Member Article

A festive chat with… Peter Whitmore of Wates Construction, Southern Home Counties and South West.

Today’s festive favourite is Peter Whitmore, Business Unit Director for Wates Construction, Southern Home Counties and South West.

2015 – Looking Back

What were the highlights for your business in 2015?

2015 has been a significant year for Wates Construction in the South with some major project wins in the year. This includes being appointed to deliver two new luxury care developments in Berkshire and Surrey by Signature Senior Lifestyle. This contract is cumulatively worth £34m, a substantial project for us.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently this year?

We have remained consistent in our ability to deliver a quality product for our customers but I believe that there is always room to improve. We must continue to increase supply chain engagement by offering training initiatives and best practice seminars. We must also provide further support for the communities in which we work and we have some exciting plans for this next year.

How has your industry changed in the last year?

We’ve seen the market pick up significantly over the last twelve months and return to steady growth, in line with the UK economy. The private sector has particularly shown a resurgence and the opportunities are now similar to pre-recession levels. Here in the South East, Wates has capitalized on this in the senior living and commercial sectors. We have also seen an increase in public sector activity, such as secondary schools.

In order to meet this demand we’ve increased our staff base by 20% - from around 100 to 120 people. We’ve also begun to introduce more trainees and apprentices to the business and have appointed six young people this year alone.

2016 – Moving Forward

What are your key focuses for next year?

Next year will see Wates continue to strive towards a balanced portfolio of public and private sector work. This strategy reflects the consistency of public sector opportunities as well as the desire to capitalise upon the buoyant private sector.

The projects within our portfolio will typically range from £10m to £60m, a range we are now able to achieve following the successful year of growth we have enjoyed in the region.

We are also going to place further emphasis on utilising frameworks such as the Southern Construction and National Defence Frameworks.

What are you most looking forward to in 2016?

Essentially we’re looking to continue our successful growth strategy, securing new contracts in line with the market returning to strength.

Our recent batch of trainees will be completing their apprenticeships next year and I will take particular pleasure in contributing to the future of our industry through employability initiatives like this.

I also look forward to widening our community engagement programme and investing in the local areas we serve.

What do you expect will be your biggest challenge in the coming year?

I suspect the challenges will very much remain the same for 2016. The skills gap our industry is set to face must be addressed by investing in training and employment opportunities for young people.

Maintaining a supportive working environment that focuses on employee engagement and development will also be key. This is particularly important in a buoyant market, and is compounded by the construction sector’s growth on the whole.

The Softer Stuff

If you could go back in time, which piece of advice would you give your younger self?

Firstly, treat others as you’d expect to be treated yourself and secondly, do not be afraid to be involved in the detail. This can make the difference between success and failure.

How will you be celebrating the festive period?

I’ll be spending time with family and friends and enjoying time away from emails whilst everyone is on holiday - ready to come back refreshed in the New Year.

Take a look at previous ‘festive favourites’ across the South East and London:

Rahul Parekh, CEO and co-founder of EatFirst

Tracy Ewen, managing director at IGF Invoice Finance

Michael Page, joint managing director of Saracen Interiors

Martin Campbell, managing director of fintech startup Ormsby Street

Salman Iftekhar and Michael Gadsby, co-founders of Staffing Match

Graham Marley, chief executive of Let’s Do Business Group

Sarah Anglim, founder and managing director of Gatwick’s I Love Meet and Greet Parking

Kristian Poliszczuk, director of online job portal Workango

James Wyatt, partner of Surrey letting agency, Barton Wyatt

Wayne Treveil, CEO of Tenants Plus

Darren Rigden, partner at Crowe Clark Whitehill

Michael Kent, CEO and founder of Azimo

Gary Turner, managing director of Xero

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .