Hobson & Porter, has successfully handed over the completed works for an industrial development to commercial property management agent, Garness Jones.

The buildings, which are designed and built to a high-specification, are located between St Andrew’s Quay and Albert Dock, separated from the Humber by Clive Sullivan Way. The site was formerly used by Heron Foods; however, Garness Jones sold the plots on behalf of Heron Foods who was then retained to market and manage the once finished development.

Hobson & Porter’s successful track record in the local area and collaboration with Garness Jones Chartered Surveyors and CAD Associates has ensured that the high specification industrial units have been delivered as expected by the client.

The smaller of the two buildings is a single unit measuring 243m² at ground floor level; a first floor mezzanine refuge deck (in the event of flooding) comprises a workshop and open-plan office / reception with disabled toilet. There is also a parking/delivery area, which is contained within a security fence and accessed from Wassand Street using an existing footpath crossing.

The second build contains four individual units, each with a self-contained parking/delivery area separated by palisade security fences – with private access for each occupier through a secure gate. Two units are accessed via Wassand Street, with the other two accessed via Walcott Street, with new crossings. The four identical units comprise a workshop, entrance lobby with staircase, waiting/reception and toilets to the ground floor (401m²) and two offices and a unisex toilet to the first floor (87m²).

Hobson & Porter began work on the project in May 2015, handing over completed work on 18^th January 2016. Kevin Barker, Senior Site Manager for Hobson & Porter, said: “We are very pleased with the standard of work which has gone into the two buildings in Walcott Street and Wassand Street in Hull. These units are suitable for a wide variety of industrial clients, with excellent office and staff welfare facilities, strong road links and local facilities and a high level of security.

“The project is a continuation of our successful working relationship with Garness Jones. We were delighted to handover in January with zero defects, which should stand us in good stead for further work of a similar nature in the future.”

Andy Ward, Contracts Manager for Hobson & Porter, managed the scheme from inception through to completion and is extremely pleased with the end result.

“This project illustrates what we at Hobson & Porter can offer our clients and how our approach builds effective working relationships upon which we can build upon in the future. The entire project team deserves credit for the success of the scheme, in which working collaboratively both internally and with the client was key.  It was a pleasure to work in such a prime location within the city.”

We are proud to announce that we have recently helped a number of students from the Grimsby Institute to gain work experience in construction, giving them the opportunity to gain practical knowledge on one of our company’s biggest ongoing projects.

Four students worked alongside staff from Hobson & Porter and other subcontractors working on the Cleethorpes Road Care Home site, which, due to its size and innovative nature, gave the students a wide and invaluable insight into Hobson & Porter’s work.

Dan Horsewood, one of the students involved, said: “I have really enjoyed working with staff from Hobson & Porter and subcontractor Carbon, they are all very knowledgeable and I have no doubt that I will really benefit from this work experience.”

Once complete, the Cleethorpes Care Home will provide a 70 bed care facility. The building will consist of a nursing wing and dementia wing and will feature an artificial bowling green, post office and shop fronts to create a village-like environment for the benefit of the patients who are suffering from dementia.

The project has involved a wide range of work ranging from the demolition and refurbishment of the Old Lynsey Primary School, to construction of the new build elements.

Our company has long committed itself to providing young talent with opportunities to progress, providing work experience on several of our sites and running workshops and other educational events. Not only does this provide the students with the knowledge needed to pursue careers in the industry, it ensures the growth of companies like ourselves by nurturing the fresh and innovative insight of young people like the Grimsby Institute students can offer.

Pauline Steele, Employment and Skills Coordinator for Hobson & Porter was involved in facilitating the work experience and said: “We’re delighted that this project has benefitted so many generations in the local community, giving young people the advantages they need to succeed, whilst also providing care and comfort for our elderly residents.”

Volkswagen’s new corporate specifications have created a nationwide scheme to revamp its showrooms. As part of this scheme, Hobson & Porter has completed a £630,000 redevelopment of the Volkswagen dealership on Saxon Way, Hull, on behalf of JCT600.

The 11-car showroom was expanded to 400 square metres, almost doubling its size. This involved demolition works, new drainage installation, internal steelwork to support feature walls, groundworks, reconfiguration of the carpark and internal cladding to certain areas of the build.

The refurbishment of the interior has created a desk-free showroom featuring “comfort zones”, café areas with leather sofas, interactive screens, a business lounge and a customer quiet zone. It also includes JCT600’s popular kids zone, complete with gaming station and iPad. To meet the high specification of the brief, a full range of buildings works was employed – plastering, tiling, mechanical and electrical works, plumbing (to install vanity units to the customer washrooms) and resurfacing of the car park.

Upon handover to the client, Paul McKenzie, Project Manager for Hobson & Porter, said: “The refurbishment as a whole has run on schedule and has been completed on time. The dealership continued to operate as usual throughout the duration of the works. Working in a live environment can be difficult for all parties but thanks to our experience in these kinds of works, we managed to keep disruption to a minimum whilst on site. We were also delighted that the client complimented us on the exceptionally high standard of our works which we achieved without impacting sales revenue and operations at the branch”

Mark Taylor, property director for JCT600, said: “It’s great to see the £1m transformation of our Hull showroom completed on time and to such a high standard by Hobson & Porter.  Volkswagen’s latest retail concept is designed to further enhance the customer experience and we’re sure that our customers will enjoy visiting our fantastic new facility”

Completion and handover to JCT600 signals a new era for Volkswagen along with a new experience for customers visiting the Hull showroom.

Hobson & Porter has handed over the refurbishment of Pocklington Arts Centre to the town’s council.

We were extremely excited to have secured the contract to carry out works in the center of Pocklington, commencing in November last year.

Working on behalf of Pocklington Town Council, Arts Council England, Pocklington Arts Centre and the Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre, the scheme involved a variety of demolition and refurbishment works.  The initial programme was adjusted to ensure completion of the project within the client’s timescales. This involved undertaking a number of different kinds of work in all areas of the building at the same time:

• Refurbishment of the existing projector room and associated areas, with demolition of walls and floors to allow a new staircase to be installed. At the same time, a full refurbishment of the central heating and boilers was carried out.
• Demolition of an external wall to the rear and a new link corridor, to allow access to the new bar areas.
• Refurbishment of the first floor, transforming the space into the new bar area. This included replacing items such as windows and fire places. The entrance was also replaced, offices were refurbished and a new kitchen area was added to the ground floor.

During the project, we gave students from Bishop Burton College the opportunity to experience the live sites. As well as being able to see Hobson & Porter’s construction staff at work, students and tutors were given information regarding the history of Pocklington Arts Centre, a tour of the site and an explanation of the works being undertaken.

Pete Shaw, Contract Manager on the project, said: “We were delighted to be able to showcase this project to students, demonstrating how Hobson & Porter undertakes different types of work alongside one another in a live building environment. The works, which had an overall value in excess of half a million pounds, were brought to a successful completion on time, with no complications or safety issues. Well done to everyone concerned.”

The project was secured through the Yorbuild construction framework, which was developed to provide an efficient and collaborative approach to the procurement of construction projects.

We are delighted to be taking part in this year’s LGTA (Lincoln Group Training Association) construction week to be held on 27^th, 28^th and 29^th September at the Lincolnshire Showground in Lincoln.

Having participated in the event last year, representatives from our firm recently attended the first LGTA construction week meeting and will also be attending the second meeting scheduled to take place later this week.

The construction week career taster event is aimed at giving Lincolnshire school children an insight into the construction industry, which is supported by companies and organisations from across the region.

Pupils from primary and secondary schools throughout the county will be attending the event which will provide a range of construction workshops and activities, including but not limited to joinery, plastering, plumbing, building, painting and decorating.

As well as sampling the various activities, the students will be given the opportunity to ask questions of those working in construction to gain a better insight into the industry and the career opportunities available.

Hobson & Porter will be hosting a Site Engineer workshop in the communications box on the showground and is looking forward to making the event as fun and interactive as possible.

Mark Young, Site Engineer at Hobson & Porter, helped to run the event last year and looks forward to this year’s event being equally valuable and successful.

“During the LGTA Construction Week we aim to provide an insight into the technology and mathematics involved in the activities of a Site Engineer in the construction industry.

“We will be providing three items of surveying equipment for the pupils to use to measure distances, heights and angles.

“We will be explaining how these can be used to locate buildings and survey existing features.

“As an accompaniment to these practical activities we will also be explaining how the equipment works and how the information is combined.

“Pupils will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the equipment and the construction industry in general, helping them to gain insight into the career opportunities available.

“2015 was our first year taking part in the construction week and we are looking forward to 2016’s event.  This year we have looked to develop our activities and presentation following what we learnt from last year.”

Hobson & Porter is proud to be taking part in such an important event, supporting students and encouraging interest in the construction industry for the future.

The East Midlands Local Authority Building Control (LABC) building excellence awards 2016 are set to take place on Friday 10^th June at the Athena in Leicester.

We are proud to have been selected as a finalist for the Best Educational Building Category, for the completion of Phase 1 of Riseholme Campus, a part of Bishop Burton College.

The project, completed in August 2015, involved the construction of a new educational campus, adjacent to the Lincolnshire Showground.  Three buildings were constructed consisting of an Innovation Centre, Animal Science Centre and Workshop.  External works were also carried out to form roads, car parking and paving as well as works in respect of hard and soft landscaping.

The scheme was secured as a result of Hobson & Porter’s long-standing relationship with Bishop Burton College, having successfully completed a number of previous projects.  Since its completion, the business has also commenced work to deliver phase two of the scheme.

The ongoing collaborative relationship between the two firms has gone from strength to strength over the years, resulting in valuable two-way partnerships in construction and education.

The LABC Building Excellence Awards are aimed at recognising and celebrating all that’s good in the construction industry, taking account of multiple types of building projects of different sizes.

Particular attention is paid to outstanding craftsmanship, technical innovation, sustainability and high performance. Consideration is also given to the formation of special working relationships with LABC surveyors in respect of solving technical problems, using innovative products and creating new solutions.

The team at Hobson & Porter looks forward to the awards ceremony, anticipating a great evening for all attending.  The winning projects for the East Midlands region will be shortlisted for the LABC Grand Finals, scheduled to take place in London later this year.

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 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.”