How the University and the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce partnered to
grow Herts' property & construction sector
By Alex Mortimer
Good news, the UK construction sector growth
continues to remain strong, and nowhere is this truer than the south-east - it would take an undiscerning
London-dweller to overlook the increase in property & construction. But did
you know the HQs of many large construction companies are based in
Hertfordshire? The list is long, and includes the likes of Vinci, Willmott
Dixon, Sir Robert McAlpine, Skanska, VolkerFitzpatrick and Bouygues.
Grant Thornton, in association with Hertfordshire Local Enterprise
Partnership, said in November 2013 of the property and construction sector in
Hertfordshire ‘It is a sector which is highly important to the overall
performance of the county’ and ‘only second to healthcare – the construction
sector delivered particularly impressive turnover growth.’
How can we capitalise on this for our county and continue to
support the construction sector? What could we do that was different and
unique?
I’ve done a lot of work in the construction sector, as part
of my work with the FBE (Forum for the Built Environment) to create
partnerships and learning & development partnerships with organisations such
as Byrne Group, Mace, Ground Construction (GCL) and others – but most of my
work has taken place in London. I ask
myself, why do most of these organisations need to go to London
to meet and network, instead of meeting in their home county of Hertfordshire
The Herts chamber is very forward-thinking, so when I asked their
CEO Yolanda Rugg these questions we realised we should do something about it! We have set up this dedicated networking group,
hosted by the National Centre for Project Management (NCPM) at the University
of Hertfordshire, which aims to support organisations involved in property,
building development, cost, planning, sustainability, design and construction by
encouraging the development of an economic environment in which all businesses
and their employees can prosper.
Core team members currently include representatives from
NCPM, Herts Chamber, Morgan Sindall, Willmott Dixon, Just Housing, Uniserve,
Scott White & Hookins, Bouygues, SW Bruce, Mitsubishi Electric, the Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The Property will ensure that list grows bigger.
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The Property, Construction and Sustainability Network will be holding a
series of five events, each featuring a relevant speaker from the industry.
On 5th
February, 2014 there will be a talk on Sustainability linking to BIM, and then on
10th April a representative from Morgan Sindall will present a case study on Building Information
Modelling (BIM).
These events are open to both members and non-members of the
Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.
Why attend?
• Network with key players in the sector to promote and generate business
for your organisation, including architects, building services, chartered
surveyors, construction, developers, engineers
• Meet local business in the county
• Connect with senior decision makers; gain access to leading industry
figures
• Hear relevant talks from the sector
• Keep up-to-date with trends and developments and exchange information
with like-minded
• professionals
• Raise your profile, build relationships and strengthen strategic
alliances
• Entertain your clients at these informative events
If you would like to find out more about the Property and
Construction Network please contact Alex Mortimer: A.Mortimer@herts.ac.uk 01707 28 4855
Sources:
Hertfordshire Limited 2013: Investing for growth November 2013
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