John Kallend brings us up to speed on a Client that let us build them a new Store in Llandudno in 2003. The team has grown out of the Leeds office by Matt Gordon and Neil Hennessey and pretty soon after that first Project we were winning awards and more importantly getting jobs with names we could pronounce. Savage started it; winning The "Asda Brick Award" and a Bronze Considerate Contractors Award in 2004. In 2006 RG's won "Best Team Supplier Award" for our team approach and well done to Steve Kelly for Gosforth and Andy Jones for King's Hill winning Bronze awards recently
On receiving his congratulatory RG paper clips, Craig said "It was all me really; no one else. It helped when I told the monitor guy from CCS that he looked young for his age"
By the end of 2008 we will have delivered nearly £200m worth of Projects, that's our Asda price. This will have been made up of 6 new builds, 6 extensions, 2 developers shell fit-outs, 5 refurbs, 9 aquisitions and 2 cricket matches, soon to be 3!
PROJECT PROFILE - ASDA STOCKTON
New build store on land owned next to a trading Asda. The existing car park is turned through 90 degrees using ground dynamic compaction. Following opening the existing store will be demolished and turned into car park. Completion is April 23rd; one year after it started
RG Team: Julian "Keep me away from Stella" Bradshaw, Hector Savage, Chris "Hollywood" Cullimore", George "Where's mi dinner" Maylett and Mike "Boyley" Boyle
RG GROWTH AND DIVERSITY
Some time ago we recognized that for the future of the company to be truly sustainable we needed a diverse spread of clients and work types. This required a commitment to steady growth in order to fulfill the service level needs of all our clients. The first step of this journey required us to consolidate our position within the retail construction sector and the goal was to work with the best UK retail clients. We are very pleased with the progress to date and continue to pursue opportunities within the retail sector. Retailers with whom we had never worked before do consider us to be different, as our core values translate into work being delivered with certainty and the minimum of fuss
CLIENT WATCH
Clients; you gotta love ‘em; but do you help them? Sainsbury’s have an e-mail free Wednesday policy. Staff are encouraged to not send e-mails, but only if this does not affect the business. Try not to send anyone at Sainsbury’s an e-mail on a Wednesday, or indeed like Kevin O’Connor; send e-mails at 11pm the night before to make it look like you’re working hard :-)
INTERVIEW WITH A CLIENT
Steve Perry is one of Ikea's Construction Project Managers and has been with them since 2001. Before that he was a Project manager for Sainsbury's and that is when he first met RG
Tell us about the perfect project "I believe having all stake holders (Client, Deisgners & Specialist Contractors) involved at the early design stage of the project would go a long way to enable the delivery 0f the perfect project. Oh Yes! And The Client not making late changes in the design and construction phase may also help"
What changes have you noticed in the contruction industry over the years? "The main change for me has been the increased speed with which projects are procured and delivered"
What; if anything; do you like about RG? "For me The RG Group have always been about delivery and making sure that as a Client we receive one to one service that we require. The culture and fit of the RG Group also works well with Ikea, it's about people at the end of the day"
How could RG's process be improved to make your role easier? "That is a difficult one to answer. Time is one of the big factros and having enough of it to deal with the real urgent tasks. So I would guess having standard procedures across all projects may go some way to improving this but do you already have this in place?"
I'm asking the questions thank you very much. But yes; there's only one Mike Ridger. What frustrates you about your job? "Nothing really comes to mind that really frustrates me in my job, it's all about having the right attitude to overcome any frustrations"
You do always seem calm when others around you are less so, what is your secret? "That has been said before but there is no secret; again it's about attitude. But don't be fooled; there are many times when you can be like a swan, calm and serene on the surface but below the legs are working like mad!"
Can you speak Swedish? "No, my Swedish has not improved but the international language within Ikea in English, so I don't have to work hard to make myself understood when talking to co-workers from across Ikea world. I have met a couple of people called Sven if that helps"
Once, during a meeting where the architect's phone went off with yet another 'trendy' ring tone, Paul Choat said "Your phone's got more rings than a Basildon tart". You told Mr. Choat that your wife is from Basildon, what were you feeling at the time? "I was joking but you should have seen his face ..."
What floats the Steve Perry boat outside of work? "I enjoy my family holidays, running / keeping fit and supporting The Hammers. Alright maybe the last one was stretching it a bit!"
Thank you Steve Perry. As a token of thanks I won't mention the time you called me to your room at 7am to dress you after a football injury from the night before
RG CHELMSFORD DOES SPORT RELIEF
Springfield is not just the most common town name in the US, it is also the place where Mike Casey and the RG team raised over £6,000 for Sport Relief. The goody bags disappeared all too early on the Friday, but this was just the warm up. Saturday was manic. So many people turned up (quite a few having seen the set-up the day before). On hand was a superb magician, a bouncy castle and a big shiny JCB for kids to sit in
Ivor Goodsite from Considerate Contractors was on hand to help out and properly entered into the on site spirit by only speaking Polish. Thanks go to Halsall Electrical, Northants Roofing, Dave Montebello, D&R Scaffolding, Careys, Scudders and Fit-Out UK
STAFFORAMA
LOOK-A-LIKEY
Which one of these is 80s TV presenter 'Gaz Top' Jones and which one is Steve Schofield? Took me 20 minutes. Ironically Gaz Top now demands to be called Gareth and Schoey will only answer to Mr Schofield
MY FAVOURITES
Colorado Goldwyn joined RGs in 1995 working on the SSL project at Braintree after re-locating from the North of England. She says "It was a bit of an eye opener as the team got accused of being Tree Murderer’s, managed to cut the power to the whole town and I learnt the principles of “horsing it in". It convinced me that RGs was a fantastic company with the greatest asset any company can have – fantastic and unique employees". Congratulations to Col who passed the 10 year RG milestone on 16th May
music foo fighters
film some like it hot - 2 Jazz musicians (curtis & lemmon) witness the St Valentines day massacre and elude their gangster pursuers disguised as women after joining an all girl band headed for Miami. Fantastic comedy that has stood the test of time – one that you can watch with all the family
book Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - set in the depression in America it tells the story of a family migrating from Oaklahoma to California in search of the “promised land" - it is a tribute to the human spirit and still incredibly relevant today with the migrant workforce across Europe. Although tough and heart breaking at times it makes you re-evaluate your life and appreciate the important things
holiday mountain biking in Utah and Colorado or climbing Kilamanjaro
song The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary - gives away my age
name you wish you’d been called well I guess I’d have to say Colorado Goldwyn seeing as I changed my name to that – although I still do want to change it to Cherry Pie before I turn 50
restaurant Randell & Aubin, Brewer St, London; fantastic sea food, really buzzy and fun place
FOOTBALL MASTER CLASS WITH SOUTH AFRICAN, LOUIS VAN DER MERWE
Use this special move to distract the defender. I call it 'the old lady'. Next month 'I've got crabs' which works well in the final third
p.s. my back and fingers are better now thankyou. For all RG team results; check out the sister website http://rgsports.blogspot.com/ Holy Communion - not just something Batman would say. Mark Sanderson underwent his first at Easter following his confirmation. Mark would be pleased to share his Church experiences with any enquiring RG minds. Mark has been described as being a little over-zealous in applying Genesis 1:28
A word from Siena India Paige Caheney's Mum; "Just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for the gorgeous flowers from RGs, they were very much appreciated, and the lovely messages of congratulations. I’ve attached a photo of Siena at one day old." Siena was born 18-May; 8lb 7ozs
Hello Zack Kemspter Allaway, born at 4.11pm on 22nd April weighing 7lbs 12. He's not had it easy so far, having a true knot in his umbilical cord which tightened on delivery cutting off his oxygen. 'Bing' as he's become affectionately known after being given the name by his big brother Barney, 2, is recovering well. Zack, 0, said "If that wasn't bad enough, then my parents gave me a stupid middle name. But at least I'm not ginger"
Welcome Gavin Warburton-Pugh our new construction manager is 43 and lives in Muswell Hill. He had his own joinery business and in his spare time he likes jet-skiing in Poole and supporting Barnet, Spurs and Whetstone Wanderers (his son is a player and they are top of the league). Not that Gav could have much spare time, he and Carolyn have 3 sons and 2 daughters. Gavin also thinks his life sounds boring and that I could make something up about him. But I shan't
Incidentally Gavin used to be a woman called Susan and is only in building to get closer to "real men"
Bonjour Kyle McGrory who is 21 and lives in Leeds currently studying QSing at Leeds Met Uni and on day release (to RG; not from prison). Kyle has played rugby league to a very high standard but a back injury changed his career. Here Kyle is pictured with his hand on a tiger's bottom in The Dominican Republic
James Mead our new TP manager has go-karted since he was 14 "I'm better than Mick" he said when he joined. He has travelled to the US, Goa, Italy, Austria and Germany in the last few years and this shot was taken by his girlfriend about to go under The Rialto Bridge in Venice
CAPTION COMPETITION
Your chance to get your own back on The Editor. Suggestions by 24th July please, here's one to get you started "Can we turn down the setting on this door curtain"
Closing date for items for August issue of RG Bargy 24th July ... unless its a late hot story like this one from the Sydenham site earlier this year ... which 2 young construction managers over indulged the night before and got into work 3 and a half hours late?
1 comment:
Well - what a great publication
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