Member Article

First £1million contract for Service Connections

A North East utility infrastructure business has secured its first £1million contract.

The work, on a major mixed use town centre regeneration project for Yorkshire based Dransfield Properties, comes at a time in which Services Connections Ltd. is experiencing unprecedented growth.

It will see the Corbridge based company project manage and deliver the gas, water, electricity and telephony connections for the £42million scheme on a 28 acre site in Stocksbridge, near Sheffield.

The Fox Valley scheme has attracted over £8 million from the Yorkshire and Humber European Regional Development Fund, managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Being built by Henry Boot Construction, It will deliver 114 new homes as well as 32 retail units and high spec offices, which will create around 160,000 sq. ft. of commercial space.

Keith Macaulay, Managing Director at Service Connections, said: “When developers are working on challenging projects it is exceptionally difficult to organise utilities with all the individual providers involved. By adopting a proactive, holistic and experienced approach to the implementation of these services, we are able to work with the client to deliver a smoother transition in keeping with the schedule of the build programme.”

“We are delighted to win our first £1million contract which will mean turnover will more than double in 2015. It shows the strength of the construction industry recovery and allows us to invest in new people and new technology.

“A sound expansion model has enabled us to bid for and win new work and we will be recruiting new employees in the coming months. We have expanded our North East office and are considering potential office space in Yorkshire, which would provide us a base in an area that is extremely important to the business.”

This innovative approach has secured Service Connections new contracts nationwide - with the largest proportion in the North of England – and has seen projected turnover grow from £300,000 to over £2.25 million in a single year.

The company is working on a number of high profile residential projects across the North East at Corbridge, Benton, Seaton Burn, Seaton Deleval and Stanley. These involve providing service to properties for clients including building developments owned by Arch, Derwentside Homes, Isos Housing Group and Northumberland County Council.

Service Connections has also recently started work on a project in Hull for Dransfield Properties, which specialises in town and district centre schemes and developed the award winning Sanderson Arcade in Morpeth - opened in 2009.

Managing Director, Mark Dransfield, said: “Fox Valley is the most ambitious scheme we have worked on during our 23 year history. It is a large, former industrial site and ensuring we manage the utilities correctly at this early stage is a crucial part of the scheme’s success.

“We are pleased to be working with Service Connections which has the right expertise to work on a project of this scale and complexity. They don’t just put pipes and cables in the ground but devote great attention to detailed preparation ensuring potential pitfalls are identified and avoided - making schemes less stressful and avoiding delays.”

Service Connections was established by Keith Macaulay in 2007 to build and manage the construction of gas, water, electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .