Ede’s moves in to take CMOTY title
Ede’s (UK) Ltd takes the overall title at the Commercial Mover of the Year Awards, sponsored by PHS Teacrate
Ede’s (UK) Ltd has clinched the prestigious title of Commercial Mover of the Year 2008, following tough competition from a wide range of entrants throughout the BAR CMG membership.
This year’s competition, sponsored by PHS Teacrate and in association with PFM Magazine, introduced a new format – 3 categories and one overall winner. The categories of Commercial Move (Up to 50 People); Commercial Move (Over 50 People); and Corporate Move Partnership (2 years Minimum) now give a wider range of projects the chance to win a title. Each entrant was required to submit a case study of one particular client move, occurring between November 2006 and November 2007, demonstrating partnership and best practice.
Preliminary judging was completed by PFM Editor, Jane Fenwick and Publisher, Peter Middup who individually scored all 27 entries on the key features of Partnership, Achievement, Communication, Budget, Move Schedule, Flexibility, Project Management and Degree of Difficulty. The standard of entries this year was extremely high with both judges commenting that many of the entrants who did not reach the last stage this year were actually on a par with the finalists from previous years. Nevertheless, Jane and Peter were in agreement on the 9 projects to reach the final, 3 in each category:
Commercial Move Up to 50 People - Harrow Green Ltd, JFM Moving Services Ltd, Maidman’s Removals and Storage Ltd
Commercial Move Over 50 People - BCL, Premier Moves Ltd, Russel Fewins Ltd
Corporate Move Partnership (2Yr+) - Ede’s (UK) Ltd, Exclusive Move Solutions, Whittle Movers Ltd
During the last fortnight in April, the finalists were subjected to more rigorous judging carried out by Simon Johns, Sales Director of sponsors PHS Teacrate, Maurice Tidy, Director General of the FMA, and, once again, Peter Middup. Each finalist hosted a thorough site visit lasting an hour and a half during which the judges were impressed by the level of partnership that must exist between today’s removal experts and their clients in order to execute a successful move.
Simon Johns says, “As judges, we were particularly struck by the involvement and enthusiasm of the on-site project managers as well as the degree of expertise they demonstrated. These qualities were evident in all of the finalists and prove how the industry is focussing on service excellence.”
In the end, only one or two points separated the frontrunners with Ede’s (UK) Ltd, Harrow Green Ltd and BCL winning their respective categories. Unsurprisingly, many of the finalists achieved close to the maximum number of points available but it was Ede’s that received the highest score, thus awarding them the overall title.
And so, the race is on for next year. Who will be voted Commercial Mover of the Year 2009?

FPB seeks ministerial pledge to support smallest firms
The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is urging senior MPs, including the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, to pledge their support for the UK’s smallest firms. In particular, the FPB is lobbying politicians to consider the impact of regulation on the smallest businesses at every stage of the legislative process.
The FPB has written to members of both the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet, seeking support for its ‘Think Smallest First’ campaign, calling on them to go one step further than the recently-published Small Business Act for Europe, which encourages European Union (EU) legislators to ‘think small first’.
More than 99% of the UK’s 4.5 million businesses are ‘small’ (0 to 49 members of staff); however, the majority employ fewer than 10 employees. On average, the FPB’s members employ just 10 people. The FPB believes that, by prioritising the concerns of these companies, the ability of all small businesses to be competitive would be significantly improved.
"It is widely acknowledged that small businesses across the UK are struggling to cope with the increasing burden of red tape and other barriers to growth, such as the UK’s disproportionate tax system," said the FPB’s Chief Executive, Phil Orford. "The key issue is that businesses at the lower end of the size scale most often lack the resources to overcome these barriers. Considering the smallest, most vulnerable firms has to be the number one priority of all politicians when it comes to legislating on enterprise."
The Small Business Act for Europe echoes many of the FPB’s other arguments, including improving access to public contracts for smaller firms, reducing rates of VAT and tackling the late payment of suppliers. However, as the Act is not binding on EU Member States, there is no guarantee that its provisions will become real policies.
Mr Orford added: "More than ever, given the current economic slowdown, it is a important that Parliamentarians in the UK take the lead – and the responsibility – for the nation’s smallest firms. Promoting the growth of these businesses will have a positive effect for the economy as a whole."
The FPB’s pledge to ‘Think Smallest First’ is not a contract and is not legally binding. It simply emphasises an acknowledgement and understanding of the concerns of small businesses across the UK.

High Performance Protection For Office Desktop Systems
The new iDialog uninterruptible power supply from Riello UPS offers compact and versatile power protection with advanced features for office-based desktop PCs, workstations and small entry-level servers.
The typical office desktop is packed with essential data processing and communications devices including a powerful PC and widescreen monitor, digital telephone, mobile phone, printer and the occasional iPOD. The iDialog UPS can be used to power all these devices, providing a convenient point of connection and control. Within a home office environment the UPS can be as easily used to power entertainment, satellite and cable equipment.
iDialog ensures that any connected devices are protected from surges and spikes when mains is present, and provides a load dependent runtime of up to 10 minutes or more from its battery. The UPS runs straight from the box and is simple to install. Four rear panel IEC320 universal sockets provide sufficient power outlets for a typical desktop set up. A single top panel push-button turns the UPS on or off and users can see the status of the UPS from three LED indicators. iDialog Plus models have a backlit display providing easy-to-read information: load %, battery charge % and operating status.
The UPS is silent in operation and its compact size means that it can be placed on a tower PC or desktop. The UPS has a USB port for remote communications and can be installed with PowerShield? monitoring software – available via download from the Riello UPS extranet. The iDialog UPS also have rear panel surge protected telephone connector sockets. There are three models in the range (400, 600 and 800VA) with the top entry model retailing for £63 plus delivery and VAT. The UPS has a 2 year inclusive warranty.
For more product information visit www.riello-ups.co.uk or call the Sales hotline 0800 269 394 or email sales@riello-ups.co.uk.

Marshalls Street Furniture Launch Outdoor Living Rooms Concept
Outdoor Living Rooms is an innovative new concept in street furniture from Marshalls Street Furniture’s French Partners Sineu Graff. Developed to promote the creation of public spaces by encouraging social interaction and participation, and with the objective of ultimately building sustainable communities, the ranges include seats, armchairs, loungers, footrests and low tables. Furniture can also be grouped in configurations to provide opportunities for socialising and relaxing.
Outdoor Living Rooms showcases five new co-ordinated ranges; Garden City has been designed in collaboration with industry designer Cecile Planche and has a light transparent aesthetic which is constructed from steel with luxurious arm rest facings in a mahogany tinted hardwood. Optima uses clean and elegant lines with steel legs and hardwood slats in a deep mahogany finish, only the essentials are retained in the design to create an outdoor suite designed to be as uncluttered as possible. Optima also has a bench and a high table making it suitable for the creation of a contemporary eating area.
There are three ranges in cast iron and timber; Opera has a restrained design offering simplicity and elegance and the more traditional Café range features cast iron legs that incorporate an integral armrest. Elite brings contemporary design with an original leg profile.
Marshalls Street Furniture specialise in the design, manufacture and sourcing of beautiful street furniture and the Outdoor Living Rooms concept is just one of a full range of products for architects and specifiers who are looking for coordinating furniture to make strong statements within their schemes.
Full information on Outdoor Living Rooms is contained in the new 2008 Marshalls Street Furniture Product Selector. For a copy please call: 0870 600 2425 or visit www.marshalls.co.uk/streetfurniture

Water treatment becomes trendy
The last decade has seen major advances in Information Technology which, together with improved instrumentation, have allowed a wide range of industrial process control parameters to be measured, monitored, logged, trended and accessed remotely. Whilst this technology has been embraced enthusiastically by many production facilities, it is taking much longer for IT to be accepted in the water treatment field. Part of the reason for this is that water treatment is still considered, by many plant engineers, to be rather arcane. It’s all very well to be able to log and trend data but, unless you know how to interpret those trends and when to take action, the availability of the information is not of any great benefit. Now ELGA Process Water has introduced AquatrendTM – a plant monitoring service that puts a water treatment expert on the customer’s team, helping plant engineers to get to grips with myths and realities of water treatment.
The way AquatrendTM works is as follows. Firstly ELGA Process Water’s treatment specialists work with the customer’s plant engineering team to carry out a detailed audit of the water treatment plant, comparing current performance with the original design and future requirements. Then the team identifies and agrees a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which will be monitored. The KPIs will vary from one site to another depending on what the water treatment plant is used for, but typical KPIs include raw water quality, treated water quality, treated water volume output, wastewater per unit of treated water, resin regeneration or membrane cleaning frequency and so on. For each KPI the team will set a normal or target value, an early warning level and an action level. For example, an ion exchange deioniser may initially produce 1000m3 of treated water between regenerations. As the anion resin deteriorates with age this volumetric output will fall. An Early Warning of resin deterioration may be when the output falls to, say 800m3. At this stage the customer might buy a replacement charge of anion resin which will be fitted when output falls to the Action Level of, maybe, 700m3. But output between regenerations is also affected by raw water quality, so a 20% increase in TDS would reduce the output to the Early Warning level even if the resin is in perfect condition. Organic fouling can also affect capacity. This is why it is so important to have the ELGA Process Water expert on the team – who will be able to identify real resin deterioration from apparent deterioration due to outside influences.
Monitoring can take a variety of forms depending on the customer’s preference: electronic data logging, traditional Log Sheets or Statistical Process Control (SPC) Charts for the customer to collect data. If the customer has electronic Data Acquisition or Datalogging facilities then ELGA Process Water can monitor the plant remotely, using telephone or Internet access. However the information is collected, it is reviewed by an ELGA Process Water specialist who reports regularly on trends and provides simple explanations of technical issues and clear recommendations of actions required.
Further Information: ELGA Process Water, Tel + 44 (0) 1628 897000, Email: sales.uk@veoliawater.com, Web: www.elgaprocesswater.co.uk

New Depot for PHS Teacrate’s Expanding Team
PHS Teacrate opens a new state-of-the-art depot and appoints a Key Account Manager to provide a more attentive service for valued customers.
PHS Teacrate, the UK’s largest crate rental company, has been busy recruiting essential personnel to join its expanding team at the brand new, state-of-the-art facility in Beckton. Substantial investment at the site has provided an excellent base for staff in East London, including sales and operations staff.
One significant appointment has been that of Paul Bullock who has been promoted to Key Account Manager in order to give valued customers a dedicated point of contact. Paul brings with him 20 years of experience in the crate rental business, having previously headed up the sales department for OCS Quick Crates, purchased by Teacrate towards the end of 2007.
In addition to Paul’s appointment, several new faces have appeared on the packaging telesales team, reinforcing PHS Teacrate’s position as a one-stop-shop for the storage and removals industry and providing a 24-hour turnaround on orders.
Simon Johns, Sales Director for PHS Teacrate says, “As PHS Teacrate grows and develops we are keeping a focus on our customers. The experience that Paul brings with him is invaluable in helping us maintain customer satisfaction and exceed expectations while this key investment in buildings and team members will provide customers with a pleasant, streamlined ordering experience. We’re certain that current and prospective customers will notice the difference.”
Enquiries: Simon Johns, t: 020 8282 0000 f: 020 8282 0022, Email: simonj@teacrate.com

A sight and sound to behold
Rockfon ceilings installed within Optometry and Vision Science School
Work has now been completed on the £20 million development at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University. Now recognised as one of the leading facilities in its field, the school boasts state-of-the-art equipment in a building that has been designed and developed to be sustainable, contemporary and visually stimulating. Over 7,000 square metres of Rockfon’s Koral tile was specified for the project for its acoustic properties and aesthetic value.
The School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, one of the largest in the UK, is home to 28 academics, 4 clinicians, 17 post-doctoral fellows, 42 post-graduate students, and 12 school staff. High quality optometric services are available for the public and the staff and students of the university.
Contractors Richard Kemble Ceilings have installed over 30,000 square metres of Rockfon products in the last year and are therefore well suited to recommend Rockfon products. Contractor Richard Kemble comments, “We showed the clients other projects we have completed using Rockfon products and they really liked how they looked and the technical properties. We have a great relationship with Rockfon and will be continuing to use them on many more projects in the future”.
Approximately 7,000 square metres of Rockfon Koral tiles were installed within the school providing vital acoustic properties. The micro textured, painted white surface ensures high sound absorption. Within educational establishments it is important that sound levels are kept to a minimum and contained. This was one of the key considerations for Architects Boyes Rees. Associate Director, Kevin Dumbill comments, “We chose to use Rockfon’s ceiling system for its highly attuned acoustic properties. The product offered value for money whilst providing the quality that our client needed and that the building deserved. We particularly liked the appearance of the grid”.
Rockfon Koral tiles were used with the RockLink Integra grid system, a visible box grid with a clear recess or track between the ceiling tiles. By using the Integra grid system, partitions, signs and track lighting can be easily fixed to the recess. Made from galvanised steel with a smooth white visible surface, the Integra grid compliments the tile to create a crisp, clean, white finish, in keeping with the rest of the building.
For product information Call: 0800 389 0314 or email us on info@rockfon.co.uk website: www.rockfon.co.uk

PHS Teacrate appoints new regional sales manager
Crate rental and packaging company PHS Teacrate has appointed Kevin Spackman as Regional Sales Manager, covering the south of the UK. Kevin joins PHS Teacrate from fellow PHS Group company, Orwak, and brings with him a wealth of experience of working in front line sales.
“I’m looking forward to a fresh new challenge in working for PHS Teacrate, which is a growing business with a strong reputation and exciting opportunities for the future,” said Kevin.
Kevin will report to Simon Johns, Sales Director, who said of Kevin’s appointment, “Kevin is an excellent addition to our growing team, and his experience in sales that he brings from his time at Orwak, will be a valuable asset.”
Kevin originates from Zimbabwe and is a fan of rugby, fishing and motor sports.
PHS Teacrate is the UK’s leading crate rental company, supplying a wide product range including crates, trays, pallets, handling equipment and packaging materials, for the removals, storage and logistics markets.
Enquiries: Simon Johns, Tel: 020 8282 0000, Email: simonj@teacrate.com

PHS Group acquires document archiving and records management company DataSafe Management Ltd
Leading workplace services provider PHS Group (PHS) acquired the records management and archiving business DataSafe Management Ltd. (DataSafe) on 28th March 2008.
Following the acquisition, business has remained very much ‘as usual’ for customers of DataSafe. To mark the new era of the business, the division has been re-branded as PHS DataSafe, signalling the start of PHS’ investment in the business, focusing on the delivery of a quality service.
David Wicks of PHS Group has taken the role of Managing Director for DataSafe. He is positive about the development, “I am very pleased to announce that PHS has acquired this well established and respected organisation. DataSafe’s service range complements our own well, and will serve to strengthen our core business areas, while adding valuable new ones.”
DataSafe has traded in the UK since 2002 and is a forerunner in the market of document storage and records management. Ian Burchett, General Manager of DataSafe comments: “DataSafe’s ethos is to provide customers with 100% service, taking the worry away from establishing and maintaining on-site document management. PHS specialises in such services for businesses, so the fit of the two companies is very good. I am pleased with the acquisition, which takes DataSafe, its customers and its employees to the next level of development.”
Enquiries: Ian Burchett, Tel: 0121 328 7200, Email: ib@datasafeweb.com

London is the most expensive place to park in the World
London is the most expensive place to park in the world according to the Colliers global parking rate report.
On a daily basis it costs $68.07 (£33.85) to park in the City of London and $62.23 (£30.95) to park in
London’s West End. To park in New York’s midtown area cost’s just $40 and in Tokyo daily parking charges are $46.
The top ten daily parking rates worldwide are:
London – City $68.07
Amsterdam, Netherlands $66.16
London – West End $62.23
Moscow, Russia $61.54
The Hague, Netherlands $61.54
Vienna, Australia $61.54
Sydney, Australia $54.47
Copenhagen, Denmark $51.58
Frankfurt, Germany $46.16
Helsinki, Finland $46.16
The cheapest city to park in is Delhi at $1.75 for the day.
Mark Taylor, Head of Offices at Colliers CRE, comments: “We all know London is an expensive place to park, but to find out it’s the most expensive place to park in the world is quite a shock.
“This research clearly shows that in order to retain its position as one of the world’s leading financial centres London’s infrastructure needs to be dramatically improved.”

Great Grandfather still working at the age of 94
At the grand age of 94, you would expect Saul Magrill to be long retired. But the great grandfather loves his job so much that he has no plans to leave.
Mr Magrill, of Cyncoed, Cardiff, has clocked up an impressive 77 years of work throughout his life.
The senior commercial property consultant said: “I can’t think that there are many people, if any, who can say they have been in business unbroken for 77 years.
“The thought of retiring never appealed to me because I love the business. I find it very exciting and interesting. It’s meeting people of every kind and from different cultures. Cardiff is full of people from all over the world. It’s the sheer variety of life.”
It is only in the last six months that Mr Magrill has started working part time in his role at Chris John and Partners, in Pontcanna, Cardiff.
He said: “If the office thought I was too old to be there they wouldn’t have me. Young people have to be guided and helped and that’s what I’m able to do. I’m probably not just the oldest there, I’m probably the oldest anywhere. I can’t believe there are any others.”
Mr Magrill has now been bestowed with a lifetime achievement award from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Wales (RICS) to mark his dedication to the job.
The RICS member, who served in World War II, said: “To me it was like a dream come true.
“RICS is the top professional body for the property profession in the world. I take great pride in receiving an award of this nature from RICS, I can’t think of anything better.”
“Property was in my blood all my life and I enjoy doing it, I would very much recommend a career in surveying to anybody.”