Jason Cross joins Britplas as operations director

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Britplas is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Cross to the new position of operations director.

With overall responsibility for delivering operational excellence across the design, manufacture and installation of Britplas projects, Jason brings considerable operational experience and skills to the role, having worked in the commercial glazing sector for some 32 years.

“I am thrilled to be joining Britplas at such an exciting time” commented Jason. “This is a progressive business with strong values and a unique proposition in the market. Our pipeline is strong and I’m looking forward to delivering continuous operational improvement with the support of a great team.”

Britplas Group is forecasting another year of impressive turnover growth, and Jason’s is one of several recent appointments which have been made in order to support the continued expansion of the business.

We are also delighted to welcome Gill Gribbin as financial controller to lead the accounts and finance team. In the factory, Ian Mitchell has been promoted to Commercial Line Production manager.

The sales team has also recruited a new member, with Matt Gorman moving from the estimating department to take on a business development manager role.

3 Peaks raises £4k for Warrington Youth Zone

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After months of planning and practice walks, a group of 11 intrepid Britplas staff have completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge, raising an impressive £4,000 for OnSide Warrington Youth Club in the process.

The Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge takes on the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough, in under 12 hours. These peaks form part of the Pennine range, and encircle the head of the valley of the River Ribble, in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The challenging route is 24 miles (38.6km), and includes 1,585m (5,200ft) of ascent.

An early start in the Yorkshire Dales saw the team set off at 6am and quickly conquer the first peak within 2 hours, with some of the group now realising what they had let themselves in for. A hard 12 mile slog saw them get to the second peak which was quickly followed by a steep third and the last 5 miles into Horton in Ribblesdale for a well-deserved drink. All team members finished within 11 hours 15 minutes, well within the 12 hour target.

As a founder patron of the new Warrington Youth Zone, Britplas has made a formal commitment to support the local charity over a four year period. The team have undertaken various fundraising initiatives, with the Yorkshire 3 Peaks sponsorship money allocated to help maintain WYC’s Buddy Up system, supporting disabled children in the Warrington area.

A big thank you to all those who donated!

Britplas take on the Yorkshire 3 Peak challenge

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In the latest adventure with Warrington Youth Zone (WYZ) a team of 9 intrepid explorers from Britplas will be aiming to complete the Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge in less than 12 hours.

Money raised will go towards WYZs Buddy up system. Buddy Up is a befriending service for disabled young people, they train young people from mainstream education to become buddies and then match them with disabled young people who need support in a number of areas of their lives.

The programme, which was developed in 2009, has supported over 500 disabled young people from across Warrington, by providing them with a volunteer Buddy. The Buddy supports the disabled young person with a range of issues including becoming more confident with using public transport, handling money or developing friends.

The three peaks challenge takes in the top of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in the Yorkshire dales as part of a 24.5 mile route which ascends/ descends 1600 metres.

If you’d like to donate then please click here.

Britplas make it to the final!

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After the summer where England couldn’t quite reach a final, Britplas have made it that one step further!

For the second time in our history we’ve been selected for the final shortlist of the prestigious Building Awards, in the category of Specialist Contractor of the Year. The awards are hosted each year to celebrate those who’ve had an exemplary year within the construction industry, and we’ll be there on November 6th.

Britplas has had another terrific year growing its turnover again, completing a number of landmark projects and further establishing itself as a facade contractor.

For the full list of finalists please click here.

Kingsland Grange opens its doors

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Britplas recently welcomed over 60 key supplier accounts to its offices on a warm Friday afternoon in Warrington.

Britplas’ first Supplier Day was held with the aim of providing an update on key elements of our procurement strategy as well as our overall vision for the business moving forward. The day provided an opportunity for suppliers to engage with the wider Britplas team, and learn a little more about key pipeline projects as well as receiving a tour of the Britplas factory.

A reliable, high quality supply chain is crucial in helping us to achieve the consistently high standards of service and product which our clients expect and in line with our key business value of Better Together, we are committed to continuing to develop and nurture these relationships.

Our Chairman, Kevin Gorman commented “No matter how well an organisation is run, it can only be as good as the companies that supply the goods and materials it needs to deliver a quality project, having a specific day where we can bring our supply network together to show the big picture, made everyone feel included and appreciated.”

We’d like to thank all those who attended, and with plenty of positive feedback already, we are looking forward to making this a regular event.

The day was rounded off with some drinks locally in Stockton Heath, followed by England in the World Cup!

Britplas take BIM to the next level

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Britplas are proud to announce that we are the first subcontractor in the UK to achieve BIM Level 2 accreditation with Lloyds Register EMEA (LR).

Attaining Level 2 shows Britplas’ commitment to becoming a fully BIM compliant company, along with the advantages that this brings for both our clients and partners. Building Information Modelling (BIM) involves digitally constructing a facility before it is built. The process allows for greater project collaboration, and can bring significant efficiencies in information exchange, training processes and risk mitigation.

Britplas have completed several projects using BIM Level 2, including Project Capella, a new state of the art laboratory building at Cambridge University.

At the core of BIM Level 2 is compliance with the standard PAS 1192. The Lloyds accreditation goes beyond this, however, and also introduces business best practice principles into the scope of assessment.

Areas which Lloyds assessed within the company include

  • advanced 3D modelling tools;
  • appropriate standards
  • methods;
  • procedures;
  • skills;
  • competencies; and
  • infrastructures

Our in-house design and health and safety teams worked closely with Lloyds to ensure that we continue to be compatible with the very latest our industry has to offer. “It’s been a pleasure to work with Stuart Duncan and the team at Britplas on their BIM journey” said Andrew Carter, Lead BIM Assessor (LR).

Presenting their BIM certificate Karl Miller, Utilities Manager (LR) said “We’re seeing a more diverse range of companies now achieving BIM Level 2 accreditation. As a commercial glazing specialist Britplas are showing that this accreditation is not just for architects and constructors”.

Tour d’Italia complete!

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Late last night the intrepid 5 completed the 532 mile, 5 day challenge finally finishing on time in Sorrento, Italy.

They had to overcome landslides taking the road away, the searing Italian heat and several punctures – but still managed to complete the challenge late on day 5. The last day also proved to be the toughest with over 6,000 ft. climbed as they summited the spine of the Italian peninsula.

The ride was in aid of Warrington Youth Zone, raising money to mentor the children of drug or alcohol dependent parents, giving them a break from stressful home situations. The total money raised now stand at £3,200 with hundreds more yet to be collected from forms handed out in the local area, watch this space!

The team’s Virgin Money Giving page can be accessed here httpss://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Britplas2018

We’re all immensely proud of what the lads have achieved; all 4 riders and the support driver are now enjoying a well-deserved holiday on the Amalfi Coast.

Follow the fly throughs of each leg below!

Check out Leg 1 Venice to Rimini 120 miles on Relive! httpss://www.relive.cc/view/1469626362

Check out Leg 2 Rimini to Porto Sanpedo on Relive! httpss://www.relive.cc/view/1471556096

Check out Leg 3 Porto Sanpedo to Vasto Marina on Relive! httpss://www.relive.cc/view/1473074171

Check out Leg 4 Vasto to Campbosa (Strava lost GPS👎) on Relive! httpss://www.relive.cc/view/1474630349

Check out Leg 5 Campobasso to Sorrento on Relive! httpss://www.relive.cc/view/1476782343

Living our values with a team trip to the rugby

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At Britplas, teamwork is at the very heart of our culture and operations, and we express this through ‘Better together’ – one of the three key themes which sum up our corporate values.

One expression of this theme is our annual programme of staff social events – organised by our people for our people, they provide a perfect opportunity for everyone to get together outside a work environment, meet people from outside their own department and enjoy social interaction away from the pressures of work.

It was perhaps apt then, that the first social of this year involved two of our most famous local teams, with a large Britplas contingent taking in the Super League match between Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors, at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Everyone enjoyed a meal before braving the sub-zero temperatures to watch the Wire beat Wigan 16-10, a scoreline which didn’t reflect Warrington’s dominance throughout. The result, played at the top level of the English Rugby League structure, ended Wigan’s winning start to the season as Warrington deservedly won the local derby.

Having been founded and always based in the Warrington area, Britplas has strong ties to the local community with the majority of staff based nearby and regularly attending games.

Britplas pedallers take on the “Tour d’Italia” for Warrington Youth Zone

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Two staff members from Warrington-based glazing specialist Britplas along with three of their friends are undertaking a mammoth cycling challenge next month to raise funds for Warrington Youth Club’s new Youth Zone.

Britplas employees Martin Finnegan and Terry Reid will be leaving the UK on the 23rd of March to complete a 532 mile bike ride across Italy over 5 days. They aim to raise a total of £5,000 in sponsorship for the new Warrington Youth Zone, of which Britplas is a founder patron.

Lyndsay Darlison from Warrington Youth Zone commented, “We’re thrilled to have such amazing support from the team at Britplas, they are Warrington people working for a Warrington company, raising money to give young people in Warrington a brighter future. With the support of local businesses like Britplas we really can make a difference and ensure young people will always have somewhere to go, something to do, and somebody to talk to”

Warrington Youth Club is currently raising funds to create a new purpose built Youth Zone at Winwick Street, Warrington, which will provide them with a permanent base from which they can continue to provide excellent social and educational opportunities for children and young people from across Warrington.

Martin Finnegan, Britplas’ Special Projects Manager, had this to say: “All the riders are from Warrington and know how much a centre like this would mean to the community. We’ve done a few similar rides like this before, including one across Spain and Portugal in 2016, and we’re delighted to do something similar for this cause.”

The “Tour d’Italia” bike challenge will see the team complete 11,500 feet of climbing over the gruelling 5 day ride. Terry and Martin will be starting in Venice, working their way down the Italian Adriatic coastline before cutting across and finishing on the Amalfi Coast for a well deserved holiday.

The team’s Virgin Money Giving page can be accessed here httpss://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Britplas2018

Continuous improvement for Britplas Fabrications

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Following another year of record sales, Britplas has modified the layout at its 42,000 square foot Warrington fabrication facility in order to further streamline its manufacturing operations and cope with increased demand going forward. The changes have been designed to help ensure continuous working lines for both aluminium and uPVC, with a newly consolidated façades area dealing with curtain walling and door orders.

The Britplas factory manufactures the company’s patented Safevent window, allowing for tight quality control of this specialist product, and is also now set up to deal with the various different product types and systems required by the wider commercial facades market.  A number of factory staff have been cross-trained, and supplemented with specialists brought in to ensure we remain at the forefront of manufacturing best practice.

The new modifications mean that lines can be adapted for free flow of product on any given day, with the following results already achieved:

  • Improved workflow
  • Adaptable workforce
  • Efficiencies expected to be plus 20%
  • Designated visitor route with information points
  • A safer environment to work in.

Further amendments will continue to be made as we look to adapt and optimise to keep providing the best service possible to our customers.