Category: Press Release

Leading civil engineering and groundworks company, O’Brien Contractors, has launched a work experience programme to provide school-leavers with an insight into careers in the construction industry.

The new scheme is designed to provide young local job seekers with practical experience and skills that cannot be taught in a classroom. It will also offer them a sense of belief, demonstrate that they can be valuable members of a working team, but most importantly, provide them with a passage into an apprenticeship scheme or employment.

The latest Government statistics have found that across the UK, 963,000 people aged 16-24 are not in employment, education or attending a training scheme, with 61% classed as unemployed. It has therefore never been more important to help younger people get a foot on the employment ladder, through work experience and apprenticeship schemes.

Tony Mitchell, Operations Manager, O’Brien Contractors, said: “The company has been fortunate to have great success over the years and we are keen to ensure we give back to the community whenever possible.”

“We have set up the programme to help and inspire young job seekers in their pursuit of employment. Employers look at experience gained when interviewing potential new members of staff and attending a work experience programme will make their credentials stand out.” said Tony Mitchell.

Each placement delivers high quality on-site experience related to the person’s training requirements. They are assigned to a site supervisor, who mentors them passing on the relevant skills, introduces them to the structure of working life and demonstrates the value of working in this sector.

At the end of the week, trainees come away with a genuine learning experience, highly motivated and a better awareness of their career aspirations.

Tony Mitchell, Operations Manager, O’Brien Contractors, said: “During the recession, 400,000 skilled jobs were lost in the construction industry and an estimated 400,000 are due to go through retirement over the next five years.”

“We feel it is crucial that the industry creates more schemes, like our work experience programme, to offer hands on experience to younger people at the grassroots level and get them interested in a career in construction.”

Louis Gray from Central Construction Training was the first pupil enrolled on the scheme and experienced a week on-site at the Accident and Emergency development at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton. Louis said: “I found the work experience programme very helpful and it gave me a better understanding of what I can expect from a career in construction.  I have learnt so much from my site supervisor in just one week and I feel inspired to continue developing my skills and apply them in a career in construction.”

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.

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has been awarded the prestigious Specialist Contractor of the Year (turnover up to £25m) prize at the Construction News Specialists Awards.

The title is awarded for creating an impressive strategic plan in response to the recent economic downturn, diversifying into new work streams and targeting higher value projects.

The Awards judges said, “O’Brien Contractors were able to demonstrate that they are successfully implementing a plan through investment in training and development.”

In 2009, the company’s turnover was £11m with profit only £73k. Its plan to invest, diversify, train, overhaul processes and focus on risks and opportunities has increased average project value from £463,000 to £874,000 during 2014 and turnover up by 68% over 5 years.

The judges were particularly impressed with the level of investment in new and innovative plant and equipment to support the productivity of the business. O’Brien has invested over £4 million in new plant, technology and training programmes, delivering on its commitment to improve efficiency and reduce ongoing costs.

O’Brien were also commended for the results of the strategic plan which led to a strong portfolio of projects and customers as well as an impressive improvement in both top line and bottom line performance – major projects include: Marks and Spencer in Longbridge, Birmingham for Morgan Sindall, New Cross Hospital Emergency Centre in Wolverhampton for Kier Construction and Jaguar Land Rover’s Engineering Facility for Galliford Try in Gaydon.

Peter O’Brien, managing director, O’Brien Contractors, said: “We have always believed that a strong investment in our people and technology are important in helping to stand out from the crowd and be recognised as a leader in our field. This has proven to be a winning approach and this national Award recognises the hard work, commitment and dedication of the whole O’Brien team.”

Read the Construction News Specialist Awards 2015 judges write-up, click here.

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has been appointed to work on Alumno Developments’ £30m Eastside Locks residential development.

Located in Birmingham’s new science, technology and learning quarter, Number 1 City Locks will provide accommodation for 659 students, alongside Birmingham City University’s new £260m state-of-the-art facilities, forging a new vibrant and rejuvenated campus in the heart of the city centre.

The Eastside Locks contract, awarded by principal contractor, John Sisk, will see O’Brien deliver an array of groundworks, including: associated drainage, services and hard / soft landscaping, foundations with stepped ground beams and numerous insitu concrete columns up to podium slab level.

Tony Mitchell, Operations Manager, O’Brien Contractors, said: “Eastside is Birmingham’s largest physical regeneration scheme and we are very proud to be chosen to provide groundworks and enabling works for John Sisk, on such a flagship scheme.”

“We will be operating to a very tight programme, within a very constrained site and key to the overall success of the project, will be our philosophy of working openly and collaboratively with our clients, from the beginning, to ensure we identify and resolve any unforeseen problems which may lie ahead.”

Established in 1958 as a regional specialist contractor, O’Brien has built on decades of experience and has achieved preferred status with a number of industry-leading main contractors.

Over the years, O’Brien has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience in the education and residential sectors, having previously delivered: £5m of works for Aston University at the Aston Student Village in Birmingham and £6m of infrastructure works and groundworks for SDC as part of the construction of a new main campus building at Northampton College.

“Our key commitment has been to improve customer service through diversification and innovation and we continue to expand our range of services in line with our clients’ needs.”

“We are constantly looking for ways to improve and develop our people and our processes and challenge ourselves to constantly re-evaluate our core competencies. By doing this we ensure that we understand our clients’ drivers, concerns and pressures so that they will always receive the best service for the best value.” said Tony Mitchell.

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has been appointed to work on Goodman’s regeneration of Browns Lane in Coventry.

In the latest phase of the masterplan for the regeneration of the former Jaguar Land Rover site, the Lyons Park development will deliver 214,000 sq ft of modern industrial space to the local area.

Appointed by principal contractor, John Sisk, the project will see O’Brien deliver a host of earthworks and groundworks, including: 36,000m2 site cut and fill to form a reduced level excavation for the building foot prints, pad foundations, new storm and foul drainage system and service yards – incorporating the petrol interceptors and an attenuation tank.

Stuart Chamberlain, Director, O’Brien Contractors sees the contract as further evidence of the firms diversification strategy paying dividends: “Our ongoing investment in cutting edge surveying equipment and state-of-the-art excavators and bulldozers; equipped with GPS control systems, enables us to continually improve the quality of our work and the speed of installation.”

“Our technical expertise is essential in carrying out the works and assisting in creating cut and fill balance on complex and time restricted earthworks schemes. It enables our expert operators to deliver the design to the exact client specifications and ensures we provide the highest quality and level of service possible.”

The £1.65m contract will see O’Brien Contractors on-site for 20 weeks, with the overall scheme due for completion this summer.

Coventry City Football Club has another O’Brien on board – but unlike team captain Jim, its work has taken place underneath the Ricoh Arena pitch, rather than on it.

O’Brien Contractors prepared the ground at the Ricoh, including removing the 8,000 sq m playing surface to allow GreenFields to install the new pitch there last December.

O’Brien Contractors is the first and only large civil engineering firm able to offer turnkey solutions for a range of sports pitch installations, delivering projects ranging from athletics tracks, football pitches through to hockey and rugby pitches.

This capability is all maintained in house – with no outsourcing required – by a team of experts with a proven track record of delivering design and build sports projects to a diverse range of exacting client specifications.

The company has now taken an advertising board at the ground and believes it will help to raise the profile of the firm on a national basis.

Mick O’Brien, Director, O’Brien Contractors, said: “This is a very specialist field and is something we want to shout about to the world and, also, we want to raise awareness about the company in general.

“We have sponsored Coventry City in the past and also tie-in with other local clubs so we do have a good sporting heritage.

“Over the years, O’Brien have been fortunate to have great success and are keen to ensure we give back to the community whenever possible. This includes sponsoring numerous local sporting clubs, providing everything from the kit to the scoreboards. We also support many schools by supplying playground materials and new IT equipment.”

Tynan Scope, Coventry City’s corporate sales manager, said: “It’s great to have O’Brien Contractors on board with the club in this way and we have seen how this kind of sponsorship can help to raise the profile of a business over many, many years.

“In our game against Rochdale recently, three of the four goals were scored right in front of their board and resulted in positive national TV exposure for the company – that’s just one of the many benefits.”

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, is celebrating the start of 2015 with a hat-trick of high-profile project wins valued in the region of £7m.

The contractor has also been shortlisted in four categories of the 2015 Construction News Specialist Awards: Specialist Contractor of the Year (turnover up to £25m), Sustainable Project of the Year, Project of the Year (subcontract over £2m) and Ground Engineering Specialist of the Year.

Appointed by principal contractor, Sir Robert McAlpine, O’Brien will deliver a host of groundworks on LondonMetric Property’s £77m Thunderbird 2 scheme – a 90,000 m2 floor distribution centre near Thrapston. The project marks the start of a new relationship with Sir Robert McAlpine.

The partnership formed at Nestle’s new £200m coffee production facility has helped secure two further schemes with John Sisk: a groundworks package at Alumno Developments’ £30m Student Accommodation at Eastside Locks in Birmingham and an additional groundworks contract for three distribution units at Goodman’s Lyons Park scheme in Coventry.

The wins come on the back of a successful 2014 in which O’Brien Contractors picked up a number of flagship projects, including: a £6.5m Marks and Spencer civil engineering and groundworks package with Morgan Sindall at Longbridge in Birmingham; a £5.5m roads and sewers contract for new service personnel housing at MOD Stafford with Lovell Partnership; and a £2.5m groundworks for Kier Construction at the New Cross Hospital Emergency Department, Wolverhampton.

Managing Director, Peter O’Brien said: “In 2009, instead of seeing the financial crisis as a negative, we embarked on a 5 year diversification strategy turning the company from a groundworks specialist to a principal contractor offering pre-construction services, design and build, sport pitch construction, traditional contracting and plant hire.”

“We also invested more than £4m in training, plant, equipment and technology – £2m during 2014 – and have retained our directly-employed labour force.”

“This success demonstrates the hard work, commitment and dedication everyone at O’Brien Contractors has shown in implementing our business strategy: to deliver the best service to our customers and to improve the efficiency and environmental impact of construction projects.

“We are of course delighted to be recognised for our achievements: by being appointed onto some of the most high-profile developments across the midlands and shortlisted on the 2015 Construction News Specialist Awards in four categories.”

Winner of 2014 Building Awards: Contractor of the Year (up to £300m), O’Brien Contractors, has completed a hockey pitch resurfacing project at Eastbourne Hockey Club in East Sussex.

O’Brien’s 9 week contract involved; the removal of the existing 16 year old sand filled synthetic grass surface, the adjustment of existing sub base and the installation of a 5027 m² DOMO Hockey Xtreme MDC Ultra sand filled synthetic grass hockey pitch with inlaid lines.

Prior to installation, the appropriate sub base tests were conducted to ensure levels in each working area were in accordance with the specification.

The works, which took place within a live sports facility, also included surveying and making adjustments to the existing Lava/ Rubber Crumb Dynamic layer.

Steve Hillman, General Manager – Sports Division at O’Brien Contractors, said: “One of our key capabilities is our commitment to providing our clients with the most efficient and cost effective service available at all times.

The new hockey pitch contract is something we have been particularly proud to have won and has provided us with the opportunity to show case our sports pitch capabilities and our commitment to delivering total customer satisfaction.”

Established in 1958, O’Brien Construction is a second generation, family-run business that has gone from strength to strength and expanded into a range of new sectors. We are one of the first large civil engineering firms able to offer turnkey solutions for a range of sports pitch installations, delivering projects ranging from athletics tracks, football pitches though to hockey and rugby pitches.

To date, O’Brien has delivered projects for a range of top quality clients, including Jaguar Land Rover, Nestle, the National Trust, Morrisons, Aston University, Kier Construction, Wates and John Sisk.

For more information, visit www.OBrienContractors.co.uk

The pitch was officially opened by the Mayor of Eastbourne and England Ladies’ number-one hockey goalkeeper, Maddie Hinch.