Month: April 2015

Leading civil engineering and groundworks company, O’Brien Contractors, which was named as Construction News Specialists Awards 2015: Specialist Contractor of the Year, has been awarded a contract for the construction of a new football pitch and eight tennis courts at Gerard Buxton Sports Hub, Wootton Bassett.

The project will see O’Brien construct a 7500 m² third generation FIFA 1 Star Football Pitch and eight macadam surfaced tennis courts covering 5,500 m2 to LTA/ITF standards.

Steve Hillman, General Manager – Sports Division at O’Brien Contractors, said: “We are extremely honoured to have won this contract with Gerard Buxton Sports Association and look forward to applying our sports pitch expertise in order to provide a facility constructed to a very high standard.”

“The new 3G pitch and tennis courts are the latest phase of a new, multi-million pound sporting centre being created by Gerard Buxton Sports Association. It is testament to the growing success of our sports pitch team that the Association has shown faith in our ability to deliver this prestigious project for the local community.”

The O’Brien Sports management team has over 55 years’ experience in sports pitch construction and is one of the first large civil engineering firms able to offer turnkey solutions for a range of sports facilities, delivering projects ranging from stadiums and arenas through to rugby, football and hockey pitches.

The contractor will be installing a Greenfields XQ6A system.

Leading civil engineering and groundworks firm, O’Brien Contractors, has joined forces with the Official Facilities Partner of England Hockey, Notts Sports, for the installation of a new Lano 3G synthetic pitch at Westfield Academy.

The new pitch, part of several major new sports investments at the school, included upgrading an ageing redgra area to provide students with a state-of-the-art playing surface supporting a wide range of sports, including: football and hockey. The project also involved the construction of a dynamic base, fencing and floodlighting.

O’Brien worked with Notss Sports to implement a design which recycled waste materials from the redgra area, to create a new compound for the groundsman.

Steve Hillman, General Manager, Sports Division at O’Brien Contractors said: “As a company, we are fully committed to minimising the impact of our activities on the environment in order to operate a business that is safe, sustainable and socially responsible. On all the projects we operate on, we look to recycle waste materials into the scheme to reduce the amount of spoil sent to landfill and provide cost savings to our clients.”

Local sporting hero and Yeovil Town Football Club player, Chris Weale, was invited to officially open the new pitch. The opening ceremony kicked off with players from Pen Mill U11 squad joined by Westfield students from Year 7 & 8 taking part in a demonstration tournament, with Chris, a former student of the academy, refereeing one of the matches.

Steve Hillman added: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with both Westfield Academy and Notts Sports on such an important project for the school. The feedback of the new pitch has been excellent, which is now used by many community groups and regarded as one of the best in the area.”

The installation of a 3G pitch can cost between: £300,000 to £500,000 and take up to 12 weeks to complete. Once installed, the new pitch can provide an additional revenue source generating in the region of £200,000 a year based on 50 hours use per week.

The O’Brien Sports management team has over 55 years’ experience in sports pitch construction and is one of the first large civil engineering firms able to offer turnkey solutions for a range of sports facilities, delivering projects ranging from stadiums and arenas through to rugby, football and hockey pitches.

Recent projects have included the construction of a FIFA-compliant football pitch, an Olympic-standard, eight lane athletics track (complete with long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault) and a football club (complete with 11 natural turf pitches, changing facilities, entrance road and car park).

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has been appointed to work on LondonMetric Property’s £77m retail distribution centre near Kettering.

Codenamed Thunderbird 2, the multi-million pound investment will deliver a centrally located, 98,700 m2 facility at the heart of the UK’s Strategic Road Network.

Appointed by principal contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine, O’Brien has been awarded a number of groundworks, including: foundations, drainage and underground services.

The project marks the start of a new relationship with Sir Robert McAlpine and Peter O’Brien, Managing Director, O’Brien Contractors, said: “One of our key strengths is our understanding that it is imperative to be able to evaluate and advise on the best and most practical solution to a given challenge and provide a cost, time and environmentally effective alternative.”

“Having secured one of the regions highest profile distribution centre construction projects, Sir Robert McAlpine needed an experienced civil engineering and groundworks specialist who understands their challenges and requirements.”

“O’Brien Contractors is very pleased to have been awarded this contract and by delivering tailored solutions, we are confident of providing Sir Robert McAlpine with the most efficient and cost effective service available at all times.“

Founded in 1958, O’Brien Contractors have some of the most talented individuals in the industry and can offer a flexible and adaptive approach to undertaking any project, regardless of size or complexity.

O’Brien has delivered class-leading solutions for organisations including Jaguar Land Rover, Nestle, Aston University, Kier Construction, Wates and John Sisk.

“From hospital emergency units and universities, to distribution units, highways, Olympic-standard sports facilities and residential schemes, complete customer satisfaction is the goal for every one of our projects, with the ultimate aim of the customer wanting to work with us again and recommend us to others.” said Peter O’Brien.