Whitbread has teamed up with a national hygiene services provider to form a specialist FM business that will look after premises for the hospitality group. The company has joined forces with Environmental Biotech to establish WHR Facilities Management. The move grows out of a partnership between the two that began just over three years ago when Whitbread consolidated its list of suppliers. Since then, Environmental Biotech has been servicing over 1,700 Whitbread outlets including Premier Inn Hotels, Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants, and Costa Coffee outlets. WHR FM will initially provide a nationwide network of mobile technicians, with services being rolled out to Whitbread sites within the next 12 months.
H&V News
Eastern expansion for EIC
01/01/2010
The new Ipswich office will specialise in engineered facilities management services to add to EIC's existing m&e design and installation services. EIC provides the full range of design, installation and maintenance services to clients across the retail, leisure, education, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. EIC has offices in Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire, London, West Yorkshire and Edinburgh with further regional offices around the UK providing a national network of coverage
Balfour Beatty
BIFM
Balfour Beatty reports strong FM order book
01/11/2009
Balfour Beatty’s good interim performance has been buoyed by a strong order book from its UK FM division, a trading statement said.Trading performance continues to be in line with expectations, note the interim trading statement covering the period 28 June to 10 November, 2009.Average net cash is in excess of £260m. In the period Balfour also completed the acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff “which was substantially funded by a rights issue and, in addition, had net cash on acquisition of $188m (£114m).”
Balfour Beatty
i-FM net
Balfour Beatty bullish
01/11/2009
Balfour Beatty, the international construction to services group, has released an interim management statement reflecting good performance across almost all divisions, plus a positive outlook for the future.Its WorkPlace division, the facilities management business, is operating on target and also has 'a strong order book and good prospects of further work'.
Carillion
i-FM net
Carillion remains bullish on support services
01/10/2009
In its third quarter interim management statement, Carillion says things are looking good in support services. It expects to show an increased operating profit at the end of the year and has its largest ever pipeline of future opportunities
Carillion
i-FM net
Carillion in positive mood
01/12/2008
Support services continue to be a major driver of earnings growth, accounting for over half the group's underlying operating profit. Revenue is expected to increase substantially in 2008, Carillion says, primarily as a result of its acquisition of Alfred McAlpine at the beginning of the year
Carillion
i-FM net
Carillion optimistic despite tough UK markets
01/12/2009
The services to construction group expects revenue to decline in its markets at home but operating profits look good generally, as do future orders.In its support services business stream, it expects operating profit for 2009 to increase despite a 'slight' reduction in revenue which, Carillion says, will result from its policy of contract selectivity combined with the disposal of non-core businesses including Enviros.
Carillion
i-FM net
Carillion teams up with AWA to make change easier
01/08/2009
Carillion Workplace Solutions has formed a partnership with transition specialists Advanced Workplace Associates targeting the need of large organisations to drive down costs and improve workplace performance.The current economic climate paints a challenging picture for UK businesses for the foreseeable future, says CWS Director David Sterry. The pressure is on, and will stay on, for organisations to make best use of their accommodation.
Carillion
i-FM net
Carillion to sell environmental business?
01/09/2009
Enviros, which works with clients on a wide range of environmental issues, would be the second Alfred McAlpine business to be sold. Carillion disposed of its IT division, also acquired in the McAlpine deal, in June of this year.
Carillion
i-FM net
Support services help drive Carillion
01/08/2009
Carillion's half-year results show solid growth, helped by good performance in the support services sector and the continued integration of the Alfred McAlpine business. Group revenue was up 13% to £2.72bn, with underlying profit before tax up 17% to £62.6m.Revenue in the support services segment – which for Carillion covers facilities management, facilities services, rail services, road maintenance, utility services and consultancy business - climbed to £1.28bn, up 8% on the comparable period last year. Underlying operating profit here was 10% higher at £42.9m. The company says its performance improved despite more competitive market conditions. It is also benefiting from the McAlpine integration and re-organisation costs savings, as well as from new contracts won. It adds that those new contracts will 'more than compensate' for the loss of its contracts with HSBC (awarded to Interserve recently) and Aviva, which is due to terminate next year.
Compass Group plc
BIFM
Compass full-year profits rise by a third
01/11/2009
International catering giant Compass Group has reported a 34 per cent increase in profits in its full-year results.In the year to 30 September Compass saw underlying profits climb from £662m to £884m, not allowing for the impact of currency fluctuations.Revenue grew from £11.44bn to £13.44bn, a 17.5 per cent increase. An aggressive cost-cutting programme also saw the caterer and support services business improve its margins by 80 basis points from 5.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent.Compass has achieved efficiency savings of £130m in the last fiscal year. Reduced back office functions have helped it save a further £31m by streamlining its back office procedures and processes.Support services is playing an increasingly bigger role in the group’s operations. In the last year the proportion of revenues raised by multi-service contracts rose to over 18 per cent. Compass reports that more than £200m of contracts for bundled service delivery were signed with companies from the business and industry sector in the last twelve months.
Compass Group plc
Daily Telegraph
Compass points to strength despite the downturn
01/09/2009
The world's largest catering group said in an update ahead of its full-year results in November that revenues for the year would inch up by 1pc, before currency movements.As well as organic growth, CEO, Richard Cousins gave strong signals that the company was looking to make acquisitions this winter to gain new clients and contracts.
Compass Group plc
i-FM net
Compass grows but UK slips a bit
01/11/2009
Group revenue climbed to £13.4bn, a rise of 17.5% - though measured on a constant currency basis, the rise was 1.3%. Operating profit was up 34% (13% constant currency) to £884m.Cousins noted: "Support services are becoming an ever more important part of our business. The delivery of multi services, that is bundled food and support services, now accounts for 18% of group revenues (comprising 5% foodservice and 13% support services). In 2009 we signed over £200m of new multi service Business & Industry contracts, more than half coming from cross-selling to existing clients."
Faceo
PFM
Faceo enters strategic partnership with SDI Group
01/12/2008
Faceo FM UK Ltd has entered into a partnership with the SDI Group UK, the leading specialist in the provision of integrated materials handling solutions, to provide a total site and warehouse maintenance package. This new maintenance solution will enable customers to have a single point of contact for all site related issues, removing the need to manage multiple contractors and reducing the associated administrative burden. Furthermore, SDI Group UK will be able to utilise the new partnership to drive down maintenance costs through multi-skilling, supplier reduction, efficient management control and added purchasing power.
G4S Integrated Services
BIFM
G4S continues upwards growth
01/11/2009
Security group G4S predicts a strong financial year-end based on a 12 per cent rise in operating profits in the first nine months of 2009.Revenues were up 9 per cent, at constant exchange rates, in the period to the end of September, an interim trading statement said. Margins rose by 0.2 per cent at the one of the world’s largest security providers.
Haden
Building.co.uk
Haden Building Management rebrands as Balfour Beatty WorkPlace
01/11/2008
Haden Building Management has rebranded as Balfour Beatty WorkPlace and plans to grow turnover from £400m to £1bn within five years. The facilities management arm of Balfour Beatty said the move would see it provide more all-round facilities management services to its “increasingly sophisticated” group of clients.
Interserve
i-FM net
New Commercial MD at Interserve
01/04/2009
Tony Sanders has been named Managing Director – Commercial at FM provider Interserve. Sanders joins Interserve from Compass Services where he held positions of Business Efficiency Director, responsible for business efficiency across all business sectors, and Managing Director in the Education Division.
Interserve
i-FM net
Interserve positive despite services hit
01/01/2010
Specialist services saw the worst of the challenging conditions. Following restructuring, this division – which delivers mainly security and engineering services - returned to profitability during the second half of 2009. But, Interserve says, given the uncertain demand outlook in the markets served by the division, the Board has looked at the carrying value of goodwill and now plans an exceptional impairment charge of about £30m.
Interserve
i-FM net
Some good, some bad at Interserve
01/11/2009
The latest interim management statement from the services, maintenance and building group tells a story of success in some areas of a marketplace that remains both competitive and challenging across the board.Interserve says that demand for facilities management services is strong in the public and utilities sectors. However, the business continues to be 'adversely affected' by market conditions in the private sector: both volumes and margins remain under pressure. Cost-reduction programmes are being implemented across the division, which will impact results in the short-term.
Interserve
RTT News
Interserve Says July To Date Trading In Line With View; Wins Place On GBP 4 Bln Partnerships For Schools - Update
01/11/2009
Services, maintenance and building company Interserve Plc (IRV.L: News ) said Monday in an interim management statement that trading is in line with the board's expectations for the period July 1, 2009 to date, benefiting from strong performances in Middle East construction and equipment services segments, combined with ongoing stability in public and utilities sectors in the UK. Separately, the company announced that it has won a place on new GBP 4 billion partnerships for schools, or PfS, national contractors' framework.
Interserve
BIFM
Interserve buoyant on strong FM performance
01/11/2009
Interserve reports a strong cash position to improve its net debt position, according to an interim statement covering the period from 1 July to date.The position is strong compared to 30 June, 2009, when net debt stood at £85.1m, the Interim Management Statement noted. “This reflects continued focus on reducing capital expenditure, primarily within the equipment services business, and an improved working capital position, including a favourable contribution from advance payments. The services, maintenance and building group, said it has “committed facilities in place of £250m expiring in or after 2011, the group retains a resilient balance sheet”.
Interserve
Press Association
Interserve reports rise in profits
01/08/2009
Support services and building firm Interserve overcame a squeeze on its private sector customers to post a 19% rise in first-half profits. The firm weathered the worst of the recession with strong trading from its public sector and Middle East businesses with pre-tax profits of £40 million.The Reading-based firm also announced a five-year contract with South West Water for maintenance and project work worth around £100 million. Interserve said it was still winning work in the private sector after contract wins with major companies including HSBC and retailer Argos, but expects the current "challenging" environment to continue. Contracts won in the first half included a deal to manage seven sites in Leeds for the city's NHS Foundation Trust, a 10-year scheme for building services in Ealing, west London, and facilities management work in schools across Northern Ireland.
JCI
PropertyWeek.com
Deutsche Bank poaches Johnson Controls’ Bertasi as property boss
01/11/2009
Deutsche Bank has appointed Johnson Controls’ Rick Bertasi as its new global head of corporate real estate services.Bertasi will begin the new role, based in London, on 1 December. He will leave his current role of vice president and general manager of Global WorkPlace Solutions for Europe the Middle East and Africa at Johnson Controls.
JCI
COMPANY WEBSITE
New contract for SGP Property & Facilities Management business
01/11/2008
Johnson Service Group said Thursday that SGP Property & Facilities Management, the Property and Facilities Management business of the Johnson Service Group, has entered into a new contract with Pizza Hut and KFC.
Kier
i-FM net
Kier support services up as group falls back
01/09/2009
The support services division was the star at Kier in FY 2008/9, with revenue and profit both up by more than 10% in the face of a 'very challenging' economic climate.Revenue in support services was up 11.2% to £437.9m (2008: £393.7m). Operating profit, before deducting the amortisation of intangibles of £2.2m, increased by 10.5% to £17.9m (2008: £16.2m) maintaining the margin at 4.1%.
Mears
BIFM
Mears notes strong trading, good order book
01/10/2009
Social housing repairs business Mears continues to experience strong trading across all divisions since announcing interim results in August.The forecast full-year results are in line with management's expectations, according to an interim management statement for the period 1 July to date.The group has announced new contract awards in excess of £450m since the annual results were published on 10 March. The order book stands at more than £1.7bn.
Mitie says first half results will up on 2008 despite challenging conditions in housing and fit-out markets.Mitie said its asset management and property management divisions had experienced “challenging conditions” in the downturn, but said its FM division had showed strong growth in the first half.Mitie said the integration of Dalkia Technical Facilities Management had gone well since it was acquired in August.
MITIE
RTT News
Mitie Group H1 Profit Rises; Sees FY10 Earnings In Line With Expectations - Update
01/11/2009
Mitie Group plc reported Monday higher first-half profit, helped by 9.5% revenue growth in both facilities and asset management divisions as well as lower administrative costs. The group expects earnings for the full year to be in line with management expectations.On 12 August, the group acquired Dalkia Energy and Technical Services Ltd and Parkersell Ltd, along with Dalkia Technical Facilities Management, or DTFM, from Dalkia plc for a maximum consideration of GBP 130 million and an initial consideration of GBP 120 million. Restructuring costs relating to integration of DTFM was GBP 1.1 million. In addition, amortization of acquisition related intangibles increased to GBP 1.5 million from GBP 1.0 million.Segment-wise, Facilities Management revenue increased 9.5% to GBP 405.3 million from GBP 370.0 million, while Property Management revenue dipped 10.5% to GBP 143.8 million from GBP 160.6 million in the comparable period of fiscal 2009.
MITIE
The Times
Mitie cleans up but could face pressure from customers
01/11/2008
Mitie’s virtue is that it provides dull but essential blue-collar services – cleaning, catering and guarding – to thousands of customers under long-term contracts, such that 94 per cent of this year’s forecast sales and 57 per cent of next’s are already assured. Further, it draws 40 per cent of its work from the public sector. For example, Mitie is the biggest provider of facilities management services to PFI schools, having recently picked up a 31-year deal to clean and maintain three schools in Kent for £40 million alone.It is explicitly targeting deals in energy services, social housing and facilities management, but is happy to bide its time to let prices move its way. The bind is that, after yesterday’s 6 per cent advance, it is difficult to divine what will send the shares higher, for now. Operating margins in facilities services (two thirds of group profits) have fallen to 5.5 per cent and could face further pressure from customers seeking better terms as contracts come up for renewal.
Serco Group plc
BIFM
Serco to deliver double-digit growth in 2009
01/11/2009
Support services giant Serco has said that it is on track to deliver double-digit revenue growth and improved margins in full-year 2009.In an interim trading statement covering the period since the end of June, the FTSE-100 company forecast that revenue would grow by more than 10 per cent to hit £5bn and that its operating margins would increase by 0.3 per cent to 5.6 per cent.Growth is being driven by the wide range of business opportunities created by the pressure that the recession is placing on organisations to cut costs, Serco says. So far in the second half of 2009, Serco has secured £1bn of contracts. This brings the year-to-date total to £4.5bn, with £3.4bn of that in signed contracts and £1.1bn in preferred bidder appointments.
Serco Group plc
i-FM net
Serco interim management statement 2009
01/05/2009
In an Interim Management Statement service company Serco said it had made a strong start to 2009 and was on track to deliver on expectations. In the first quarter of the year, Serco has signed contracts with a total value of £1bn. It has been appointed preferred bidder for contracts valued at around £250m.
Sodexo
i-FM net
Sodexo names new MD for FM
01/02/2009
Neil Murray has been appointed to the newly created role of Managing Director for the facilities management division at Sodexo. Murray was recruited as part of a restructure that saw Sodexo's hard FM activity brought together in a single division. He will sit on the company's board, reporting to Yann Coleou, Chief Executive, Sodexo, UK & Ireland.
Sodexo
SourceWire
Sodexo goes live with IRIS Siclops Field Service Management
01/11/2009
Sodexo has invested in a 9 month project to implement the IRIS Siclops field service management solution for 50 users. This included a period of parallel running and user acceptance testing. However, the system was delivered on time and within budget, and early reports suggests that it is delivering against expectation. Dale Thomas, managing director of IRIS NFP and Major Business Systems, said; “Sodexo is one of the most important businesses in its field. Though it’s built its reputation in the catering industry, facilities management represents over 40% of Sodexo revenues. IRIS Siclops field service management will help the company grow this part of their business by providing improved management of service level agreements and preventative maintenance schedules, better resource management, and improved control over relationships with subcontractors.”
