Minor Works Division experiences further growth as new contracts pour in

The minor works division at Hobson & Porter has enjoyed another successful year working with the Hull & East Riding Council, the Shoreline Housing Partnership and Smith & Nephew – to name just a few. The long-standing division of Hobson & Porter has seen a considerable rise in contracts over recent months, with new business wins, ongoing portfolios and contract renewals. Recent projects include the £0.5m refurbishment of The Pocklington Arts Centre and the £0.63m JCT600 Volkswagen showroom refurbishment in Hull, both of which were successfully completed on schedule this month. (April 2016)  As with many of the contracts taken on in the department, the nature of the work often leads to repeat business, which, combined with the successful delivery of projects, has been key to the growth of the department. “Whilst our minor works division has experienced a regular flow of work for some time, we have experienced a peak in this period within the growing city boundaries in recent months”, said Jon Craven, Minor Works Director at Hobson & Porter. “There is certainly a buzz around the city leading up to 2017 and confidence overall is building with clients investing in projects and upgrades. The construction industry has really started to find its feet after the recession, which dealt the industry a monumental blow on a national and international scale. Despite some challenging trading conditions in recent years, we are proud to be experiencing the upturn and witnessing the continued investment in our home city in particular.” Hobson & Porter is regionally recognised for managing building projects of all shapes and sizes across the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region. With a diverse range of clients covering the Commercial, Education, Energy, Healthcare, Housing, Industrial, Leisure, Listed Buildings, Public, Regeneration and Retail sectors, the construction company has earned an excellent reputation for safety, quality and project delivery. Hobson & Porter has also recently been successfully accepted onto the Yorbuild2 framework and is proud to be an associate member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

Hobson & Porter’s growth continues in West Yorkshire region

Hobson & Porter is celebrating after a recent run of success in the West Yorkshire region. The award-winning company has seen its business expand in the area in the last few months with new contracts in Bradford, Wakefield and Wetherby.

Work has recently been completed on a £1.5m development at Oakfield Park Primary School in Pontefract and a £1.5m extension at Kingsland Primary School in Wakefield.

Ongoing live projects include a £1.1m project to extend St Giles Primary School in Wakefield and a £1.8m project to provide temporary accommodation for families at Jermyn Court in Bradford. In Wetherby, Hobson & Porter is continuing work on four industrial units, with an overall value of more than £4m, set to be completed later in the year.

“Our company’s presence across the Hull & Humber region has remained consistently strong but we have never seen a pattern quite like this outside the area”, said Dave Blades, Business Development Director at Hobson & Porter.

“We are delighted to be awarded these contracts further afield, most of which have been attained thanks to a positive, growing reputation in the area and frameworks we have successfully secured in recent years. We continue to build very strong relationships in the area and expect to see Hobson & Porter continue this growth in the West Yorkshire region during 2016 and beyond.

“As a family-run business, which has been operating in East Yorkshire for almost 50 years, we are extremely proud to be working on projects throughout Yorkshire.”

In 2015, Hobson & Porter opened its Lincoln office, its first office outside Hull since the company was founded in 1971 after the identification of an abundance of new opportunities and projects in the Lincolnshire region.

“We have certainly noted geographic growth in recent years as our established relationships take us further afield. Add this to our continued success in the immediate area and a notable upturn in local investment, we are certainly looking ahead to a very successful future” added Dave Blades.

Also in Wetherby, Hobson & Porter is currently working on two major business developments.

The first of which is involving the construction of three industrial warehouse units (units 9-12, 14-16 and 20) at Thorp Arch, Wetherby, plus the construction of an external car parking yard, associated drainage work and landscaping – in a project worth £1.4m.

The second, Unit 512 Thorp Arch is a distribution warehouse facility, which will be occupied by a beer and wine supplier. Work is progressing well on the £3.2m development, with the site being levelled, excavation and foundation works completed and work to erect the steel frame underway.

Dean Platts, Project Manager for Hobson & Porter at Unit 512 in Wetherby, said: “This is a major project in the scheme of Hobson & Porter’s work and one which is key for our growth in West Yorkshire.

“80 staff will be involved in total, from the start of the project in February 2016 to completion in August. Work has now commenced on the erection of steelwork on site, with the foundations set to be completed in April. The building will be watertight by July 2016.

“We are an established name in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and projects such as this one will help to continue our successful reputation as a trusted name for construction projects throughout West Yorkshire too.”

Construction firm’s support for UK schools is top of the class

Hobson & Porter has been making its mark on the education sector, with successful projects completed or underway for a number of institutions across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Recent projects have included refurbishment, extension and new-build projects at educational facilities for all ages.

The market-leading construction firm has been instrumental in creating the Bishop Burton Riseholme campus, located within the Lincolnshire showground. Phase 1 of the project, valued at £13m has now been completed and the £11.5m Phase 2 is underway.

Hobson & Porter and the college have developed a strong and successful relationship over a number of years, based on a collaborative approach to working. The relationship goes above and beyond construction, with Hobson & Porter supporting the college as their construction partner, in the academic delivery of construction courses in further and higher education and the college partnering with Hobson & Porter in an educational capacity.

Other recent educational projects include, the £1.5m extension of Kingsland Primary School in Wakefield that has recently been completed in addition to two new extensions at the Oakfield Park School in Akworth, also worth £1.5m.

Also in West Yorkshire, work is continuing at St Giles Church of England School, in Wakefield with the construction of a two-storey, four-classroom building, along with work to the surrounding landscape. The £1.1m project is well underway and due for completion next month.

Dave Blades of Hobson & Porter spoke of the challenges and rewards of construction within the education sector: “We are currently engaged with a number of projects within schools and this raises many considerations such as health and safety and the safeguarding of students and pupils.

“Often these schemes require an additional level of logistical planning, either being undertaken during peak levels of intense activity during school holidays, or carefully constructed during term time whilst mitigating the impact upon the ongoing operations of the school or college. Our vast experience and innovations in this field leads us onto more educational work.

“All projects are scheduled to be successfully completed to deadline and we are looking forward to new future opportunities within this field.”

Hobson & Porter are on track for Riseholme completion

Hobson & Porter’s Phase II project at Bishop Burton College’s Riseholme Campus is now well underway.

The Hull-based firm began Phase I on the Lincolnshire Showground site in July 2014, a development which opened its doors to students last September.

The opening of the Lincolnshire-based campus was a defining moment for both Bishop Burton and Hobson & Porter.

The family-owned construction company and the college have developed a strong and successful partnership over a number of years, starting with Hobson & Porter’s delivery of many major and minor projects including a £3.5m two-storey technology and skills building on the main campus near Beverley in 2013. Hobson & Porter have gone on to support the college as their construction partner, the college in turn partnering Hobson & Porter in an educational capacity.

Dave Blades, Business Development Director of Hobson & Porter, said: “We are delighted to be working with the college again, delivering the construction of further educational campus facilities at Bishop Burton College.

“The ongoing project has been testament to our commitment and relationship with Bishop Burton College, providing a state-of-the-art educational facility which will serve the Lincolnshire region for many years.

“We are looking forward to continuing to work and supporting the college and the students in the future,” he added.

The Phase II project at Riseholme will dramatically increase the scale of the new Lincoln campus, the largest agricultural college of its type in the UK. Phase II will add a further two buildings to the site, in addition to the three constructed during Phase I. The current construction includes a sports facility including main sports hall, fitness suite, changing facilities and an external all-weather training pitch. Adjacent to this, Hobson and Porter is constructing a three-storey teaching building, which includes laboratories and teaching space for agricultural food analysis.

Following on from the successful completion of the state-of-the-art facility at the East Riding campus where courses in construction and engineering are delivered. This particular project developed an even stronger bond between the organisations, with construction students and the supply chain both involved in the construction of the facility and the delivery of educational courses thereafter. Hobson and Porter has worked with the college to provide real-world experience to the students and generate support from the materials and services supply chains to contribute to the delivery of courses through continuous personal development presentations, site visits and materials donations. This ongoing collaboration has featured heavily in the Riseholme project and become the backbone of Hobson & Porter’s new Foundations scheme, an initiative aimed to benefit careers in construction for all ages. The Hobson & Porter Foundation scheme will officially launch in the spring of 2016.

The phase II project commenced almost immediately after the completion of Phase I in the summer of 2015, and will be complete just 12 months on in summer 2016. Jeanette Dawson OBE, Chief Executive and Principal at Bishop Burton College, said of the project: “The Lincoln campus is set to offer students a state-of-the-art agricultural facility to rival any in the country.

“It has been made possible by our close working relationship with Hobson & Porter, who have an excellent understanding of our aims and objectives, along with the expertise to bring them into being through the highest quality facilities. We look forward to building more great things together in the future.”

Hobson & Porter is recognized throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for managing building projects of all shapes and sizes. With a diverse range of clients covering a range of sectors, the construction company has earned an excellent reputation for safety, quality and project delivery.

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Construction firm announces successful completion of ambitious, internationally-renowned JZ Flowers HQ expansion

The expansion of JZ Flowers’ headquarters was a contract which may have seemed daunting to many construction firms. To Hobson & Porter, however, it was the kind of challenge the company relishes, with a track record of success in a number of similar projects.

JZ Flowers commissioned its long term construction partner Hobson & Porter to develop the fifth phase of its state-of-the-art site.

The team at Hobson & Porter, a family-run company founded in Hull in 1971, is proud of its work at the facility and is pleased to announce the ambitious project has been successfully completed on time.  The first phases of the project were recognised at the RICS Property Awards, when the firm scooped the Commercial Building of the Year Award.

Hobson & Porter is proud to have been working closely with the JZ Flowers team to realise its vision of increasing the footprint of the facility by another 12,500 square metres, a third larger than before.

Operating from its headquarters on Malmo Road, North Hull, Hobson & Porter’s presence across the Humber, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region is growing rapidly.

Dave Blades, Business Development Director at Hobson & Porter, said: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with JZ Flowers, having now developed the fifth phase of the company’s impressive facility here in East Yorkshire.

“This project is testament to our collaborative approach, working closely with our clients in order to produce positive outcomes. With JZ Flowers’ architect also based on site at Newport, we work hand in glove with them to ensure that a true partnership is at the heart of our work and we are proud of the results this has yielded to date.

“As a family-run business, which has been operating in East Yorkshire for almost half a century, we are still extremely proud to work on large scale developments of this nature in our immediate area.”

Mark Kelsey, Project Manager and key member of Hobson & Porter, working for the company for 17 years added:

“I am particularly proud to not only to have been working on this most recent development for JZ Flowers, but also to have worked on phases 2, 3 and 4 prior to that – it really is an exciting project to be part of.”

HOBSON & PORTER AWARDED CONSIDERATE CONSTRUCTORS BRONZE AWARD

Hull-based construction firm Hobson & Porter is the proud recipient of the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) Bronze Award for its delivery of a single-storey extension to Kingsland Primary School in Wakefield.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a non-profit making independent organisation founded in 1997 with the aim to improve the overall image of the construction industry.

Organisations that are registered with the scheme agree to abide by the Code of Considerate Practice, which has been implemented to encourage best practice that goes beyond the standard statutory requirements.

The National Site Awards are aimed at recognising sites that have demonstrated the highest level of considerate construction towards the public, the workforce and the environment. Award ceremonies took place in Edinburgh, London and Manchester this month, presenting awards in ‘value bands’, based on the project value. Hobson & Porter scooped the Bronze award for the £500,000 to £5m category.

The Kingsland Primary School project, completed in 2015, involved the construction of a single storey extension to the School and comprised building, mechanical and electrical, drainage, landscaping and car parking works.

This award-winning project is representative of Hobson & Porter’s commitment to achieving the highest standards in construction, as the firm continually strives to go beyond what its clients expect. With similar contracts already in place with a large number of other clients, Hobson & Porter will be looking to achieve further success throughout Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and beyond.

Hobson & Porter’s Phase 1 of Riseholme Campus, a part of Bishop Burton College, wins at the West Lindsey Construction Awards

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Hobson & Porter are delighted to announce that our first phase of the Riseholme College Showground Campus, a part of Bishop Burton College, won at the West Lindsey Quality in Construction Awards.

Winning in partnership with CAD Design, Alan Wood & Partners, Pettit Singleton Associates, Thornton Firkin LLP and PSA for the ‘Best Education Building’ category, Hobson & Porter are thrilled by the news and are proud to be part of such an exciting project.

Phase 1 of Riseholme College, completed in August 2015, involved the development of a new educational campus on behalf of Bishop Burton College, which is located on the land adjacent to the Lincolnshire Showground. The scheme involved the construction of three educational buildings as well as various external works.

As a result of our ongoing relationship with Bishop Burton, we have now commenced work to deliver phase 2 of the project, which is to be completed in autumn of this year. This comprises the construction of two further educational buildings along with an all-weather training pitch, to further enhance the campus facilities.

The construction awards, sponsored by Buildbase, took place on 15th April at The White Heather, Caenby Corner, near Lincoln where an enjoyable evening was had by all attending.

The awards, which are aimed at recognising the talents of high quality builders and contractors within the West Lindsey district, also provide a networking opportunity for industry experts to share their experiences and celebrate the valuable work taking place in the area.

Hobson & Porter Secures Gold Award for Health & Safety

Hobson & Porter is the proud recipient of the RoSPA Gold Award for Health and Safety for the 4th year running!

The award is being presented in recognition of Hobson & Porter’s excellent safety performance and for our commitment to continuously raising the standards of Health and Safety management.

Joe Rymer and Paul Barker, our Health and Safety Managers, are delighted to see that all of our hard work and commitment has once again been recognised. “Hobson & Porter is honoured to be presented with such a prestigious award. We continually strive to carry out work to an exceptional standard and have an ongoing commitment to ensuring the highest levels of Health and Safety at every stage of our projects.”

Hobson & Porter are really looking forward to celebrating both our own achievements along with the achievements of others at the presentation ceremony which is taking place on July 14th at the Metropole Hotel in Birmingham.

Hobson & Porter’s North Hull Fire Station shortlisted for the RICS Yorkshire & Humber Awards 2016

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The RICS Yorkshire & Humber Awards are aimed at showcasing the achievements of the most inspirational regional initiatives and developments in land, property, construction and the environment.

The awards, which will take place on 13th May 2016 at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, are regarded as the premier property and construction awards in the country, bringing together entries across eight categories to recognise the most innovative projects across the region.

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted in the Community Benefit category for the delivery of the brand new North Hull Fire Station.

The £2m scheme to deliver a new state-of-the–art station on Clough Road was completed in 2015, providing exceptional facilities for the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS). In addition to creating more operational and training space to enhance essential services to residents in the region, the facility incorporates a number of energy-saving features, improving the efficiency of the building and reducing the impact on the environment.

Hobson & Porter will be attending the event, which we anticipate to be a very enjoyable evening. Martin Roberts, property expert and presenter of ‘Homes under the Hammer’, will be hosting the event which will also offer the opportunity to network with representatives from other firms within the property and construction industry.