Stuart O'Brien, Author at Facilities Management Forum | Forum Events Ltd - Page 47 of 87
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Stuart O'Brien

Incentive FM Group extends portfolio with Savills
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Property management specialist Savills has awarded Incentive FM Group a contract to provide a range of services at The Howard Centre in Welwyn Garden City.

Under the terms of the 3-year deal worth in excess of £1.5 million, security specialist Incentive Lynx and cleaning specialist Incentive QAS will be responsible for ensuring that the 240,000 sq ft centre is both clean and secure.

The Howard Centre is situated in the heart of the town centre with 53 units, a mixture of retail and food outlets all under one roof.  It has around 8 million visitors per annum and there is direct access to the railway station and the bus station.

As part of the remit Incentive FM Group will provide a single manager responsible for ten security guards and seven cleaners, providing an efficient, integrated approach. Its Leviy Contract Management Solution will be utilised to optimise the service levels, promoting transparency and bringing key insights. In addition, NFC tagging will utilised to monitor cleaning patterns.

Shaun Wall, Manager at The Howard Centre, said: “Incentive FM Group not only has the right expertise and skills to support us, but they also share our commitment to developing their people. This like-minded approach was key in our decision to award them this contract.”

Martin Reed, CEO at Incentive FM Group, said: “At Incentive FM Group we have the  ability to self-deliver a full range of specialist services across the FM spectrum, both individually or in a bundle, meaning that we can adapt to our clients’ exact requirements.”

Avoid FOMO – get your name on our Xmas party guest list!
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Don’t miss out on the FM social of the year – the FM Christmas Party, which is being hosted by the Facilities Management Forum and FMJ.

Our partners for the evening include the CSHA, FSI and Sanderson Cleaning Services.

It takes place on the evening of Wednesday, November 27th at exclusive private members club Beat London.

Tickets are priced at just £40 +VAT which covers entrance, drinks and canapes. But we have a limited number available, so make sure you don’t miss out – book yours today!

You’ll be joining friends and peers from the likes of:

  • Acclaro Advisory
  • Acorn Maintenance
  • ADSUM Facilities Management
  • AIM Commercial Cleaning
  • Airco Refrigeration & Air Conditioning
  • APC Technology Group
  • Arup
  • Ashton Rose
  • Assured Fire & Security
  • ATEC Fire & Security
  • Audit4 Compliance
  • BAM Energy
  • Baxter Storey
  • BioHygiene
  • Birkin Consult
  • Birkin Services
  • BPR Group Europe
  • Bridge Recruitment
  • Bright A Blind
  • Business Watch Group
  • Bywaters
  • Camfil
  • Captec
  • Carbon Numbers
  • Cawleys
  • CCD
  • CEF
  • City of London Corporation
  • Complete Washroom Solutions
  • Cordant Group
  • Core Vision
  • Crown Plaza London – The City
  • CSL
  • Dankosec Security Systems
  • De-Ice
  • Education and Skills Funding Agency
  • Eligo Security
  • Enhance Office Cleaning
  • FMP360
  • Forbo Flooring
  • FSI Solutions
  • Glyphics 
  • GreenCity Solutions
  • GreenZone Support Services
  • HVAC Recruitment
  • Hygiene
  • Intuit
  • JPPD Group
  • Julius Rutherfoord & Co
  • Kew Electrical Distributors
  • LCC Support Services
  • Liberty Hygiene
  • Loch Associates Group
  • Mcgettigans
  • Meesons
  • Mitie
  • Motive8
  • Nationwide Window Cleaning
  • NFS Technology Group
  • Northland Controls
  • Petchey Academy
  • Powerstar
  • PPSPower
  • Practical Action
  • Regent Samsic
  • Salisbury Group
  • Scotscape Maintenance
  • Silent Sentinel
  • Smartcool Systems
  • Solid Management
  • Suzanne Howe Communications
  • Thames Valley Police
  • The Hurlingham Club
  • Total Gas & Power
  • Total Solutions Cleaning
  • Turner & Townsend
  • UBM
  • UhUb
  • Vectair Systems
  • Viridor Waste Management
  • VPS Group
  • Wates
  • Weston Partnership
  • Whiffaway
  • Whitbread

Don’t miss out – join them today!

Total Security Summit – claim our last guest pass!
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We have just one free guest pass available for the Total Security Summit later this month.

It takes place on October 14th & 15th at The Midland, Manchester and will allow you to:

  • Meet with a series of innovative suppliers for pre-arranged, 1-2-1 meetings
  • Attend seminar sessions hosted by industry thought-leaders
  • Discuss challenges and opportunities with other senior security professionals
  • Enjoy complimentary overnight accommodation, all meals and refreshments, plus an invitation to our networking dinner

Register now to avoid missing out.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: Aquateck – Better cleaning solutions – pure and simple
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Aquateck from Oxfordshire company GreenTeck Global is a just-launched, innovative, product that looks set to make waves in the commercial cleaning market.

The process is environmentally friendly, green, cost-effective, efficient and safe… since it starts and ends with ordinary a salty brine.

Tap water is fed through a standard water softener and salt is added (0.5 gms per litre – sea water is approximately 30 gms per litre). This solution is then passed through the Aquateck electrolysis unit. 

The result is known as AW (Activated Water) contains FAC Freely accessible Chlorine– the world’s strongest natural steriliser – and chlorine (5 ppm, compared to around 1.5 ppm for water in a swimming pool) and produced at a rate of around seven litres a minute.

This AW can be used in a number of ways: spray-bottle applicators, direct application to surfaces, mop and buckets and even via industrial Floor cleaners; effectively replacing the need for aggressive and expensive chemical cleaners,

In a spray-bottle, the AW solution remains active for around 72 hours, but after use there is even no need to rinse because as it works it degrades back to ordinaryH20 and salt.

Greenteck Global already manufactures and markets a range of airborne ozone generators, but its founder David Thurston has high hopes for Aquateck across a wide range of markets that includes care homes and nursing homes, hotels and motels, conference and exhibition facilities, student accommodation / halls of residence in universities, colleges and schools.

Extensive scientific trials of the Aquateck unit have just been completed at the Burlington Court Care Home in Northampton with remarkably impressive results.  The large, modern, home has more than 100 residents and is rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC, so standards are already high.

Swab tests for Recoverable Live Units (RLUs) were taken both before and after cleaning in different locations around the home on a daily basis and the AW was used in direct competition with the products used in the home’s established cleaning regime.  These sites included:

  • Door push plates – where frequent use means cross-contamination could be an issue
  • Handrails on staircases – also used regularly by staff and residents
  • Food contact surfaces – prone to bacteria unless cleaned regularly and thoroughly
  • Sluice room – lower than expected starting readings, possibly because of regular use with existing chemicals
  • A separate trial was also undertaken in one specific bedroom where staff had identified a persistent odour problem that was proving resistant to treatment.

The results across the fortnight of the trial showed that AW outperformed the existing chemicals across all the test areas: with the exception of just one day where it is believed there may have been an issue with the water supply prior to it entering the activation process.

Pre-cleaning swabs showed lower levels of RLUs, there was a significantly greater per centage reduction in the number of RLUs after cleaning and it appears AW gave greater and longer protection against the reappearance of RLUs.  In the bedroom trial, where carpets were treated using AW in home’s own steam-cleaner, staff reported a dramatic reduction in the odour and noted that this seemed to be an on-going improvement.

Burlington Court is owned by Tej Sehmi, along with two other homes in the area, with a new, fourth one currently under construction and due to open next year.  He said: “It is fair to say we were very, very impressed with the results.

“It certainly seems we were getting at least as good – if not better results – than with our existing regime.  However we could certainly save money by not having to buy the range of chemical products we currently use.

“These products are aggressive and there is potentially the risk of a serious incident if they are misused or accidentally mixed. We have to have COSHH training for our staff to make sure they understand how to use these chemicals and the dangers associated.  Whereas with the Aquateck unit there are no COSHH requirements because it is absolutely safe to use.  It is also true to say that our staff really liked using the AW because it was literally as easy as turning on the tap . . . odourless, completely safe to use and so no significant risk of any accident.”

David Thurston, who has been involved in the ‘ozone industry’ for around ten years, including time spent in Chine, the USA and Central America where it is already big business, added: “We are really grateful to Tej and all his staff at Burlington Court for giving us the opportunity to carry out this capability demonstrator in the field so to speak.

“I have known for a while just how effective our AW is and we have installations of our other trioxygen generators to back that up, but it is always nice to be able to produce results and hard data to back them up in a real, live working environment.”

5 Minutes With… Bruce McDonnell, Incentive FM
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In the latest instalment of our FM executive interview series, we spoke to Bruce McDonnell, Managing Director at Incentive FM, about his company, industry issues, careers advice and Peaky Blinders…

Tell us about your company, products and services

At Incentive FM we self-deliver the full range of TFM services.  Our model is open book, fully transparent and our aim is to work in true partnership with our clients as trusted advisors.

What have been the biggest challenges the FM industry has faced over the past 12 months?

The effects of Carillion and other struggling businesses has placed nervousness with clients and supply chain alike.  Brexit has, and is bringing its own challenges regarding the uncertainty and shifting rules around EU nationals working and applying for settled status as well as the whole debate over supply from the EU, the impact that may bring and identifying clear resilient processes to keep the wheels turning.

And what have been the biggest opportunities?

I think the biggest opportunities for us as a business is that we are in a unique space in the market, we are not a huge multinational bottom line focussed corporate like many of our competitors.  Instead we are fully independent, truly listen to our clients, we are empowered to make the right decisions and focussed on working with businesses to develop long term sustainable partnerships.  We are seeing more and more clients looking for that independent partnership way of working.

What is the biggest priority for the FM industry in 2019?

People! We need to make sure that our people are at the heart of everything we do.  The nervousness discussed already ripples through to employees and that coupled with Brexit and other factors mean that as always for us we need to keep our teams informed, be a good employer, reward and recognise great performance and live our vision of “to have staff who love working for us and clients who love working with us”.

What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market in 2019?

There is a lot of excited buzz around Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things along with other smarter ways of working.  For us, harnessing this technology to deliver real value to our clients and the industry is essential.  There are a lot of white elephants out there so we all need to tread carefully and confidently in this emerging market.  There are a lot of financial pressures in the industry, particularly in retail and clients are keen to see strategies that harness technology output to deliver savings.  This will only become more prevalent.  Working smart is nothing new, everyone needs to focus on evolution and how we adapt our overall approach to match future demands.  Innovation isn’t just a clever widget or system, its doing things differently to enhance what or how we do things to deliver value.

In 2022 we’ll all be talking about…?

As a fan of all things winter sport related I’m sure I will be talking about the Bejing winter Olympics.  I’m fairly certain there will also be some talk of the football World Cup too!

Which person in, or associated with, the FM industry would you most like to meet?

 The Home Secretary, National Security is part of facilities management for our nation isn’t it?

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the FM sector?

The fact that it is the third largest employment sector in the UK behind the NHS and construction.

You go to the bar at the Facilities Management Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?

Japanese whisky served with a smile!

What’s the most exciting thing about your job?

Working with great teams. 

And what’s the most challenging?

Sustaining the culture and values as we grow.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Leave problems and challenges on the wave behind and focus on the gap in the waves in-front of you! (I heard this from Humphrey Walters and his learnings from sailing around the world in the toughest yacht race, the BT Global Challenge).

Peaky Blinders or Stranger Things?

Peaky Blinders!

Confirm your place on the Facilities Management Forum guest list
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There’s a free place reserved for you at the Facilities Management Forum. Are you able to join 60 of your fellow professionals?

27 & 28 January 2020 – Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted

This unique event is entirely FREE for you to attend – simply reserve your place here for the opportunity to:-

  • Source new innovative and budget-saving suppliers
  • Attend inspirational seminar sessions from industry thought-leaders
  • Network with like-minded peers
  • Complimentary overnight accommodation, plus all meals and refreshments.
  • Enjoy our networking dinner.

RSVP now to avoid disappointment!

Do you specialise in FM Software? We want to hear from you!
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Each month on FM Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the facilities management market – and in October we’ll be focussing on FM software solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help FM industry buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re a supplier of FM software and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Paige Aitken on p.aitken@forumevents.co.uk.

Here are the areas we’ll be covering, month by month:

October – FM Software

November – Business Continuity

December – Fire Safety & Equipment

For more information on any of the above, contact Paige Aitken on p.aitken@forumevents.co.uk.

Sustainability Pays: How to take care of the planet and your profits
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Being good to the environment is great for your business finances.

Taking control of your own energy needs – using onsite generation and storage – can reduce costs and cut carbon emissions. It will also protect your business from energy supply disruption.    

Download our research report to discover the 4 steps you can take to accelerate your energy sustainability and improve your profits.  

FREE REPORT: Why sustainability is good for business
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Sustainable businesses see energy as an opportunity, not a financial burden.

They’re exploiting distributed energy technologies, such as onsite generation and storage, to cut costs and carbon emissions. This also increases operational resilience and enhances reputation.  

Download our research report to see the 4 steps you can take to accelerate your energy sustainability and improve your business performance.

CASE STUDY: How trioxygen is cleaning up on campus
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A new generation of powerful deodorisers and sanitizers is helping clean up on campuses across the UK.

The Gteck range from Oxford-based Greenteck Global is harnessing the power of trioxygen – and elemental force as old as the planet itself – to provide high-tech cleaning solutions for the 21st Century.

Trioxygen, or ozone (O3) occurs naturally in our atmosphere, most noticeably in the Ozone Layer high above the Earth’s surface, and is produced by lightning over the oceans. People visiting the coast often say they can ‘smell the ozone’.

The Gteck units use UV light to produce trioxygen in carefully controlled amounts and rates. The extra electron in the oxygen (O3) ‘attacks’ odours, grease, mould spores and even smoke damage.

But at the end of the process the O3 simply decays back to normal oxygen (O2). So as well as providing significant cost-saving benefits compared with using traditional, aggressive, chemical cleaning methods, the Gteck system is safe, easy-to-use and environmentally friendly.

Greenteck Global produces a range of units from one small and simply enough to plug in to a standard electrical socket to provide constant background deodorising to the powerful 64 g generator that can be used for ‘shock-treatment’ in a particularly badly affected room /location.

There is also a Gteck Destruct unit: fully compatible with the generators; that will operate automatically at the end of a cleaning cycle to neutralise any unused trioxygen.

In addition to the standard deodorising / sanitising the units can also be installed with – or retro-fitted to – extraction systems in commercial kitchens to degrease and remove cooking odours.

For universities and colleges one of the main uses for trioxygen is in student accommodation / halls of residence.  This is especially true at this time of year when cold, wet, weather means the heating is turned up, windows are kept closed, dirty, wet, clothing is often left piled in corners and so mould and odour are almost perennial problems.

Over the past year Greenteck Global has sold / installed units to universities up and down the country, including: Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford Brookes, Royal Holloway University of London, Falmouth and Optivo Welkin Halls of Residence Eastbourne.

  • Cardiff – uses the plug-in units to control malodour in student rooms 
  • Leeds – has now purchased wall-mounted Aura units for a number of stair wells where there were issues with malodour migrating up stair wells onto other floors, this was, in part, from Mould .They also purchased the Airteck 10000pd unit which they use for quick turnaround rooms where they have malodour caused by students eating , smoking in rooms, plug-in units are also used in student rooms again for background control of living style odours.
  • Manchester – purchased the Aura unit and a Airteck5000p. The Aura unit was installed in a corridor directly opposite toilets where they had a particular difficulty: the corridor leads to management offices so the pungent odour migrated into the main reception area.
  • Oxford Brookes – purchased the AirTeck 10000pd for the main gymnasium. The gym is particularly busy with around 30 rowing machines – Brookes now ozonates the gym overnight to remove malodour and freshen the air space for the following day.
  • Royal Holloway – had a major mould issue in a five bedroomed student house.  GTG deployed the AirTeck 1664 ozone shock system to remove the mould from five rooms with major mould issues on walls.
  • Falmouth – purchased a number of plug-in units used for odour control in specific student rooms.
  • Optivo Welkin – the site has a 5000p unit currently on trial for use in old accommodation with mould issues.

From Manchester Emily Taylor, Deputy Head of Facilities Management, commented: “The Aura unit really helped us manage the smell from two heavily used toilets in an awkward area: where nothing else we tried eliminated the nasty smells.  Everyone has commented on the genius system.”

While David Thurston, founder and head of Greenteck Global added: “Following on from participating at the CUBO summer conference last July, we have had a fantastic response from a number of universities.  Initial site trials have now concluded with our ozone units being deployed permanently.

“Ozone now plays a major part in day-to-day housekeeping regimes and we have proved that ozone is a far more affective on all malodour issues from student life-style to mould and wash room related odours.

“We are extremely pleased with the response so far and continue to get fresh enquiries from Universities battling with the extract same issues. We continue to support the university sector with our products and services and welcome fresh enquiries to trial our systems.”