Director’s welcome
Welcome to the Spring edition of Horizon Construction Group’s newsletter.
On 9 February, Horizon Construction turned 21. It doesn’t feel that long ago when in 1999, Steve Tilley and I [Phil Holding] kicked things off with the conversion and refurbishment of The Barn Brasserie in Great Tey, Essex. Today, Horizon Construction is a little different, having undertaken over £250m of work since formation and now with 50 employed staff across the group – see ‘who we are‘. Both Steve and I would like to thank everyone involved in our journey so far, and we both look forward to the group’s future.
Since our previous edition, there has been a lot of development, at last, in politics and for our economy. With the result of the General Election and implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement for Brexit, we are noticing a positive change in confidence about the outlook and expectations. Even though the construction sector has been fairly buoyant over recent years, there has been notable changes and behaviours which have impacted on construction projects. However, with the return of growing confidence over the last 12 months, we have seen an increase in tender enquiries and more positivity surrounding potential projects from clients. I was delighted to have published two articles in regional publications addressing these issues – “Horizon Construction turns 21” and “Better view of construction“.
Towards the end of 2019, I announced the arrival of Andrew Porcas as Managing Estimator, and now, due to the growth in tender enquiries, I am pleased to welcome Darren Hines who has joined our team as Senior Estimator. Darren is no stranger to Horizon Construction, having working here previously for 4 years. He brings a wealth of experience to the group and will be another valued member of the estimating team.
A further new appointment is Jo Ajayi as Office Manager. She will manage the Administration team and focus on enhancing administrative processes for the benefit of our clients and to support the continued growth of operations.
As you’ll see below, our team have been extremely busy working on projects across all our construction sectors: Automotive, Commercial, Education, Healthcare, Residential, Conversion and Refurbishment. We have also secured several new projects which we will announce in our next newsletter.
Outside of work we have two members of staff, Rebecca Mitchell and Ben Bendelow, in training for this year’s London Marathon to raise money for the Brain Tumour Research Charity, an organisation close to our hearts. We also have Georgina Tilley, wife of our Commercial Director, Steve Tilley, and his sister, Julia Tilley, cycling 50K around London at night to raise money to fight breast, cervical and ovarian cancers. On behalf of the whole team, we wish them all the very best in their challenges and reaching their fundraising targets – your support would be appreciated.
Please contact us if you would like further information about any particular project or have a general enquiry.
Phil Holding
Managing Director
Project updates
Automotive construction: BMW and MINI, Hindhead, Surrey
Works continue to progress well at our site in Hindhead, building a £7m BMW and MINI showroom and aftersales facility. Completion will be in August 2020. Our architectural partners, Taylor Design Architects, produced a short video which merges the final visuals of the new facility with works at the site.
Healthcare construction: Westhill, Dartford, Kent
Our new care home contract in Dartford is progressing well for a new client, Bostal Group, creating a 4 storey, 78-bedroom bespoke care home for mixed-use requirements.
Residential construction: Chelmsford, Essex
Construction is well underway at Railway Street, Chelmsford, forming 14 flats for a regular client, South East Property Group. The site is very confined but our team have addressed the problems and are progressing well.
Healthcare construction: Fornham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Construction is going well for a longstanding client, Healthcare Homes, to add 17 bedrooms and associated facilities to their existing site. A ‘topping out’ ceremony is planned for mid-March when roof coverings near completion.
Residential construction: Wix, Essex
We have commenced works on 11 houses in Wix, Essex, for a large Chinese developer, which is their first construction project in the UK. Complicated sub-structures and drainage are complete and works to superstructure are in progress.
Education construction: Chelmsford County High School for Girls, Essex
Work commenced in February on £5.2m project to construct a new sports hall and teaching block. We are pleased to be working again with PCH Associates on this design and build contract.
Commercial construction: Essex Wildlife Trust, Laindon
Work has now commenced for Essex Wildlife Trust to create a new visitor centre and car park at Laindon, Essex. The project is due for completion in the summer and will be a valued addition to their facility.
Residential construction: Colchester, Essex
Works to convert the former offices of a client, NEEB Holdings, are very close to completion. The site on St Peters Street is adjacent to Colchester’s famous Castle Park. The conversion will create 10 flats; each consisting of 1 or 2 bedrooms.
Completed projects
Healthcare construction: Woodbridge, Suffolk
We completed a variety of work for the expansion and development of facilities at Haughgate House nursing home, Woodbridge, Suffolk. All works were carried out to a high standard using suitable materials for a building of this nature and located within a Conservation Area.
Residential construction: Weeley, Essex
We completed 14 houses of varying size in Weeley, Essex, for NEEB Holdings. The project has been very well received and acknowledged for its high quality, which includes winning an NHBC “Pride in the Job” Award.
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