence of our staff.

Thirdly, we are all ever mindful of the impact of Health and Safety Regulations on our business. Directors continue to strive to find effective ways to improve Health, Safety and Welfare for our staff, supply chain and third party stakeholders. There is little doubt that our industry retains the ability to kill and maim and hence we need to improve our performance, and in particular our long-term health prospects. The Company’s Health and Safety Record is part of any prequalification review procedure. The challenge for Directors and Senior Managers is to find ways of introducing new methods of work to improve our health and safety record, without creating

unworkable demands on our front line staff. A good current example of this is complying with the fitting of dust masks to reduce the long term effects of silica dust inhalation.

Issues of the moment

Procuring opportunities for construction work continues to be challenging in the

current market. I can however report that Stepnell Group continues to be favoured, with enquiries for tenders and new sources of work such as the Oxford Colleges are now contributing significantly to turnover. However, too many public sector areas are still precluded from us, particularly within Local Authorities, due to their persistence with historic framework agreements with national contractors. We continue to seek other opportunities and many are still to be fully explored such as the raft of new Academy and Free

Schools, which are now liberated from Local Education Authority control.

These are but a few of the issues of the moment. The Group has faced many of these issues before and is well placed to succeed, provided our staff can continue to adapt, manage our risks and make the most of the opportunities in front of us.

Peter Wakeford - Director

“enquiries for tenders and new sources of work such as the Oxford Colleges are now contributing significantly to turnover”


Finding enough construction work to keep The Group busy is one of the constant challenges for Directors and Senior managers. Opportunities come from a variety of sources, but anticipating and controlling these to provide a constant supply of suitable work for all areas of the business has become increasingly difficult in the current climate.

Work generally comes from three sources: The first and most obvious one is repeat clients, for which we are very grateful and have a good reputation for retaining. The second is new customers and the third is our own internally generated construction work, provided through our development companies.

Repeat business is crucial to our turnover. Working with the same customer allows us to better understand their needs and expectations and it allows our customers to develop effective working practices with us. Repeat business requires us to provide

the best possible service at the right price if we are to continue to retain preferred contractor status. Thankfully, throughout all our regions we have repeat clients who have a relationship with the senior teams at those offices. It remains the responsibility of those Senior Managers

to stay close to those clients, to be responsive to their needs and aspirations and be aware of future projects.

New customers come from a variety of sources; Being asked to join a tender list for the first

time; referral from another customer; sheer persistence or recognising suitable opportunities. However, winning new clients is much more difficult than retaining existing ones, with the accepted industry view that it costs six times more to win a new client than it does to retain an existing one. Within Stepnell you can see this effort in terms of pre-qualifications that we submit. Over the last year we have submitted over forty, with a success rate of about half which get to tender.

“Repeat business is crucial to our turnover”

Repeat Business -

Stepnell worked with OSJCT again recently on a care home in Cheltenham

Where does our construction work come from?


In this challenging market we try many new sources of opportunity and competition can be fierce. This year we have bid, with other contractors, for both northern and southern areas of the Education Funding Agency’s £4bn framework; unfortunately unsuccessfully. We currently have bids in with the SCAPE Framework and we hope to persuade a major housing association to award us a £15m Integrated Project Insurance project. As Peter Wakeford has mentioned elsewhere we have been successful in winning work in the Oxford Colleges and we hope to pick up opportunities from the demise of competitors in the M1 corridor. We continue to apply to local schools, hospitals, blue light and local authority customers. Given the current challenges, Directors look hard at all opportunities, whether they are found by our Senior Managers, business development team or through referrals.

Our third source is our own development work. These projects are surprisingly difficult to predict when they will land and carry risks that other projects do not. Often our construction price has to be agreed many months before we have an opportunity to build and so we need to be confident that the construction teams are fully engaged in the supply chain and decisions that are taken throughout the pre-construction process. These projects often need to be funded, which is another significant challenge and which can delay us progressing.

The Group maintains that our best sales team are our own employees. Regardless of which of the three routes we bring work to The Group, it is generally down to the reputation of our staff and supply chain for quality of work and competence of delivery that makes us different and excites our customers. The trick will be to retain our existing customers through good service, to win new ones through our reputation for quality and price and to then convert these new ones to repeat customers. Whilst winning work happens off site, we all have an important part to play in making this happen.

David Brill - Design & Build Director

“Directors look hard at all opportunities, whether they are found by our Senior Managers, business development team or through referrals.”

Development work -

Brethertons office development and Five Mile Drive Solar Park (a joint venture with Axiom Solar Ltd)


Mansfield College

In February this year, work started on a £2.7 million refurbishment and new-build scheme.

Works include a new-build extension and refurbishment of the east wing of the College’s Grade II listed Main Building. The new extension, featuring an atrium with a frameless glass rooflight, will provide access to all parts of the east wing and will also house new kitchens.

Improvements for students, staff and visitors

On the refurbished ground-floor, Stepnell will create a new student refectory and café/bar through the remodelling of the current Victorian kitchen and back-of-house areas.

Two stone-framed windows will be converted to glass doors to a new south-facing sunken terrace opening onto the historic College quad. The overall scheme will double the catering capacity of the College as well as enhancing its conference, fine dining and corporate event facilities.

A new feature stairway and lift will link

the extension to the rest of the College. Stepnell will also refurbish existing tutor rooms through the project, which was awarded following a competitive tendering process. In addition, the scheme includes the creation of a new workshop building.

The team for this project comprises Contracts Manager Pete McDonald, Quantity Surveyor Dave Murphy, Design Manager Mike Harper and Site Manager Andy Brain.

Construction work is set to be completed in March 2014.

“Currently we are putting the roof on the concrete frame and removing the propping supporting the building. The lower terrace has now been formed as has the new lift shaft”

Andy Brain - Site Manager

University ChallengeThis year Stepnell have started work on major contracts for Mansfield College and Oriel College, both of which are constituent colleges of the University of Oxford.


Oriel College

The project consists of alterations, demolition and refurbishment to the Grade II Listed Rhodes Building, located in the centre of Oxford.

Works involve stripping out of the existing soft furnishings, floor coverings and fixtures and fittings. Internal alterations include the removal of non-loadbearing walls and forming new structural openings. In the east wing will be a new lift shaft which will require excavation, in-situ concrete lift pit and concrete block walls.

The existing roof is to be removed and a new third floor introduced involving the installation of steel beams, two of which span the full width of the building. The new floor will be timber joists notched into steel beams while the new roof will be of cut timber construction with a copper sheet finish. Six chimneys will also need to be raised.

The works to the existing façade include stone repairs, cleaning and gutter repairs and replacement.

Additionally, landscaping works are to be carried out to the “Quad” to improve accessibility.

The project is being overseen by Alan Lyons

and Tom Wakeford with Quantity Surveyor Jeremy Kirk, Site Manager Keith Batson and Assistant Site Manager Jeremy Hawkins.

The project is due for completion in July 2014.

In addition the Wantage team are finishing works to new student accommodation for Corpus Christi led by Contracts Manager Pete McDonald, Quantity Surveyor Andy Fraser and Site Manager Paul Grandi. Work has also just started to reroof part of the existing college - again for Corpus Christi, led by Contacts Manager Jamie White, Quantity Surveyor David Owen and Site Manager Phil Smith.

“Since taking occupation of the building at the end of June we have begun the demolitions and strip out to all floors. Just recently the scaffolding has started to go up too”

Keith Batson - Senior Site Manager

Progress at Mansfield College courtesy of Andy Matthews at Rick Mather Architects

The Rhodes Building, Oriel College

Project Updates

Recently completed works include -

Rugby -• £1.8m Fradley Crematorium• £5.4m Windsor Street Care Centre,

Cheltenham for the Orders of St John Care Trust

• £793k Stratford Girls' Grammar School extension

• £6m new council offices for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council

• £1.35m Queensway Medical Centre, Wellingborough

• £5.5m Five Mile Drive (5mw) Solar Park in Gloucestershire

Grantham -• £1.1m extension and refurbishment at

Loughborough Grammar School• £487k warehouse extension in Wellingborough

Wantage -• £515k new community centre in East Wichel

for Swindon Borough Council• £1.6m accommodation and refurbishment

scheme for the Oxford Oratory

Poole -• £120k refurbishment of the Dorset History

Centre• £300k refurbishment of the Philip Arnold Unit

at Poole Hospital• Post Olympic alterations at the £6m IPACA

Portland Quay campus (Chesil Cove)• Phase 2 of the £650k refurbishment scheme at

High Street, Swanage• £85k of works at Parley First School• £99k extension to Upton Junior School for

Dorset County Council• Two contracts at St Anns Hospital, £145k

refurb and M&E scheme and a £78k ward toilet refurb

Works in progress include -

Rugby -• £7.8m Avalon Court Care Home on

Banner Lane, Coventry for Restful Homes Developments Ltd

• £2.9m refurbishment of Arden and Feldon House for the University of Warwick

• £2.3m Radcliffe House refurbishment for the University of Warwick

• £2.3m landmark office building in Rugby for Brethertons Solicitors

Grantham -• £4m Springfield Road Care Home in Grantham

for the Orders of St John Care Trust

Kidderminster -• £3m sixth form accommodation at Bromsgrove

School, Worcestershire

Wantage -• £3.7m Music School at Stowe School,

Buckingham• £2.2m student accommodation block in the

centre of Oxford for Corpus Christi College• £3.75m refurbishment of the Rhodes Building

for Oriel College, Oxford University• £2.7m refurbishment and new-build scheme for

Mansfield College at the University of Oxford• £741k new engineering block for Abingdon &

Witney College• £5.3m demolition, extension and refurbishment

works at Bayards Hill School, Oxford• £5.5m new care home in Devizes, Wiltshire

Poole -• £2.2m refurbishment project at Nuffield Health

Wessex Hospital• £1m extension and refurbishment scheme at

Alderney Hospital, Poole• £120k refurbishment at St James' First School

for Dorset County Council• £170k refurbishment at West Moors Middle

School for Dorset County Council


How long have you been working for Stepnell and how did you end up working for us?

Three months. Prior to Stepnell I worked at Morgan Sindall.

Who has most influenced your career?

Most people will be expecting me to say my Dad (former Site Manager Richard White), but I would say it was Nick Drury, General Manager at McNicholas Construction and my uncle John Bennett.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

When things go to plan.

What do you like to do when you’re not being a Contracts Manager?

When I’m not taxiing my three children around North Oxfordshire I like getting away with my family, football and the odd pint.

What do you think you’d be doing if you didn’t work in the construction industry?

Playing centre midfield for Chelsea FC

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I would seek advice from Jimmy Carr’s financial advisor regarding tax… and also look to buy a small island somewhere hot!

The Stepnell Group had a wine raffle in February raising £165 for the Air Ambulance Service.

Poole’s Clare Snape, Nicky Saul, Janet Moore (pictured) and Brian Mitchell baked and sold cakes in aid of comic relief and raised £72.50.

Danny O’Toole (Rugby) raised over £5000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust when he ran the London Marathon in April.

At the start of the year a raffle was held for the Mercedes toy truck that Martin Waters is expertly modelling in this picture.

Over £50 was raised which was donated to a children’s leukaemia charity based at Walsgrave Hospital.

Race For Life 2013 Michelle Osborne and Sarah Brown (left) and Liz Hardiman (right) along with family members raised in excess of £1100 in June by taking part in the Race For Life.

Charity

Grapevine catches up with...Jamie White - Contracts Manager, Wantage

Well done everyone!

Poole -Anthony Buik - CarpenterDennis Stephens - CarpenterJason Osborn - LabourerTony Smith - Senior Site Manager

Rugby -Abby Diston - Receptionist / AdministratorFergus McDonald - Trainee Quantity Surveyor Joanne Grant - HRJohn Boles - Design ManagerLiam Blake - GroundworkerMartyn Johnson - GroundworkerPaul Newman - GroundworkerRichard Wood - Site ManagerSteve Gordon - Site ManagerSunil Seera - Trainee Design CoordinatorSusan Withall - Subcontractor AccountsThomas Astill - Graduate Property SurveyorThomas Sewell - Operations & Commercial Manager

Wantage -Andy Hitchman - Graduate Site Manager Andy Bennett - Trainee Site ManagerAdam Warren - Apprentice CarpenterJamie White - Contracts ManagerKatie Allen-Robertson - AdministratorPaul Grandi - Site ManagerSteve Garlick - Senior Site ManagerSteven Gibson - Carpenter Keith Batson - Senior Site Manager

Assistant Site Manager Chris Tew (Rugby) & his partner Katrina welcomed the arrival of Charlie Christopher Tew on 16/02/13 weighing 7lbs 15oz.

Mechanical Services Engineer Scott Waters (Poole) and partner Sophie celebrated the birth of daughter Erin Waters

Rugby Senior Estimator Brian Green (Rugby) became a grandfather, and joinery apprentice Adam Green (Rugby) an uncle, to Charlie Raine on 22/05/13 weighing 7lbs 13oz.

Bricklayer Michael Johnson (Rugby) and Partner Hannah Cooper welcomed the arrival of Maggie Rose Johnson on 17/02/2013 weighing 8lbs 6oz.

Poole Contracts Manager Neil Shoebridge retired at the end of May after almost 25 years of service.

Poole Site Manager Kevin Farnfield retired in June. He began as a subcontractor for Stepnell and became a permanent employee in 1993.

Congratulations to Darren Web (Rugby) and his new wife Sarah who were married on 08/06/2013

Congratulations to Ben Roberts (Rugby) and his new wife Laura who tied the knot on 18/05/2013

New arrivalsThe Stepnell Group would like to welcome...

Sorry to see you go

Congratulations

All the best

Wedding Bells

grapevine issue 15 summer 2013

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