Contractors Focus 鈥� Page 11
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FeaturesConstruction statistics: Is it really that bad ?
Government statistics suggest construction contracted 5% last quarter, but it鈥檚 hard to find anyone who believes that is true. Joey Gardiner argues the reality is actually more positive and presents alternative data to back up his case
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FeaturesHey, big spender: Richard Pilkington
The UK development market is about to receive some much-needed good news: Oxford Properties is over from Canada with 拢3.5bn to spend - and that鈥檚 just for starters. Meet your new best friend, development director Richard Pilkington
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FeaturesCanada: 'Where $340bn dreams come true'
What makes Canada possibly the most attractive country in the world for contractors right now? Perhaps it鈥檚 something to do with the billions of dollars it has to spend on construction. The trick is breaking into this highly lucrative market
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FeaturesA family affair: David Hurcomb
As chief executive of family-owned NG Bailey, David Hurcomb has a heavy weight on his shoulders 鈥� securing the future for generations of Baileys to come
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Constructionline survey: How public sector clients will make cuts
Public sector clients are being forced to cut costs dramatically. So how exactly are they doing it? Here are the results of a survey by Constructionline, which reveals what the industry needs to be worried about - and where the opportunities can be found
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FeaturesNuclear alert: Future of 拢50bn new build plan
In the weeks following fukushima, the UK nuclear industry is already under review. what does this mean for the future of 拢50bn new build plan?
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FeaturesUnderbidding: Warning! Highly risky manoeuvre
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and in some cases result in suicidal tendencies. As underbidding spirals further out of control, we look at how widespread the practice has become and what 鈥� if anything 鈥� can be done about it.
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FeaturesFrameworks: Make room for the small fry
The government wants to make frameworks more open to small and medium-sized firms while at the same time making big savings in public sector procurement. Here鈥檚 what the construction industry can expect
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FeaturesWho wants to be in social housing?
Six months on from the collapse of Rok and Connaught, their competitors are scrambling to take their places against a backdrop of cuts and jittery clients. And now the big players are looking to muscle in on the social housing market
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FeaturesA VAT gift to cowboys?
The government鈥檚 VAT hike to 20% this month has been met with dismay throughout construction. But while some sectors will be exempt, small builders are bound to be hit as cash-strapped homeowners turn to the black market
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FeaturesBest foot forward: Interview with Graham Cash
Most UK contractors are busily diversifying to survive. Not so with BAM Construct, the UK鈥檚 third biggest contractor - its boss is determined to stick with what it鈥檚 good at: construction
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FeaturesThe perfect gift: Tax-efficient tendering
What shows your appreciation for a prospective client better than cutting 拢1m off a bid? 精东影视 explores the surprising savings that can be made from tax-efficient tendering
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FeaturesHow grim is construction up North?
In the beleaguered North, public sector spending cuts are biting deeper for local contractors already defending their patch from the attentions of the big boys. 精东影视 looks at how bad it is, and asks three contractors how they鈥檙e coping
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FeaturesThe breaking of Rok
Commentators who remained unmoved by Rok鈥檚 dizzying rise must now be feeling vindicated, says Joey Gardiner. But was the contractor a victim of its own management strategy, or brought down by market jitters?
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FeaturesWhat next for Laing O'Rourke? Britain's most secretive contractor
It鈥檚 been 10 years since Ray O鈥橰ourke bought Laing, the grand old man of UK construction. The intensely private boss won鈥檛 talk about it, but Laing O鈥橰ourke is regrouping after the downturn: eyeing new sectors and infrastructure mega-schemes
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FeaturesDan Labbad: Aussie Rules
The arrival of Bovis Lend Lease鈥檚 new boss sparked rumours about the company鈥檚 future. Now, after a long silence, Labbad reveals his plans for one of the UK鈥檚 best known contractors.
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FeaturesCostain's Andrew Wyllie: Who wants to be glamorous anyway?
With 拢2.5bn of orders on its books, Costain鈥檚 move towards sectors such as waste, oil and roads seems like an inspired decision. Andrew Wyllie, the man who made it, tells Sarah Richardson where the contractor is heading next