Month: January 2020

Work to extend the West Midlands tram network to Dudley has begun and Yasmin Bodalbhai the Central News reporter came to our site on 30 January 2020, to see how works were progressing. The works which are being carried out for Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council are in preparation for the proposed construction of the Very Light Railway Innovation Centre to allow for the future alignment of the Metro Line.

https://twitter.com/InsideOBrien/status/1222797509501890560?s=20

The Midland Metro, which currently connects Birmingham and Wolverhampton, is expected to carry passengers to Dudley and Brierley Hill by 2023.  The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said the tram line will “transform Dudley”, with council leader Pat Harley saying it “promises an exciting future” for the town. The new tram network will run from Dudley to Wednesbury, incorporating 17 stops.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said the success of town centres like Dudley will “hinge on transport links”.  “It is great to see work progressing on the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro line, helping to better connect the borough of Dudley with the wider West Midlands,” he said.

The tram extension in Birmingham opened from Grand Central station to the city’s library in December, and a busy city-centre underpass was closed to extend the line towards Edgbaston.

The first phase of the project is to construct a £4.3m wall at Castle Hill.

O’Brien Contractors have been awarded an enabling contract on the project in Dudley next to the zoo and our works involve the construction of a 150 metre long retaining wall which will be up to 11 metres high and will also involve associated bulk earthworks.

O’Brien will be acting as Principal Contractor on the project which will be carried out over a 35 week programme.

The client was looking for a contractor who could deliver creative solutions to provide an affordable scheme in line with their programme.  The client also required a company with a robust supply chain procurement.

Having traded for over 60 years we have developed our supply chain to provide our business with the service required to meet our commitments to our clients. With long term trading relationships with suppliers of construction materials, aggregates, concrete, muckaway and recycling companies, we are able to select the most suitable option for each specific contract and operation which may not always be based on price, factors such as quality and performance also need to be considered.

O’Brien Contractors are very passionate about giving new generations of construction workers the opportunity to spend time with us, to see what the construction industry is all about in a practical sense whilst they study.  Some of our work experience candidates haven’t made a final decision on what they want to do and work experience gives them a better idea about the work involved in various areas of the civil engineering and construction industry and gives them a better idea of the direction in which they want to go with their future career path.

We  operate an apprentice training scheme and we are happy to discuss our scheme with those who are dedicated, passionate and have a keen interest in growing and developing themselves within our company.  On average we provide 2 apprenticeship placements each year to support the next generation of construction specialists.

In 2019 we had 4 students who took part in work experience placements and we look forward to welcoming more during 2020.

O‘Brien Contractors are proud to continue to be one of only 9 certified field builders in the UK for FIH Standard Hockey Pitches and one of only 22 Contractors worldwide to be certified to FIH Field Builder Standards.

FIH Certified Field Builders are companies that specialise in building hockey fields. The companies have a proven ability to construct fields to the standards the game requires. They have appropriate in-house civil engineering expertise for the design and construction of 11-a-side and Hockey 5s fields, operate quality management systems to ensure consistency in their work and provide comprehensive maintenance advice to their customers.

Global Elite Fields: fields that meet the requirements for top level international competitions. Global Elite fields are surfaced with a FIH Global category Approved Hockey Turf.

Global Fields: fields that meet the requirements for international and top level national competitions. Global fields are surfaced with a FIH Global category Approved Hockey Turf.

National Fields: fields that meet the requirements for lower level national, regional and club play. National fields are surfaced with a FIH National or Global category Approved Hockey Turf.

Multi-Sport Fields: fields that allow a number of sports to be played including community and development level hockey. Multi-Sport fields are surfaced with a FIH Multi-Sport, National or Global category Approved Hockey Turf.

The FIH Quality Programme for Hockey Turf ensures: the sustainability, affordability and accessibility of hockey turfs worldwide.
A new hockey field is a major investment and it is therefore important that it meets the expectations of hockey players, associations and clubs.

To help ensure good quality fields are built for all levels of play, from elite level competition to community development, the FIH has developed an internationally recognised quality-assurance programme – the FIH Quality Programme for Hockey Turf. The programme was launched as part of an initiative of the Hockey Revolution – FIH’s ten-year strategy for hockey.

The programme provides consistent and dependable industry standards and ensures the appropriate quality of performance for the intended level of play – whether it is community development, international competition, or anything in between. It protects the investment made by facility owners by ensuring the field meets the expectations of those who will be using it.

The FIH certifies hockey turf preferred suppliers, manufacturers, field builders and fields.

O’Brien have been proud shirt sponsors of Leamington RFC since 2013.

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/leamington/

Recent O’Brien Contractors Sponsorships for Individuals and Organisations (over £20,000 in the last 3 years).

• Ibstock United Juniors Football Club U9 Pumas: Sponsored Walk
• Northend Open Gardens Event (for the upkeep of the village hall)
• Long Itchington School Association Race Night
• KidSafe Road Safety Campaign Packs for Warwickshire Schools
• Sky Dive to raise money for ‘The Albion Foundation’
• Muddy Furlong 8km Obstacle Course for ‘Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice’
• Shoeboxes for the Homeless at Christmas – All office employees donated at least   one box each
• Shirt sponsors for Veseyans RC, charity game for RFU (Injured Players Foundation)   game against ‘The House of Lords Cricket Team’
• Mighty Macmillan Mighty Hike
• Leamington RFC

O’Brien have taken delivery 4 new Takeuchi’s yesterday, with a 5th machine arriving today!

O’Brien have taken delivery of 2 x Takeuchi TB153FR, 5 ton machines and 1 x Takeuchi TB290-2, 9 ton machine, with another 290-2 machine being delivered today.

Over the last 4 years O’Brien has invested over £5Million in new plant.

O’Brien are continually investing in new plant to ensure that we have the most up to date modern plant to carry out our works efficiently.  Having our own expansive plant fleet reduces hire costs, ensures efficient working practices on site, as well as ensuring that we have the most up to date and efficient plant in order to complete our projects.

All machines are fitted with up to date industry standard safety features to ensure the safety of our site teams.