Company News Archive

Constructive Dialogue

Dec 2006

If you may remember, we carried out a customer survey in May last year and on studying the result we realised that we needed to improve upon our communication to our customers. In order to address this issue we have decided to publish our own regular newsletter called Constructive Dialogue. This does not only cover any major news related to Sibmar, but also covers subjects that are currently influencing the UK construction industry from a contractors point of view.

Our first issue was sent out this month to most of our customers and has been received with a very encouraging response. We promised to plant a tree for every 100 visitors to our updated website in the next three months and we have already planted more than 40 trees!

If you have not received the newsletter, please click here to download a copy of the winter issue of Construction Dialogue.

20 Great James Street Opening

Nov 2006

The completion of this specialist restoration project on a 260 year old building for Circle 33 was celebrated with a gala event and a guided tour of the property. Sibmar welcomed every guest with a glass of sparkling champagne.

At a reception held to showcase the completed property, Kim Parkins, Managing Director of Circle 33 said 'The restoration of this remarkable old house has been demanding and our teams have had to find creative solutions to the unique problems posed by a listed building. I'm thrilled to be here to celebrate with them and congratulate them all on the finished project.'

Guests at the event included local Camden Counciler Sue Vincent, who said 'I am pleased to be here and join with you in celebrating the restoration of this lovely old building to its former glory. What is also exciting is that the house will provide 6 new affordable homes in the borough, demonstrating that beautiful surroundings are not exclusively for the well-off.'

Sibmar Construction worked closely with ARP Architects, Circle 33 and structural engineers, Osborne Edwards to maintain the character of this historically important building.

Accreditable Performance

Sept 2006

Sibmar has just been awarded ISO 9000 certification.

ISO 9001:2000 – to give it its more up-to-date description – is an internationally agreed standard which formally defines the requirements for a quality management system (QMS). It requires certified companies to document their own QMS, and identifies the minimum range of documents that must be created, controlled and maintained. Sibmar already had its own QMS, and so found the accreditation process relatively straightforward.

ISO 9000 is also designed to be compatible with other management system standards, such as ISO 14001 (environmental), OHSAS 18001 (health and safety) and ISO 27001 (information security) so that they can – if required – be integrated seamlessly.

Housing Training The Builders

Aug 2006

Of the 4,500 registered building companies in Greater London only around 150 – three per cent – have a CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)-approved training plan. This was one the findings to come to light when Sibmar recently had its own training plan approved – thus becoming one of the 150.

David Griffiths, CITB Company Advisor to Sibmar, helped the Loughton-based constructor to assess and record details of every employee’s skill levels, and then to develop a tailor-made training programme based around each individual’s requirements. The plan will then be used on an on-going basis to check progress.

Waste Not

July 2006

As both part of its ongoing commitment to the environment – and its drive to improve efficiency – Sibmar has embraced the BRE’s (Building Research Establishment) SMARTWaste waste management system. SMARTWaste (Site Methodology to Audit, Reduce and Target Waste) provides a web-based practical approach to evaluating waste and its generation. It helps to improve productivity and use of resources, and identify potential cost savings – which can then be passed on to customers.

Knowledge Partner- Kingston University

Feb. 2006

Sibmar has also recently entered into a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Kingston University in Surrey. KTPs are an initiative by the Department of Trade and Industry to enable small and medium sized companies (SMEs) to access the intellectual resources of Britain’s universities to be utilised on projects which will not only make major improvements to the company but also a strong positive difference in the industry.

Kingston University’s C-SCAIPE (Centre for Sustainable Communities Achieved through Integrated Professional Education) aims to stimulate students’ commitment to sustainability through project-based learning and direct links to industry. Junaid Kazi, who recently completed his masters degree at Kingston University, is currently working with Sibmar on a range of business development and
sustainability projects.

Gold Standard

Dec 2005

Sibmar has become one of only 521 construction companies in the UK to achieve the Construction Skills Certification Scheme’s (CSCS) Gold Standard. The CSCS standard monitors occupational competence and health and safety awareness.

A report published by Mintel in 2006 estimated that over 189,000 UK-based companies were engaged in construction work in 2005, placing the industry’s 521 Gold Standard holders in an elite of less than one per cent.