Issue 15

Years in Business

Looking Back

I have been asked to provide a feature looking back over the first 25 years of the business (presumably as the only person other than Charlie to have experienced the journey to date)!

It has been full of highs, occasional lows and I have enjoyed it tremendously. It has been a privilege to be part of the Spencer story and I thought I would share some personal experiences from the very beginning to show just how far we have come.

As you will see we’ve laced some of our past memories, stories and photos throughout this 25th year edition of Spencer World. We have also provided you with some current information and a view of what the future holds!

My career with Spencer started one Saturday morning in 1990 where interview(s) were being held in our first office – now the hairdressers in Barton next to the George pub (where most of our meetings were held afterhours)! The office shared 2 telephone lines and 2 car parking spaces, resources were limited but this was a company going places….so Charlie said!

Although I recall the interview ending with a “we will let you know as we have others to see” comment, within an hour of leaving I had accepted the offer (the other guys can’t have been that good)! The following week I attended Charlie’s house to pick up my company car, the newest on the fleet, a 1.1 Red Fiesta, that apparently “Noreen had her eye on….”

Having just handed back my 1.8 red fiesta van from my previous employment (with no tax liability) I managed to contain my disappointment and threw myself into the world of Spencer…..at least it had windows in the back my girlfriend (now wife) told me…

Cars were a key part of Spencer in the early years and as the business flourished at one point Charlie rewarded the team with 6 brand new black Mercedes for the Site Agents - we were known as the company that “gave good cars”

Charlie ran round in a Daimler at the time and it was rarely without a fault light on display, spending most of its life at Continental Cars in Barton in some form of disrepair – the car was good for the company image I remember the Contracts Director of the time telling us… Nevertheless Charlie loved “the jag” and you could tell because every time he ran into something on site, and a bit fell off (a bumper I recall on my site) he always lovingly put it in the boot for re-attachment later…..

The “jag” was also the ultimate utility vehicle, performing numerous functions in the business in those early days. As well as dropping all sorts of stuff off and acting as a mobile meeting room, the

Gary Thornton looks back on our 25 years and how we have grown and are ready for the future.

Gary Thornton

operative wages (in cash) were frequently left in the footwell for collection from the drive of his house on a Wednesday evening. “Its open” he would say…….

While all this fun was going on the business had grown from Charlie, with 2 men in vans (Harry Lindley and Dave Evans) undertaking piling works to a small civil engineering business delivering works for the likes of East Riding Council, British Waterways, Associated British Ports and Network Rail. We were a small but committed bunch of individuals that believed in working hard to deliver a good job. Delighting the client was our mission and the business quickly gained a strong reputation as a good business. This was (and still is) the way to secure future business and make money.

Over the years the business grew, as did the size of projects and complexity. With Charlie’s eye for an opportunity, it usually punched above its weight to secure more challenging projects and in turn frameworks, that provided opportunities for the business and its people to acquire new skills.

We see examples of this today where our capabilities are opening vast opportunities for us with clients such as London Underground and Transport for London in addition to continuing mature relationships we already have with Network Rail, Northern Powergrid, ABP etc. Forming Alliances with others will also feature heavily in our plans for future growth to ensure we are able to compete for projects of a scale where our size currently precludes us.

Perhaps it is the Energy Works’ journey that best demonstrates what Spencer has become to date. The entrepreneurial vision, brought to reality over the past four and half years by sheer hard work, has exposed the business to a whole new set of challenges. All of these have been overcome by drawing on existing capabilities and bringing in new skills to create a team that has developed an iconic facility which will commence construction this year.

One element that has sustained us throughout our journey is Spencer’s ability to attract people who enhance our business. These people enable our business to enter new markets. We are getting better at spotting this talent within our business, also, and by developing this talent, with initiatives such as the Career Advancement Programme, we are positioning ourselves to deliver the Energy Works’ opportunities of the future.

All these people and those who put in a sterling performance day after day are like gold dust and form the fabric of our business. Often maverick, these people can be counted on to get things done. You know who they are.

It is these individuals who will provide a driving force to take us forward and who define what Spencer is all about.

Let’s hope the next 25 years is just as exciting!

Welcome Back to Spencer World

Hull Paragon Station

Demolition of an existing 7 storey office block, re-development of the North side of the station to form a bus / coach interchange, bus management office block, travel centre, ticket office, retail units and a new facility for British Transport Police.

It provided a local multi-disciplined marketable project that involved major temporary works to an existing building, a large amount of demolition and alterations to form a travel interchange that many other cities and towns have plans to undertake.

Good well planned execution of a difficult project, where the team learnt a lot about relationships and how to succeed, even when the works and circumstances were not easy to work in.

Large team of known individuals working strongly together to produce a high class product and delivering a margin, also this was in the early days of trialling the CAT as a monitoring tool for costs and I believe that this was successful.

Undertaking massive temporary works to support half of the station structure so that new supporting columns could be constructed to provide the new support to the entire North Wall of the station and provide the new openings in the wall to the bus stands.

Myself leading the project with Tony Perrin, Jim Mawson, Marcus Dench, Mick Armitage, Laura Wilkinson, Keith Brown, Maureen Wynne, Colin Marshall.

Which project have you chosen?

Please give a brief outline of the scope of the project?

Tell me a little about the project team, people, or characters on the project?

How did this project impact and shape us as a business

What was the highlight or defining moment of the project for you personally? lessons we have learnt?

What legacy has the project left in the business today, i.e lessons we have learnt?

What is different about how we did things then to how we do them now?

Spencerworld celebrates the last 25 years by asking some of our longest serving employees to select a project that they feel truly impacted on and facilitated the growth of this business.

Tim Evans

Before After

PROJECTMy Favourite

What role do our engineers play in satisfying a client?

Engineering has changed over the years , we now have clients who often know what they want, but have limited technical knowledge and practical wisdom of how to get there in detail (they have their own issues of compliance, finance and regulation to sort).

So what’s our role? Well I see it as being a team of experienced engineers who can work with them ‘holding their hands’ through the solving the problem phase through to the detailed design phase, and the practical pragamatic delivery phase, in order that our clients get what they want.

What does the future hold for Nick Cooper?

I get my greatest kick when I see individuals achieve their potential and feel significant and important. To that end my future is to help enable everyone at Spencer to know and believe how valued and significant they are as part of the team.

Also, we have an opportunity to be involved in the first rotating skyscraper in Shanghai it would be brilliant if this can be achieved by a bunch of lads from Yorkshire.

Tell us about Nick Cooper?

I’m 54, married to my wife Jane, and have 4 children. 2 have left home 1 at university and the last going through her teens….. doesn’t matter how experienced you are at dealing with teenagers, it never gets easier. I’ve been a design engineer all my life and I’m also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

What has been your best adventure?

When I was 22, I cycled to Uganda to work in a tear-fund Hospital. I went with a friend called Dr Chris Lavy who subsequently has started 2 orthopaedic hospitals for a charity call CureUk specialising in disabled children. 2 years ago I went to Malawi to visit one of the hospitals for its 10th anniversary, the highlight for me was watching 2 teams of 9 year old kids playing football, each of which had been cured of club foot.

Do you have any phobias?

I’m really not that keen on heights, so when Andy Macdonald took me onto the cable at storebaelt half hour after arriving I was xxxxting myself.

Who is your idol / role model?

They’ve changed from Bobby Charlton as a kid, Alistair Biggart (who was project director for TML) during the channel tunnel. But nowadays it’s people who have any passion and follow them, whether it’s playing in a band, swimming the channel, running a sports team for kids or helping charities.

What has been your career defining moment to date?

I’ve been lucky enough to have done a lot of interesting projects from designing the channel tunnel machines for the seaward section, wind turbines and moving structures like the Falkirk wheel, continuous steel casters and many bridges. However the most defining moment came when I sold M G Bennett and Associates Ltd. a design company in Rotherham that used to undertake a lot of work with Spencers.

What is the best piece of advice you could give to an engineer?

Never lose your fundamental understanding of the theories of engineering, and never just assume things are correct.

For a Design Engineer:- Develop the confidence to make a decision, but don’t become arrogant enough to always think you are right.

Be open with your knowledge and concerns and always be ready to embrace help and advice.

Tell us your favourite food / meal?

Christmas Eve, my wife Jane always makes the family chicken and broccoli in a fantastic sauce with corn on the cob.

What is your favourite film?

Chitty Chitty Bang-Bang, why? …because he got his girl, the child catcher lost and they all lived happily ever after!

What attracted you to Spencer?

The people, and the fundamental values. We all want to do a good job, we all want to help each other, and as a company there are no boundaries to where we can go and therefore what we can do and achieve.

Nick Cooper

SILWEHunterston A power station is located on the Ayrshire coast 30 miles south west of Glasgow. The twin reactor site was Scotland’s first civil nuclear generating station and at the time of opening in 1969 was the largest in operation anywhere in the world. It ceased operations in 1989 after generating a total of 73 TWh.

The project was delivered as an alliance between Spencer, Atkins and Studsvik. Due to the number of disciplines involved, Spencer took ownership of a multidisciplinary 3D space management model design to aid clash detection and also ensure that all potential travel paths for radiation were eliminated.

Decommissioning works are ongoing and Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) that is currently stored in the Solid Active Waste Bunkers (SAWB)

at Hunterston A will be transferred into 3m3 cast iron storage boxes.

SAS were commissioned to design the Solid Intermediate Level Waste Facility which would essentially receive a 3m3 vessel containing ILW in one end and via a fully automated system remove the lid; fill with grout; re-seal the lid and finally complete export checks to ensure that all external surfaces were free from contamination prior to exiting the facility. This facility is a temporary structure and must be fully dismantled and removed after five years of use. However, to provide the required level of radiological protection, all external concrete walls are circa 1.0m thick!

Kevin GriffithsChris Wilcock

Pete BriggsMartin Cleary

Thomas HartleyAshley Forrester

Key staff

The Nuclear Approvals process is, out of necessity, very stringent but in some respects it is quite similar to the Railway Industry.

Being responsible for so many different disciplines, there was a real sense of achievement when we successfully completed the

Multi Disciplinary Design Review and supported the client to achieve their Design Authority Review (Level 4) target.

The second highlight for this project was the final issue of the very last approved document which signified formal project

completion after 18 months work.”

“The apprenticeship programme is excellent as it allows us to gain experience across the business. I’ve met so many different people so far and I am also learning a great deal at College. I am really excited about my future at Spencer.”

Next GenerationThe twelve apprentices we brought into the business in July 2014 have all gone from strength to strength. We have six Construction apprentices, five SOS Developer apprentices and one CAD Apprentice.

The business has really enjoyed having twelve apprentices kicking about for the past six months; none more so than a certain Design Manager who is still trying to rid his lovely Audi TT of the smell of sick from an over-exuberant apprentice on the Design Department’s Christmas night out. Thanks for the memories (and the smell) Ryan Walters!

Each apprentice has been given a timetable to follow, which sees them visit various departments to understand what they do and why they’re important. Each apprentice is also attending Hull College on a day release basis.

Daniel Sach, Construction Apprentice from Driffield, has commented, “The apprenticeship programme is excellent as it allows us to gain experience across the business. I’ve met so many different people so far and I am also learning a great deal at College. I am really excited about my future at Spencer.”

- Daniel Sach Construction Apprentice

Philip Kirkwood

Fiji – the place I got married

Skydiving

Aston Martin DBS

Slumdog Millionaire

What is your name?

What is the most exotic place you’ve been to?

What is the most memorable thing you’ve done?

What is your dream car?

What is your favourite film?

Hull Sunday Roast

Where are you from? What is your favourite food?

Meet Phil...

Phil Kirkwood

Being on site, my average day starts with updating the Briefing board and then issuing any permits that are needed. I have been given the role of doing the Daily reports and then updating them onto SOS. When possible I work with the Site Engineer to help identify and set out positions of the new Kirkstall Forge Station and car park, this is good experience in getting practise in using surveying equipment.

Having completed my apprenticeship, I will be in a permanent position with Spencer. I have enjoyed my time in the Commercial function and I am hoping to keep my options open. That’s the great thing about the programme; it gives me the chance to experience different areas. What I am certain is that I want to be with Spencer and be part of a growing successful business.

What does an average day consist of for you? Where do I see myself in 5 years?

Christmas saw Spencer Group complete its first ever works on behalf of London Underground during a 52-hour Network Rail blockade.

We were contracted in November 2014 to carry out the works at Finsbury Park Station, requiring a swift deployment of a dedicated team to ensure the project began on time and ran without delay.The works, which were completed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, involved installing 29 cased piles (280mm diameter) to a depth of 8m on Platform 8 in preparation for a cofferdam to be used for a future project in the next 12 months. The scope of works also included the demolition of a section of an existing milk dock adjacent to the platform.

Led by Tim Evans, James Renwick and Steve Melvin, the 40-strong team, which was made up of 10 of our staff, 20 labour and 10 security staff overcame a number of challenges, including working in a very congested area with two other contractors on the work site.

This required detailed planning and integration with Network Rail and other contractors to ensure the success of the works.

Finsbury Park

“This paid dividends and provided our piling team with information that meant that the type of plant could be fine-tuned to give confidence that the scope of works could be completed.”

Tim said: “The blockade involved a section of track from Kings Cross to Ferme Park, occupying a total of 11 contractors, so the preparation and attendance of interface meetings in advance of the blockade was quite demanding, especially as we were brought in very late to the arrangements.

“We developed a methodology to de-risk our works as much as possible by installing “starter” tubes for each pile in advance of the blockade, and also probing down 8m to ensure that there were no obstructions to delay the works during the Christmas blockade.

“This paid dividends and provided our piling team with information that meant that the type of plant could be fine-tuned to give confidence that the scope of works could be completed.”

Together with LU, we secured land adjacent to the railway infrastructure at Finsbury Park to utilise as the location for the site setup during the works.

This gave our team direct access onto the tracks, enabling it to remain independent from other contractors within the blockade.

The enabling works contract at Finsbury Park Station was secured by competitive tender by Spencer and follows on from successful delivery of rail construction works for London Overground at New Cross Gate Depot and Network Rail at Gravesend, which both saw significant packages of work delivered during strict access arrangements.

The current enabling works will facilitate a series of planned improvements over the coming years at Finsbury Park Tube station.

Tim EvansJames Renwick

Steve Melvin

Key staff

SOS.

Started as a project to have a respository for all documents and especially emails. This was born out of the troubles we had collating documents for an adjudication – months of work for many people. Since then it has grown and grown to serve the business in many more ways with even more planned.

Started off as a (KTP) (Knowledge Transfer Parthership with Hull University (Scarborough Campus) providing the ‘technical support’ for a student who had gone through their degree course previously. He was a foreign student and the language barrier was somewhat challenging. We took a long time to get to grips with how to approach the project as it was so big and we had many false starts. We kept growing the team and finally things started to come together and we launched the embryonic SOS on the largest project we had ever undertaken at the time – Drax. That really put us under pressure as our ‘beta version’ needed constant attention to make it usable, but this meant that we fastracked improvements and got to understand what was really needed. The staff and team structure has changed many times, initially with Dave Marshall taking the lead, followed by Dave Jennings and more than thirty developers contributing to the programme throughout the last ten years.

I think the way that Dave Jennings, James Chadband and James Porter have developed into a management team and work to

support each other is very gratifying. I don’t think Dave would mind me saying that he struggled with the role

of Manager for some time after Dave Marshall left, but with help from the two James’ is now

comfortable with things. They have all grown in confidence and ability and have taken on many challenges and made improvements to the way we do things over the last few years.

Good, well planned execution of a difficult project, where the team learnt a lot about relationships and how to succeed even when the works and circumstances were not easy to work in.

It is core to the business – we could not work without it.

It still might be difficult to find things, but at least you know where to look and that they will be there somewhere – if only people would title things properly!

Which project have you chosen?

Please give a brief outline of the scope of the project?

Tell me about the project team, people, or characters on the project?

What was the highlight or defining moment of the project for you personally?

How did this project impact and shape us as a business?

What legacy has the project left in the business today, i.e lessons we have learnt?

What is different about how we did things then to how we do them now?

Lucy Grierson

PROJECTMy Favourite

No doubt we’ve all eaten one too many mince pies over the Christmas break, so now’s your chance to get in shape. We’re launching Spencer ACTIVE to give us all the push we need to lose a few pounds and get fit.

Spencer ACTIVE will raise awareness of the issues surrounding health and wellbeing at work and will include a range of promotional campaigns and educational programmes. With a new promotion being offered each month, it will be a really engaging and fun way for you to learn more about your own health and wellbeing.

Between February and May we are going to offer free health checks, workplace exercise programmes, VaryFlex and health products. We’re also going to offer a range of educational programmes which will tackle issues such as smoking, stress and healthy eating.

This is a call to arms for us all to get involved with Spencer ACTIVE!!

Email App

The SOS App Development team speak to Spencer World about the new Email app that will be released to everyone within the company shortly.

What will the app offer to our staff?

James Shaw: It’s going to give staff who like to access their emails and attachments around the office or out on site a much improved user experience. It’s been designed to be lightweight, providing just the essential features for email, to enable the guys on the ground to deal with emails as quickly and easily as possible.

How easy is it to register an email and/or attachment?

Scott Curtis: Easy! Click Register and then search for your project with little loading speed. Your inbox also gives you a quick overview of which emails are registered and which aren’t.

With our staff split between iPhones and Androids, is there an app for both?

Scott Curtis: Yep, there is an app for iPhones and Androids. Both allow reading, managing and registration of emails and attachments to any project within SOS.

When will the app be available to everyone?

Paul Byers: It’s currently being tested by a few members of staff. For those testing the app if any problems are experienced, these should be reported to SOS via the Report Feedback option within the apps menu or send an email to sos@cspencerltd.co.uk. As long as we don’t run into any major problems with the feedback, we’ll hopefully release the app this Spring

The launch of SOLO in September 2014 has allowed us to truly enhance the way we deliver training at Spencer. This eLearning platform provides an engaging learning experience to all users and we have achieved:

The future of SOLO looks really bright too and we have plans to add yet more courses and briefings to SOLO in the very near future. We’re also going to enhance further the capability of SOLO, thus promoting even greater collaboration with client partners and supply chain partners.

We are passionate about innovation and SOLO is a great example of how adopting an innovative approach allows us to achieve something special. We’re really proud of it!!

SOLO Update

Welcome to the Gridiron OfficeSpencer Group completed its move to the new offices at the end of September 2013 and is located between two of London’s busiest railway stations (Kings Cross & St Pancras International) and is a short distance from the Regent Canal, heading towards Camden.

The move from Elizabeth House, Waterloo to The Gridiron Building, One Pancras was necessary for many reasons. Waterloo will be undergoing a redevelopment in the coming years, so this kick started the search for new premises. However, the main reason was the location. The Gridiron is ideally placed for our clients and staff based in Scotland, the North and the Midlands whose train journeys often bring them into nearby Euston, St Pancras and/or Kings Cross Stations.

The building itself is impressive with the prominent cast iron columns and is surrounded by stunning gardens, which were recently opened by Sarah Hayward (Labour leader of Camden) and Sir David Clementi (Former Deputy of the Bank of England).

The Gridiron offers Spencer Group state of the art office space with meeting rooms, soundproof phone booths (my favourite!) and breakout areas spread over two floors with breathtaking panoramic views over the Kings Cross and St Pancras and the London skyline in the distance. There are a number of successful companies either occupying floors within the Gridiron or planning to move in the surrounding offices: Louis Vuitton, PRS for Music, London Borough of Camden and Google, so we are in good company!

The Gridiron Team

Jacquelyne Green - London Office Manager / Wide Receiver

Jacquelyne joined Spencer in September 2012 as PA to Programme Director on Wessex Package 7 and has quickly become the go to person within the London office. Currently supporting Wessex, Southfields and Putney and provid line assistance for the Finsbury team ahead of the recent Christmas possession.

Michael Hardie - Project Manager / Full Back

Mick has largely been working on Wessex Package 7 for the last 3 ½ years and has taken control of the handback documentation in everyone else’s absence! He is also dealing with the closing out of DNO works and snagging at Putney.

These usual suspects can often be found in our Gridiron office in London, along with colleagues, Chris Baines, James Renwick, Martin Oates and Zoe Hilditch who make up the rest of the team!

Paul Conboy - Head of Commercial / Tight End

As Head of Commercial, Paul is involved with the Commercial overview of all our projects in the South, the management of the project, Commercial teams and Commercial close out of historic projects. Footnote: Paul is a brilliant dancer, for which we have video evidence!

Steve Melvin - Project Director / Guard

After assisting with Wessex Package 7, Package 707 and Finsbury Park, Steve is currently working on the GUEP (Great Western Electrification Project) which is enabling electrification works for the lines between Reading and Oxford.

Zoe Jones - PA to Tom Kerins / Running Back

Personal Assistant to Tom Kerins, providing full support, diary management and collation of briefings and information in readiness for cascading to all projects and staff in the South.

Tim Evans - Operations Director / Centre

Tim has a wealth of experience and knowledge within the business, having joined the company in 1995. He has worked on a number of projects over the years, but namely Finsbury Park, New Cross Gate and Wessex more recently, whilst being based in London over the past 3 ½ years.

Tom Kerins - Operations Director / Quarter Back

As head of project operations, Tom is involved with the overview of all our projects, reporting to the Board. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge within the industry having delivered both civil and rail projects throughout the UK and Australia.

Gridiron is the old term for American Football so let’s see how our team in the south lines up!

MAFA Past, Present and FutureBack in 2011, Spencer took a major step forward in being a strong and recognised force within the Railway Engineering fraternity by securing the South East Multi Asset Framework contract, which afforded us the opportunity to undertake the design and build of various multi disciplinary Railway Engineering projects in Anglia and Kent.

We utilised this opportunity to gain additional works in Wessex and Sussex and have delivered some tremendous award winning projects over the last three years, including Gravesend, East Kent Phase 2 and Ipswich Chord. Indeed, it is a fantastic recognition of the Spencer and Network Rail joint teams that we were awarded Supplier of the Year at the National Transport Awards only five months ago.

East Kent Phase 2

Ipswich Chord

Undoubtedly, we have learnt lessons during our time in the South East and with the unfortunate news of not being successful on the South East MAFA during CP5; we have secured the MAFA in Scotland and LNE which runs for three years, with an option for two additional years, taking this framework to 2019!

We are determined to ensure that we work closely with Network Rail and stakeholders to successfully deliver this framework. We are currently engaged on various Early Contractor Involvement schemes, with a view to pushing forward the engineering and development of projects in Scotland, which includes shortening commuter times from Aberdeen to Inverness. This will be achieved through the integration of multi-disciplined programme of works and the

design and construction of new structures, existing enhancements and new works to signalling and rail infrastructure along the routes, which will be controlled from Inverness Signalling Centre.

Closer to head office and London, we are engaged in a large opportunity for the new Hitachi trains located in London Ferme Park/Bounds Green, Doncaster Carr Loco, Newcastle Heaton and Leeds Neville Hill depots. A further three depots are located in Scotland at Edinburgh Craigentinny, Inverness and Aberdeen Clayhills.

Further business opportunities are progressing well in LNE to realise future works and we remain confident that by continuing to deliver safely, effectively and efficiently, there is no reason why we cannot be successful with greater work.

Transport supplier of the year

2014 Winner Best Large Project - Ipswich Chord

Collaboration - East Kent Phase 2

Community Engagement - Ipswich Chord(Highly Commended)

“It has been said that the Spencer Group ‘punches above its weight’ with the national publicity it receives and this has been no more evident than in 2014 when we won numerous awards, culminating in the prestigious Transport Supplier of the Year, 2014. Everyone should be justifiably proud of our achievements and it’s always pleasing to see recognition from our peers. I personally would like to thank everyone in the company for contributing to our success and long may it continue.”

Awards 2014

- David McLoughlin Managing Director

Best Renewable Project or Installation in the Humber Area

Wessex Package 7 – Platform Extensions

Tim Evans

Michael Hardie

Laura Wilkinson

Hannah Liddle

Jacquelyne Green

Paul Conboy

Tom Wesley

Steve Melvin

Kenny Chalmers

Colin Marshall

Will Evans

Terry De Paulo

Nick Sharp

Matt Corby

Ryan Walker

Stuart Thomas

Dan Turner

Gary Shepherdson

Tom Gotts

Kurt Jn Pierre

Peter Finch

Kevin Leaman

Key staff

To increase the length of the platforms at circa 50 stations in the Wessex region. This scope included associated civil, M&E, retail telecoms, operational telecoms, P-Way, signalling and 3rd rail works. Due to the nature and restricted access of the works an innovative design provided the client with the optimum solution to delivering the scope, whilst keeping the infrastructure operational.

The Spencer design established at tender stage provided the client with an initial budget saving of circa £2.1m. This innovative design, developed with our supply chain partners, which included mini piles, galvanised steel tressle frame and FRP platform decks. All of these components were designed piece small so they could be manually handled into position, with 85% of the system installed without the requirement of heavy plant and possessions.

Driving the concept design from the thoughts at tender stage (which won us the contract) all the way through the project to its conclusion, and only fine tuning the initial design on the journey.

“Due to the quantum of work in the South and the lack of technical infrastructure competence across the industry we suffered from hiring local infrastructure staff who took little responsibility and didn’t adopt the Spencer culture or systems. This was first witnessed at the post tender interview when our signalling specialist told the client during a possession ‘we’ll get done what we can’ much to the shock of both Tim Evans and Jim Bouston!”

Highlights:

Kick Off...One night back in 94’ a young Site Agent Gary Thornton left Ollerton Rail Bridge around midnight to go back to his nice warm digs! Meanwhile back at the coalface the Spencer diehards worked on. The forever young Paul Darby went into the site office through the night for some site information to see a couple of boxes of Hi-Vis vests strewed across the floor. So, as is common practice on site he kicked them into a pile not realizing his wonderful leader was asleep under the Hi-Viz vests. It later emerged that he had been locked out of his digs so returned to the site office to get his head down. Under the Limitation Act Paul has confessed that he gave Gary a good kicking! Sorry Gary.

Food Fight...At the Royal Oak Public House during Christmas drinks many years ago, Ron Mcreight had a few too many drinks and decided to throw a couple of sausage rolls at the labour workforce lads. So when he went to the gents, the lads planned a surprise for his return, a black forest cheesecake covering his face and white collared shirt. Ron took this all in good spirits, as always, and Charlie told him in the Bar ‘you reap what you sow Ron’.

Looking back on 25 years our people have a lot of memories that made them chuckle:

Test drive…Back in the 90’s Charlie bought a brand new BMW Z3 and asked Gary to look after it for 2 weeks while he went on holiday. So being an open and sharing business, the senior management team all had a drive of it over those 2 weeks, doubled the mileage and ran the engine in for Charlie. It was also used to pick up re-bar from the merchants with the roof down!

Curry Night…During a 36 hour possession at Newark Station circa 1998, we provided food for all the team on the Saturday night, Gary Thornton dived into a Tikka Masala and we never saw him again, he was hugging the porta loo all night!

Break-in goes wrong…In 1998 Tony Perin’s April fool backfired whilst on Sheffield Station. He mocked up a pretend break-in at the offices while Derek Barr was travelling into work. He told Derek that various pieces of equipment had been stolen. When Derek arrived and saw the evidence in the offices to suggest the break in, Derek was taken in with this for sure! Now imagine Tony’s face when Derek blurted out that he had already spoken to Charlie on the hands free to report the break-in following the earlier call from Tony. It is still not clear to this day how Charlie was informed it was an April fool?

A short tale…At Sheffield around the time of Tony Perrin’s accident (falling through the crash deck) we altered all the handles and put a letter box on his office door at about 300mm off the floor so he could reach them. For those of you who know Tony, this is still about the correct height!

The Interview…During a round of interviews Charlie wore a pair of glasses without any lenses in. Charlie kept sticking his finger through the frame to rub his eye. On another interview he rang Lucy to remind her that Castaway was on that evening. Lucy asked him if he had finished his interview and he replied ‘no, he’s still in here! We don’t know if the candidates got the job?

Spencer Pound…The theme of saving the Spencer Pound is not a new concept. In the very early days of the Spencer business, Charlie bought a transformer at auction thinking he would save a few quid. Unfortunately, when he got the transformer back he found it to be full of bricks and had no internal workings and worthless!

Do you remember the time...

Thanks Mate…Did you know what everyone’s best mate, Glen Smithson, said to our late friend Jason Hannah after Jase had been up to ‘the Cottage’ in Erskine and left his bottle of Molton Brown Cracked Black Pepper shower gel? ‘don’t worry Jase, whenever I use it, I’ll think of you’ chuckled Glen!

Trust Indicator…During the early days of importing company cars from the continent to avoid tax a very nervous and much younger Caroline Johnson took delivery of the cars from the docks. Upon returning to the yard having driven behind the workshop manager in the lead car, CJ noticed the car indicators were flashing on the opposite side to what they should have been. When she told him, he told CJ to go and tell Charlie there’s a problem with the cars. As the very scared CJ told Charlie and Chris, she caught a glimpse of the workshop lads laughing and flashing the indicators on the new cars!

Speeding…A long time ago, well before CO2 emissions, a site agent borrowed a company Subaru Impreza one weekend. A couple of weeks later an existing speeding ticket was doctored and issued to him via fax. Following a brief call to him regarding the speeding ticket, a fellow colleague Derek Barr (who was in on it) said the poor chap had gone white and went and sat in the corner after he saw it. Ten minutes later the site agent took a call from CJ who confirmed it had been an April fool! The site agent didn’t stop swearing at CJ and Derek for about 5 minutes as he was already on 9 points and would have been banned!

Bird Watching…Did you hear the story about the young lady that Lucy, Kate and CJ interviewed who was a part time underwear model and wasn’t wearing a bra? To cut a long story short, word had spread quickly through the Barrow offices…….. so when the interview had finished and the door was opened, the girls found an eagle eyed Paul Mundy loitering at the door as he was desperate to get a look at the interviewee and her prize assets!

Tight Fit…Quite a few years ago when we were working on the Bridlington boat hoist/harbour infill project, we had a joiner called Brian Atkinson (Yappa to those who knew him) working on the project. After we had completed the piling we were casting the concrete capping beam on a cold, frosty morning, Yappa was assisting, as we were getting ready for the concrete pour. As he was walking with a poker unit on his shoulder, he slipped and fell in the harbour. As we rushed to assist pulling him out, Yappa appeared above the water with the poker unit still on his shoulder and climbed the access ladder, which was funny enough seeing as he wasn’t hurt.

However, Yappa being well over 6 foot and about 17 stone was in need of some dry clothes, so went to the mess room where the only dry clothes available were Bob Graham’s spare 5’ 7” overalls. Watching Yappa squeeze into Bob’s spare overalls is one that will stick in the minds forever, as well as the laughs he got when he went back out on site to carry on with the concrete pour.

Did you know the business owns two floating vessels, a barge called Meeuw and Charlie Boy!

Did you know we agreed to buy Humber Quays offices the same day we won Wessex Package 7?

Did you know we were the first construction company in the UK to pay the ‘living wage’?

Did you know we have over 2000 pieces of plant worth in excess of £2m!

Did you...

Remembering Two Dear Friends

Our friend and colleague Jase, left us quickly in November 2009. To describe him, the following clichés immediately spring to mind; larger than life, one of life’s true gentleman, family man, company man, passionate, generous to a fault, bloody great big drama queen….

We sadly lost our friend and colleague Kenny Chalmers in May last year. He was a stalwart of the railway and held many positions in the industry from the age of 18, before joining Spencer Group in March 2010 as the rail infrastructure director.

He lived life to the full and had the respect of all that had the pleasure of working with him. His work resulted in him being based in London for the majority of his time at Spencer but he was a committed family man who often spent his free weekends at home in Glasgow with his wife Dawn and their family.

As we take a look back over the past 25 years we wanted to share our thoughts of two dear friends and colleagues who were taken from us suddenly in recent years. So please spare a thought for two gents who left their own individual mark on the Spencer family, Jason Hannah and Kenny Chalmers.

Jase was always impeccably turned out for work with a variety of colourful designer shirts and his trademark black ‘bouncer’ coat. However, come dress down Friday and all bets were off as to what he would turn up in. We had a parade of cropped denim, designer hoodies, a full on Daniella Westbrook Burberry jacket (which he never wore again), a rainbow of pink shirts, prison white trainers with fat laces and a full on brown combo that made him look like a UPS delivery driver (again, never worn twice)!

There are almost too many memories to write about and most of them wouldn’t mean much to any one who didn’t know him but then again, those that did know him could never quite understand his love of all things Minnie Mouse, so on that note, let’s sign off with the ring tone of ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and ‘Cheers Bud’!

Kenny was a colourful character who was renowned for his sense of style, whether it was his designer suits, his leather bracelets or his luminous orange trainers. He was a lifelong supporter of Glasgow Rangers. However when working in London he adopted Arsenal as his ‘London team’.

Kenny’s loss was shocking and tragic; many of us still struggle to come to terms with him not being here anymore. Colleagues and friends speak of him daily, which in itself provides an indication of the respect he enjoyed, not only from his own family, but the Spencer one to.

In Kenny’s words we say ‘tarrah’ but you are never far from us.

Jason Hannah

Kenny Chalmers

Day in the Life of Zoe HilditchZoe Hilditch, (employee, student, thespian, dancer and teacher) joined Spencer in September 2013 as Document Controller for the Gravesend project. She’s worked on New Cross Gate as general admin assistant/document control. She is currently the Administrative Assistant and Document Controller for the Hackney Interchange project we are delivering with LO.

Where most of us enjoyed the long Christmas break, Zoe provided vital admin and SAC support on the Finsbury Park possession, which she enjoyed as the works went smoothly and ‘it was good to experience different people from different fields working closely together.’

Where does Zoe see her future at Spencer?

‘Programme Management is something that I would like to do, but I currently do not have the technical knowledge, or where I should start. I am very interested in the Environment side of the business but I know that, realistically, I could not do this until I have finished my degree’.

Zoe is also studying at the Open University for an Environmental Studies/Management Degree which appeals to her love of science. She has completed a module on how energy is created and is using Spencer as her case study, which is analysing travel, waste and areas of the company that can impact on the environment. Zoe has pretty much done this solely off her own back which should be commended.

Now if having a full time job and studying for her degree is not enough, Zoe also has an active social life! Theatrical work/dance and singing are her passions outside of work and she is part of a repertory company that put together pantomimes (Dick Whittington at the Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford was her last show), original writing is involved in Corporate Murder Mystery shows, as well as doing the set and costume designs!

The Hackney project is the first time she has been based on a working site, instead of being in the office away from the action! This was a bonus, as she can see what is happening on site on an hourly basis and is heavily involved within the joint team from the start. This really helps her get into the ‘nitty gritty’ of what is required to make the works run smoothly.

For some, the role appears to be mind numbing and basic. However this can certainly not be the case for Zoe. She is passionate that this is not a throwaway role and that not only is it underrated but also the volume of work is sometimes not recognised.

Since the day she started, she has never felt unhappy in her role and it certainly is not a chore to come to work. She says ‘It is nice to see a project evolving and to be a part of something that will be completed and that the Company will get recognition for the hard work that has been put in to any project. It is nice to see the media feedback of what Spencer does, as I know that I have played some part in it’.

“It is nice to see a project evolving and to be a part of something that will be completed and that the Company will get recognition for the hard work that has been put in to any project.”

So what does Zoe do on a Saturday? ‘I teach dance for children!’

We asked how on earth she fits’s everything in… ‘I’m still trying to work that out’ she said!

Zoe Hilditch

Beat the Boss David McLaughlinVSDavid McLoughlin

David McLoughlin David McLaughlin

Total: 20/25Total: 15/25

Winner: David McLaughlin

1. Who has won more oscars than anyone else? 15. Mozzarella Cheese is

made from the milk of which animal?

5. Which European City is known as the Balti

Capital?

19. What is the study of Fossils?

9. Pandora Braithwaite was the girlfriend of

which literary character? 23. In Kipling’s Jungle Book, what kind of creature was Kaa?

3. Which tree bears conkers?

17. What was the christian name of Dr

Watson in the Sherlock Holmes stories?

7. The Carbohydrate group of foods is

composed of which three elements?

21. What is the commonest medical

condition?

11. What was traditionally made by a Chandler? 25. If a bat and a ball cost

£1.10 and the bat costs £1 more than the ball, how much money does the

ball cost ?

14. In which year was the Queen Mother born?

2. How many episodes of the TV Sit-Com Faulty

Towers were made? 16. On what everyday object would you find

the inscription ‘Decus Et Tutamen’?

6. What does SLR stand for as found in a

camera?

20. Which sporting legend is known as ‘The Golden Bear’?

10. Which country is the biggest producer

of coffee? 24. Who founded Lotus cars?

13. Who was the principal star of the American TV

series House?

4. What is the world’s most widely spoken

native tongue language?

18. Red Stripe Lager was originally produced in

which country?

8. John Bonham who died aged just 32 was

the former drummer of which rock band? 22. Which French

term means the front of a building?

12. The term ‘Pulmonary’ relates to which organ?

Questions

1. Walt Disney2. 123. Horse Chesnut4. Mandarin Chinese5. Birmingham6. Single Lens Reflection7. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen8. Led Zeppelin9. Adrian Mole10. Brazil11. Candles12. Lungs13. Hugh Laurie

14. 190015. Buffalo16. Pound Coin17. John18. Jamaica19. Palentology20. Jack Nicklaus21. Caries (Tooth Decay)22. Facade23. Snake24. Colin Chapmam25. 5p

Why not see if you can beat the boss! Answers to the left.

Simon Hornby

Chris Baines & Tom Kerins

Simon Noble

Anthony Smith

Daniel Sach

Pete Vessey

Laurel & Hardy

Simon Pegg

Tintin

Nicklas Bendtner

Bill Clinton

Barry from Eastenders

In true Spencer World tradition we take a look at the celebrities hiding within the Spencer staff

Which project have you chosen?

Irvine Bridge of Invention.

How did this project impact and shape us as a business

The project was very high profile in the area and attracted a lot of media attention.

What legacy has the project left in the business today, i.e lessons we have learnt?

The bridge still remains as a unique Engineering legacy that the company can market as innovators in the future.

What is different about how we did things then to how we do them now?

It was a unique project that gave everyone a buzz at the time because it was so different and unique, yet simple in it’s solution.

What was the highlight or defining moment of the project for you personally? lessons we have learnt?

The defining event was installing the bridge spans utilising a 500 tonne crane on the bank in combination with the Meuww barge with huge jacks installed on it to lower the moving span into position using the high tide to gain the height required. The whole event was covered by ITV News at the time, and I was interviewed on the regional news programme. Also I was interviewed for a Radio 4 programme on Innovative Engineering Projects.

Please give a brief outline of the scope of the project?

Providing a retractable bridge over the river Irvine as the entrance to the Museum of Invention in Irvine on the Ayrshire coast.

Tell me a little about the project team, people, or characters on the project?

Tim Evans oversaw the project with support from Iain Barclay, Craig Coggan, Harry Lindley and Dave Evans. Richard Parrot of Bennetts produced an excellent design on our behalf.

Gary Thornton

PROJECTMy Favourite

What do you think the future holds for the industry?

We are going through a rebuilding phase, but the future is bright. Opportunities are beginning to flourish, with projects such as Port of Tyne, and we are now exploring and delivering for the TfL group, London Underground and London Overground.

How important was it to move to the Gridiron office and what are the benefits?

Our new base has good transport links and sends the correct message to the industry. The quality of our Kings Cross St Pancras Gridiron office, including facilities for our staff and clients are second to none. It will provide us with a stable home for years to come as we grow in the South.

Has the industry changed and if so in what way?

The industry has changed in the last two years with major changes in direction in client bodies. Collaboration is now a key requirement and it was a great achievement in gaining the BS11000 accreditation. However, we must not forget that adherence to commercial conditions and contracts cannot be forgotten and we must challenge stakeholders in our collaborations.

Why is it important to have a southern base?

It is essential to have a stable base in the south as it’s the capital of the UK and also the area of greatest expenditure in the country. We have moved four times in four years which has not sent the right message to our clients and the industry.

What excites you about the industry?

We are in some of the most exciting times in recent living history in the UK construction industry. There are many world class pioneering projects such as Cross Rail, Thames Tideway Cross Rail 2 and HS2. There is a plan for record spending across industries such as rail, London underground, water, airports and road construction.

What excites you about the company?

Our tremendous potential. We are able to tackle complex engineering problems and come up with innovative solutions, utilising cross industry skill sets from within the business.

How has the company changed since you first worked here?

The people, and the fundamental values. We all want to do a good job, we all want to help each other, and as a company there are no boundaries to where we can go, and, therefore, what we can do and achieve.

Tell us about your last 18 months at Spencer?

My last 18months at Spencer have been challenging and exciting, you could say “never boring”. I re-joined expecting to run East Kent Resignalling Phase 2 (EKR2), which I had launched for Balfour Beatty, but this was thrown out the window on my first day when I received a call at 11.45om to see if I would go to Gravesend.

Gravesend was a monumental challenge, with the project and Christmas blockade on the verge of being cancelled. Fortunately, a great team effort resurrected the project and ensured the successful delivery of the blockade and project. It was touch and go at times and we really did run it to the wire, but a load of hard work and determination saw us through. During this time we were securing and setting up EKR2, and again the selection of good solid staff with a proven background has been key to its success.

Tom Kerins

Spencer were awarded three new stations under the West Yorkshire Rail Growth (WYRG) scheme. The first objective was to construct a new one-platform James Cook Hospital Station in Middlesbrough. Through working closely with Network Rail to overcome the winter challenges, the £1.2m station was completed on time and officially opened in July 2014 by the then Minister of State for Transport Baroness Kramer.

Dave Burn, Operations Director, said: ‘I was delighted Baroness Kramer was able to open the new James Cook Hospital Station, which has been developed in order to improve transport links for hospital staff and patients. The hard work of all the team, and in particular John Thomas, John Seaton and our clients Steve Watson, Abu Thalim and Rod Ferguson were all instrumental in the success of the project.’

We then moved directly across to West Yorkshire to begin works on the new £2.9m Apperley Bridge Station and £3.7m car park in Bradford.

The new station at Apperley includes a new access road, pick-up and drop-off point, 380-space car park, fully-accessible platforms with staircases and ramps with associated M&E and telecommunications services.

West Yorkshire Rail GrowthInitial construction of the new access road is underway; the access road will connect the car park with the station and the bridge, which will become a footbridge linking the two new platforms.Our onsite team was praised by Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin during a visit in December 2014 to Apperley Bridge.

The final part of the WYRG portfolio, Kirkstall Forge, is currently in design. We have established the contractor’s welfare facilities while initial enabling works and main construction work of the station and car park is expected to begin onsite in the coming weeks.

Dave Taylor, Project Director, said: ‘More than 50 Spencer staff have been working on the project since we began. Completing three different schemes of work under one project, while utilising the same team, has meant we have had to ensure the works remained on programme. We have done this by constantly monitoring progress during the project, as well as rigorous early planning prior to works starting.’

Future CAP’tinsCareer Advancement Programme (CAP)

The CAP is now in full swing and we’re six months in. The guys have put in a tremendous amount of work and we have delivered over 150 hours of coaching and 120 hours of mentorship.

The coaching sessions are geared towards developing leadership capabilities, with the mentoring sessions looking more at developing people’s knowledge, skills and abilities.

Aaron McIver commented that, “The CAP has been a success so far, but we must all continue to work hard to ensure we can maintain momentum here. We’re passionate about providing development opportunities to all our staff members, with the CAP being just one method for achieving this.”

“The CAP has been a success so far, but we must all continue to work hard to ensure we can maintain momentum here. We’re passionate about providing development opportunities to all our staff members, with the CAP being just one method for achieving this.”- Aaron McIver Training Manager

So far I have been given the chance to discuss development opportunities with my coach, mentor & senior management within the business. I have also been assigned stretch assignments which have provided me with new opportunities which have enabled me to develop my experience. I have read a number of different textbooks in my own time, I firmly believe the CAP will allow me to fast track my career at Spencer.

I am enjoying reading the leadership books, as well as being given the exposure to hierarchy within the business. Meeting my Coach on a monthly basis has also provided me with an excellent opportunity to truly develop my managerial and leadership skills. Having undertaken a Leadership assessment prior to the CAP kicking off, I am now seeing real results and I genuinely believe this is going to stand my career at Spencer in good stead.

I would certainly recommend the CAP to others to gain the exposure within the company hierarchy, if nothing else. The coaching and mentoring sessions are invaluable and provide focus to my development. The PDR system is fantastic. However, the CAP is an excellent way to progress in this business quickly. With such a bright future ahead of us - I am really excited about my future at Spencer.

Describe your CAP experience so far? What are you enjoying about the CAP?

Would you recommend the CAP to others?

The CAP has allowed me to experience a number of new areas. I have learned so much about leadership styles and I am confident that this will stand my career in good stead. I am now trying to push on with the workbooks and also providing evidence of the KSAs.

What have you learned or developed so far on the CAP?

Tony Wells tells us about his CAP experience...

Tony Wells

TfL

Our goal is that we want to become a supplier of choice for TfL across all areas. We want to develop the relationship so that they can offer us a long term framework to deliver their programme of works.

TfL is a new client of Spencer and operates as separate businesses such as London Underground (LU), Overground (LO) and DLR. We are working with LU on Southfields TPH and were successful with our Finsbury Possession work over Christmas 2014. We have successfully delivered New Cross Gate and are delivering Hackney Interchange with LO.

We are developing new opportunities to expand our portfolio with future works such as LU’s Asset Management programme – a programme to improve and manage existing assets, for example, land by stations which can be turned into retail, and LO’s station development programme of works in North London.

Chris Baines Chats to Spencer World About Future Opportunities in the South

Chris Baines

Network Rail

Opportunities will develop through competitive tendering, as works such as Crossrail, HS2 and the CP5 frameworks commence there will be a shortage of Tier one suppliers to deliver the works. Our long term goal with Network Rail is to work towards a Southern framework for CP6.

HS2

There are a lot of civils and infrastructure opportunities within the HS2 portfolio which is a 10-20 year two phase programme of works between London, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. We are currently in talks with a consortia of approximately six companies where we are establishing relationships to work together on HS2 projects.

Spencer Group is currently undertaking a series of delicate refurbishment works at a 100-year-old station in Scotland.

The team is required to deliver a series of works, including the refurbishment of platform canopies, refurbishment of the concourse roof and installation of a new access system to canopies, as well as both external and internal miscellaneous building works.The project was originally to be delivered over two financial years to take advantage of two summer periods and ensure tools could be downed during the winter periods, due to the marine environment of the stations and the impact of cold weather on painting works.

However, following inspections carried out during the works, the team was faced with a number of unforeseen challenges.

The station canopy is glazed with Georgian wire and has suffered from water ingress and a lack of maintenance due to poor access. As well as this, the current paint system is failing and rust can be seen throughout.

Almost 100 per cent of the existing slates were classified as unsuitable for the 150-year-old station’s coastal environment and needed replacing. A post-contract-award structural assessment also revealed significant overstressing in the existing structural members, requiring a substantial strengthening variation to be added to the package.

Further testing to remote areas of the roof revealed that existing lead coatings were still in place at some locations. As a result of this testing, it was determined that these required significant refurbishment.

Wemyss Bay StationTo overcome these challenges, the team had to adapt the working programmes and work through the winter period, implementing measures to maintain environmental conditions within the encapsulated painting zones. The project remains on course for completion prior to the winter of 2015/16.

Project Manager David Field is overseeing operations on the Wemyss Bay Station Canopy Refurbishment project.

“As with any structure more than a century old, once starting work to restore certain aspects, we uncovered other items,” he said.

“These issues have significantly impacted the contract programme but, through working closely with the client, we have implemented a permanent earthed section to one of the platforms, which means we will be closing one of the tracks to trains and, in effect, having isolation for an extended duration. This will allow certain activities to be undertaken safely as a daytime operation.”Further checks also revealed the Back to Back Angles have never been fully blasted but contain lead paint. Subsequently, the client has instructed Spencer to remove the lead paint.

On a daily basis there are between 35 and 40 tradesmen on site, ranging from blasters, scaffolders and painters to joiners, roofers and electricians. During nightshift possessions, there are generally 15 to 20 personnel working on site.

Despite the challenges, our team is continuing to make good progress.

Great Belt Link East Bridge Dehumidification- Denmark Provision of special access gantrys, wrapping the main cable, installation of plant room equipment and air distribution systems, painting of the cable clamps.

“An engineer with a Masters Degree in Physics cut his finger whilst chopping onions. After first aid he wiped the blood

off the knife with another finger, cutting himself again!

Same member of staff carefully removed a very hot metal casserole dish from the oven using oven gloves

(Safety Comes First), after removing the oven gloves he immediately picked up the extremely hot dish.

There’s a theme developing, re clever scientists and lack of

common sense!”

Highlights:

Working abroad in a forward thinking, technologically advanced country; people are very friendly, helpful and happy!

Andy MacDonaldRoss Campbelton

Tom InglisJoe DiMauro

Dudley Taylor

Key staff

Which project have you chosen?

Erskine Bridge Phase 1.

What legacy has the project left in the business today, i.e lessons we have learnt?

Good well planned execution of a difficult project, where the team learnt a lot about relationships and how to succeed even when the works and circumstances were not easy to work in.

Tell me a little about the project team, people, or characters on the project?

The project team was led by Glen Smithson, with Paul Coulson as QS, with our subcontractor, Copeland Engineering. A young man, Andy MacDonald, designed and detailed the new access platforms and hatchways with us for Copeland. Unfortunately Copeland ceased trading during the contract, and unluckily for them, but very fortunately for us, Andy decided to join Spencer towards the end of the project and is still with us. John Houston was one of our operatives on the project and he is still with us, leading our team of men out on the gantries in Denmark.

Please give a brief outline of the scope of the project?

Erskine Bridge, one of Scotland’s major highway stuctures, is a cable stay bridge which carries the A898 over the River Clyde. The only way to access the box girder section of the bridge to carry out inspections or any work was through a series of existing manholes located in the fast lane of the carriageway. This meant that every time access was required to the box section the fast lane had to be closed off at great cost and inconvenience to travellers. Phase 1 was to design and construct 16no access points along the bridge to enable access from the cycle path, over the handrailing, onto a new platform/walkway and through a new access hatchway in the sloping face of the box girder, therefore allowing unhindered access and no disruption to traffic.

Pete Vessey

How did this project impact and shape us as a business?

As a result of us securing this project, as our first major bridge project, and its hugely successful delivery from the project team, this project was a forerunner to three more phases of work on Erskine Bridge and our numerous contracts on Forth Road Bridge, Humber Bridge, Severn Bridge in the UK and Alvsborg and Great Belt Bridge in Europe.

What is different about how we did things then to how we do them now?

Not much, apart from the formalisation of a lot of the systems and the benefits of IT and SOS. What hasn’t changed is that success comes from collaboration with the client and subcontractors, together with a close relationship between the staff, foremen and operatives.

PROJECTMy Favourite

What was the highlight or defining moment of the project for you personally?

The highlight for me still is the memory of Kevin Griffiths and myself going for the post tender meeting, with some trepidation, in the London Office of Flint and Neill who were the client’s project manager and consultant. We had no previous experience of this type of work but we (mostly Kevin), through a series of intelligent answers and a little bluff, managed to persuade Flint and Neill that the business had all the attributes, attitude, systems and people to deliver the project.

With the launching of XER Toolkit Pro on 31st January 2015, Nick Halksworth, the Developer of XER, and Andy Jones, our Head of Planning, talk to Spencer World about the Toolkit.

What is the XER Toolkit?

NH: The XER Toolkit is a Microsoft Excel based tool for viewing and analysing Primavera P6 schedules without the need for an expensive Primavera P6 licence.

Who would use it and how might they benefit?

NH: Everyone involved with a project can use the XER toolkit, and different people will find different uses, e.g. a design manager may wish to review staffing levels for key resources across a programme of projects. Project managers may want to review their project’s performance in the form of an s-curve.

AJ: From a Planner’s point of view, time can be consumed producing various views, filters and timeslices through specialist planning software such as Primavera, because of their limitations with their presentation and communication capabilities. This can cause issues with maintaining control of the current programme.

We therefore note within our tenders that we have developed the XER Toolkit, which provides the client and everyone involved, with an additional planning tool to boost Collaboration. Not to mention that Primavera is Network Rail’s primary Planning software used across nearly all of their jobs.

XER Toolkit

Why did we create it?

NH: One of the most frequent criticisms levelled against planning engineers by the wider project team is lack of visibility of the project schedule. There can also be mistrust resulting in lack of ownership by project stakeholders as they were not involved in the schedule’s original development.

AJ: XER Toolkit provides a solution to this… we are now issuing programmes to the project team using xer toolkit where individuals can sort, filter and time slice to their specific requirements in excel. In addition, we utilise the toolkit as a further quality check of the programme utilising it’s own schedule integrity facility.

Now the Pro version has launched, what’s next for the Toolkit?

NH: The XER toolkit is currently limited by design for viewing and analysing only schedules developed using Primavera P6. In the short term, we will be developing the capability to read and import from other propriety planning packages e.g. Microsoft Project & ASTA Power Project. In the longer term, we will also be looking at the development of risk analysis capability.

Nick HalksworthAndy Jones

The scope of works is to replace four solid steel “A-frames”, which connect the main span bridge deck to the towers at either end of the bridge and carry out associated strengthening work. Each weighs five tonnes and is below the 1,410-metre main span of the bridge. Due to wear and tear, exacerbated because of the dynamic forces on the giant structure over the 32 years since it was built, the A-frame bearing, which allows them to move as the bridge contracts and expands with the weather, needs to be replaced. The lateral forces are to be compensated by the installation of a ‘windshoe’ mounted centrally to the deck box. A Spencer designed hydraulic ram & bearing system acts against the windshoe to absorb wind loading on the bridge deck and reduce the associated loads on the new bearing system. Spencer-designed

temporary, load-bearing “arms” will be installed to enable the A-frames to be dismantled and removed before the permanent solution is put in place, to precision engineering standards. Concrete strengthening work will also be carried out.

Humber Bridge A-FramesReplacement

Daniel SmithJoe BennettMerv BoothPaul MundyEllis Jacklin

Key staff

“Pennine Control Electricians worked through their lunch break and came down for a very well deserved cup of tea and a bite to eat at 16:00 hours.

Whilst sitting in the mess cabin thinking what a really good team effort had just been achieved, the Pennine Control Manager went in and told them he

did not think it would be worth them going back onto the bridge for one hour (all four electricians getting excited at the prospect of going home an

hour early) but they may as well power on through till 19:00 hours now!

Watching their long sad faces on their long walk back to the bridge, never ever assume, that is the lesson learnt.”

Highlights:

Following months of dimensional surveying, fabrication, preparation, enabling works and precision drilling, watching the two halves of the 20t pendel steel being installed into predrilled connection holes onto the structure and seeing the splices come together perfectly.

Biomass facility at Hull docksScope of Works:

The provision of a new road unloading facility of biomass fuel, which is elevated via a 400m long conveyor to the top of the train loading facility. The 50m high 2000t storage silo was constructed using the continuous slipform method over 9 days. A Pebco shute installed within the silo fills the train wagons which is controlled from a new control room within. The train travels at 5mph and fills 25 wagons in 45 minutes with 1500tonne of biomass material. Three trains a day are loaded and supplied to Drax power station via the remodelled P-Way track installation. In excess of a million tonnes have been transported successfully in the past year!

Highlights:

Loading twenty five wagons for the first time without any spillage of Biomass!

“Charlie was approached by Ken Brunton, an elderly gentleman who lives in Hull and where from his elevated

apartment position he watched the construction progress, took photos and videos. Ken`s first job at fourteen years of

age was as a lighterman on King George dock, Hull some seventy years ago.

Charlie invited Ken and we kitted him out in PPE where he watched some of the early commissioning. He has sent a very polite and complimentary letter to the business in

appreciation of his time.”

Derek BarrIan AtkinsonPeter Sykes

Dan MitchellPaul TomkinsonChris Charlton

John SneePhil Harker

Bob GrahamJim TruemanRichard Scott

Key staff

A Bright future for Chase Meadow Signalling‘Chase Meadow Signalling are proud of their expertise and investment in the future of Rail Signalling Engineering, both through their Apprentice Programme and investment in continued professional development.’

2014 was a year of change and consolidation for Chase Meadow Signalling, not only did they celebrate 10 years of growth - following a collaborative agreement between Spencer Group and Chase Meadow Consultants, the company re-branded as Chase Meadow Signalling to more accurately reflect the strategic plan to develop a multi-functional one-stop delivery proposition for the rail signalling sector.

CEO Craig Purcell said: ‘This is an extremely exciting time for everyone involved with Chase Meadow Signalling. It is the start of a new chapter in the company’s history and one that I’m sure will be hugely successful. Responding to the market for single point of delivery solutions, Chase Meadow Signalling in-house specialists combine design, installation, test & commissioning expertise in a one-stop multi-disciplinary team.’

We have relocated our headquarters to a new “rural” setting just 2 miles outside Stratford upon Avon. The new premises provide a strong base for future growth and development, as well as additional space to develop quality training facilities for the company’s new Apprenticeship in Signalling Design & Engineering scheme.

Craig commented; ‘It has been a long held ambition to bring new blood into the industry and we are delighted that we will be at the forefront of that trend through our Trailblazer programme; whilst supporting existing staff with a commitment to continued professional development.’

Craig spends some of his leisure time enjoying an outdoor life when business allows, along with his partner Natalie and his dog (Missus) who is a constant companion, “Mucking out stables is a great way to relax and a complete change from the pressures of the working day”. A recent convert to horse riding, Craig has also found a new challenge in staying in the saddle and avoiding the floor; it is quite a long way down!

About Craig...

Slipform is a non interrupted, cast in situ method of construction in which concrete is poured continuously, with no joints, to create flawless concrete structures.

• Risk Management: Providing a one-stop slipform solution

• Design: Development of bespoke slip formed structure designs from first principles

• Safety: Designated walkways designed with a solid perimeter to all working decks

• Control: Hourly advanced measurement mapping technique, provides real time updates

• Concrete: Designed to provide high quality surface finish and guarantee structural integrity

• Rebar: Design mitigation to industry-wide on site construction challenges

• External Cladding: Designed to provide a solid barrier to the façade and additional safety

• Efficiency: Component weights minimised to ease on-site installation and programme

Exciting times in slipforming!

Spencer Group have recently formed a division called Slipform Engineering, who are the only specialist, design and build, UK contractor delivering innovative slipform project solutions, both individually and as part of our wider infrastructure developments.

We are proud to offer our clients the following services which ensure we have complete control over all aspects of our projects, while providing an economically competitive solution.

Our Head of Department, Eamon Hanley, is passionate about delivering a first class service to our clients. He said ‘our unique solution overcomes key challenges that prevail in the industry, whilst maximising quality and the safety of stakeholders.’

Our desire is to push through existing construction methodologies to provide safe and economical methodologies of working, enabling efficiencies to be shared with our clients.

With demonstrable experience in the delivery of slipform project solutions, we have applied lessons learned from past projects, and modern construction techniques, to develop our unique design solutions.

Pioneering in-house slipform design solution

Directly employed labour

Significant experience of slipform project

design and delivery

Quality focus Economically competitive

solutions

Shaping Our Future

How is the business currently structured…describe the new structure etc.

We have sought to create a single organisation, combining the capabilities across the business.

This means that under the Spencer Group banner we have a single management structure, that incorporates our rail, engineering and design divisions.

The various department leads have been previously communicated in organogram form and this structure is now establishing itself within the business. This will help us communicate more effectively across the business.

In delivery, for the purpose of organogram production, we have adopted a regional structure. This is to try to deploy our people on projects in their home location – something that we have found difficult to do over the past couple of years.

We see our future success founded on integrated project teams that encompass all the necessary disciplines to deliver the works. This will draw our various skills together to ensure the project team are empowered to deliver the service our clients require from within the team. This should boost ownership and responsibility and produce a more streamlined approach to delivery.

This delivery model is supported by a single proposals/procurement team who are responsible for winning work. It will draw on the local delivery teams for support and contribution to ensure we produce compelling bids and secure ownership from the outset.

When will the new structure be cascaded to include all departments and teams?

Soon. It is clear that the nature of these will be different across the business, as some are more fluid than others. What is important is to know who you work for – if you are unsure – ask. Remember we get the best results when we place people “in position” so you may be called on to undertake a role that may not form part of your team’s current area. Going forward, we will always aim to do this in conjunction with other departments.

Gary Thornton explains how our new structure will take the business forward

What benefits will this bring to our people

Clarity, ownership, responsibility and by combining our skills to form an integrated team to target a common goal, a real sense of purpose.

What benefits will this bring to our clients and suppliers (one team, duplication, resource issues)

Clarity is the biggest benefit.

Suppliers will know that the single procurement/proposals team will be able to reward those that support us to win work, with work.

Clients will gain a better insight into the breadth of services we offer under the Spencer Group – it is often the case that we pitch for an engineering project and a client becomes aware of our rail capability and vice versa.

Hopefully it will equip us all to advise our clients to drop C Spencer Ltd, Spencers and even Charlie Spencers in daily references to our business – but it will take time.

What is the business now called (Spencer Group, C Spencer Ltd) etc.

We are all Spencer Group….. And let’s act like one!

How will this enhance / change / affect our future, strategy and growth etc.

Hopefully the umbrella of the Spencer Group will allow us to continue to diversify our products and services without causing confusion to the brand. As a progressive entrepreneurial business we will always seek to develop into areas that are complementary to our current skill set, and, although these may have unique identities – like Energy Works – they will sit under the Spencer Group.

Gary Thornton

We have a competitive edge with our leading – and internationally renowned – consulting and design organisation. We should be rightly proud of this and thus we need to maximise its potential. Plans will be put in place to do this.

We are expecting strong recovery in the wider economy to generate significant demand for our services in both the engineering and rail sector. Indeed this is a strong pipeline of opportunities with us currently preferred bidder on a number of significant engineering projects.

We also expect considerable demand for our services in the rail sector on the back of recent national recognition of our performance, most notably winning Transport Supplier of the Year, 2014. With relatively new clients such as Transport for London and Train Operating Companies we will seek to leverage our great relationships with clients, strength of our people and technical expertise to continue to win work in these home markets and where appropriate abroad.

Over the past number of years Spencer has established a reputation in the renewable sector, particularly with respect to the handling and storage of biomass materials. With strong relationships with Drax, Eggborough and Lynemouth power stations we have supported power generators and their supply ports with engineering design and infrastructure solutions and we expect this to continue.

Long term relationships and partnerships will remain at the heart of everything we do. Understanding client requirements and offering innovative value adding engineering solutions to their problems are what this business has been built on and will remain at the core of all our operations.

Safety, and keeping our work force safe, will remain a key priority for the business, with our focus remaining on a commitment to reduce to zero the number of instances of harm caused as a result of our activities.

We have a highly ambitious plan to grow the business to £240m turnover by 2017/18. It is not just my commitment but that of the whole team at Spencer who count in achieving this. Despite the challenges that we have faced in 2014 the energy and drive of our business leaders faced with difficult choices and the dedication of the whole Spencer family to serving our clients and commitments is inspirational.

I can honestly look to the future with confidence and we should all be proud of what this business has achieved in the last 25 years and what we can achieve together in the next 25 years.

As some of these contracts came to an end over the latter stages of 2014 and early 2015 we have recognised that much of our growth has been at relatively low margin levels. Therefore as we continue through 2015 and beyond we need to respond decisively to these challenges and in particular improve our commercial practice to drive higher levels of profitability, tackle inefficiencies and reduce waste across the business. This may be a difficult time for us.

We remain committed to diversifying our business through investment in new markets and increasing our breadth of services and skills through recruitment of apprentices, graduates and niche talents from across all sectors. We have bolstered and strengthened our capabilities through the acquisition of businesses such as Chase Meadows and appointments of key individuals in areas of market growth, such as slipforming and waste heat recovery.

However I also recognise growth must be achieved through investment in our existing employees through training and development to support promotion from within our existing talent pool. Also, we will increasingly look to ourselves to provide a self delivery capability to ensure we are delivering true value to our clients and remain in control of the quality we have rightly become recognised for.

In the last few years Spencer has achieved rapid growth through building strong collaborative relationships with many clients, and our presence in the country has expanded, winning significant Rail contracts in the South. These contracts brought national recognition and we achieved exceptional standards of delivery on projects owing to the huge effort of Spencer employees. I and the Board would like to thank all staff for their personal commitment and hard work over the years.

How is the Next 25 Years shaping up

David McLoughlin

0113 815 0015mailbox@cspencerltd.co.ukwww.thespencergroup.co.uk

A Thank You from Charlie

I would like to say thank you to all our staff, our clients and suppliers for their incredible loyalty and efforts in helping us celebrate our 25 year anniversary.

I’m immensely proud of what our people have achieved from such humble beginnings. People have always been the key to our success, without which we would not have been able to achieve this landmark. I truly believe our business has been fortunate to employ some of the best staff in the industry!

We have also been privileged to work with some truly fantastic clients and suppliers who have enabled us to grow and develop as a business.

We should all look back and be proud of our tremendous achievements and look forward to a busy and prosperous future just around the corner!

th