Category: Press Release

O’Brien Contractors, winner of Construction News Awards 2014: Tomorrow’s Company, has partnered with leading European sports pitch specialist, GreenFields UK, for the installation of a new playing surface at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

The sports contractor secured the contract with GreenFields UK through its track-record of providing successful pitch installations for organisations, including: Oswestry School, Eastbourne Hockey Club, Kewford Eagles FC and Aston University.

The project at the Ricoh Arena involved site preparation works to remove the existing 8000m2 playing surface before GreenFields UK installed the new natural turf, farmed in the Netherlands. Works started on 5th December and was completed ready for Coventry City’s home league game with Fleetwood Town on 20th December.

Aviva Premier League side, London Wasps, had initially announced its intentions to replace the current pitch during the summer to provide a playing surface suitable for the demands of both rugby and football matches, however, following a consultation, the rugby club decided to lay an interim pitch to ensure both Coventry City and London Wasps had a surface required to give them the best chance of success.

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 though 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 sports installations that we deliver include natural sports pitches, such as those used for rugby, football and cricket, and synthetic and Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) pitches with surfaces suitable for just about every sport and user, from professional sports teams to schools and communities.

Leading groundworks and civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has been appointed to work on the second phase of St. Modwen’s regeneration of Longbridge.

In the second phase of the masterplan for the delivery of a £100 million town centre at the former MG Rover site, the development will feature the Midlands’ largest Marks & Spencer store comprising 150,000 sq ft, a six floor multi storey and 500 space car park and an additional 45,000sq ft of retail, restaurant and café space.

Appointed by principal contractor, Morgan Sindall, O’Brien will deliver a host of ground works – including construction of access roads, in situ concrete retaining walls, gabion walls and public realm works.
Phil Griffiths, Director, O’Brien, said: “The Longbridge redevelopment is one of the most high profile schemes currently taking place in the region and we are naturally very pleased to be chosen to deliver enabling and ground works to St. Modwen on this project.

Click below to watch our progress footage

“We are working to a really tight delivery programme to ensure that the Marks & Spencer store opens on time and it is paramount to the success of the scheme that our tasks are completed on programme.”

Mark Batchelor, St. Modwen construction manager, said: “Construction on phase two of Longbridge Town Centre is in full swing with 3,745 tonnes of steelwork going up for the new M&S store which is on track to open in time for Christmas 2015.

“More than 500 jobs will be created with the construction and opening of this second phase, adding to the 3,500 jobs that have already been created since we began regenerating Longbridge in 2003.”

Established in 1958, O’Brien Contractors is a second generation, family-run business that has gone from strength to strength and expanded into a range of new sectors.

From commercial units and Olympic-standard sports facilities, to railway stations, hospitals, universities, highways and commercial housing developments, O’Brien’s extensive experience consistently leads to the delivery of class-leading solutions.

Phil Griffiths added: “Some 85% of our work is repeat business and many of our new contracts come about because of referrals so it’s vital that we deliver the very best solutions at all times, either as principal or sub-contractor.”
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.

St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, aspires to create 10,000 jobs through the £1 billion Longbridge project which covers 468 acres.

Seddon Construction has awarded O’Brien Contractors Limited, a leading Midlands-based Civil Engineering Contractor, an Earthworks and Groundworks package for the Westcliffe Extra Care Retirement Village in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

The regeneration of the former hospital is part of a £100m investment to deliver three new retirement villages at sites across the city, namely: Blurton, Abbey Hulton and Westcliffe. The villages will provide 390 new care apartments for people over the age of 55.

The works to be undertaken by O’Brien, include: a Cut & Fill remodelling of 17000m3 of the existing ground profile, with 11000m3 of the earthworks arisings being disposed off-site; mass fill concrete foundations; reinforced concrete retaining walls and associated storm and foul drainage – including a large storm water attenuation tank.

The remodelling design works have all been carried out in-house with the control information being fed directly to the GPS guided Earthworks plant. This technique ensures accurate excavation of foundations to the required formation levels, without the operative having to leave the cab of the excavator.

O’Brien’s experience of working on active developments will come to the fore in this project as connection to an existing surface water manhole within the adjacent highway, as well as extensive services installation works, are contained in the package.

This win comes on the back of a successful year in which the contractor picked up a number of high-profile 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 £2.5m groundworks for Kier Construction at the New Cross Hospital Emergency Department, Wolverhampton.

O’Brien Contractors Director, Stuart Chamberlain, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner, once again, with Seddon Construction on such a prestigious development for Stoke City Council.”

“As with all our projects, we will ensure that the scheme receives the highest attention to detail and utilises the latest in construction technology and skills, saving both time and money for our client,” added Stuart.

Work on the retirement village started in September 2014 and is expected to be completed during 2016.

O’Brien Contractors, winner of Construction News Awards 2014: Tomorrow’s Company, is on the verge of completing two flood alleviation projects, both for specialist sports turf construction and drainage firm, Turfdry. O’Brien’s sports division has carried out a £60k project at The Rayleigh Club’s championship golf course, which has seen the excavation of a number of new ponds and the formation of bunds with the arising’s.

The contractor is also set to complete a £75k river restoration scheme at Firs Farm Playing Fields for Enfield Council. The works involved the excavation of a watercourse stretching between the north-west and north-east corners of the park.

O’Brien Contractors, the first and only large civil engineering firm able to offer turnkey solutions for a range of sports pitch installations, secured the contracts with Turfdry through its investment in cutting edge surveying equipment and state-of-the-art excavators and bulldozers; equipped with GPS control systems which are linked to the design software. This technical capability was pivotal to carrying out the works and assisting in the concept, in terms of creating cut and fill balance on complex earthworks. It also ensured our expert operators delivered the design to the exact client specifications in the most efficient method possible and with minimal disruption.

Our team of experts have a proven track record of delivering design and build sports projects to a diverse range of exacting client specifications. Recent projects have seen us construct a synthetic grass hockey pitch for Oswestry School, 11 natural turf pitches at Kewford Eagles FC in Kingswinford, a synthetic grass sports pitch for Parklands School in Chorley, as well as a synthetic “Mondo” 6 lane 400m IAAF and UK Athletics track with an infield, full size FIFA compliant football pitch at Eastwood School in Essex.

Leading midlands based civil engineering contractor, O’Brien, has invested a further £360,000 in its machinery, taking delivery of two Volvo A25G articulated haulers.

The acquisition takes O’Brien’s investment in state-of-the-art software, equipment and machinery, during the last 5 years, to an enviable £2.5m, allowing it to expand services, improve efficiency and reduce costs for its clients.

The overall venture is part of an ongoing diversification strategy which is transforming the business and seen the contractor win countless awards in recognition of its innovation, including ‘Tomorrow’s Company’ by Construction News and ‘Contractor of the Year up to £300 million by Building Magazine.

Director, Michael O’Brien said “This outlay comes at an exciting time for O’Brien Contractors, as we secure a number of high profile projects, including Marks and Spencer’s in Longbridge and New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.

To maintain this success, we are committed to offering our clients the most efficient and cost effective service available at all times. We believe to achieve this we must continue to invest in our people, software and machinery, a strategy that has paid dividends in recent times.”

The new haulers will go straight into action at O’Brien’s latest contract win with Morgan Sindall, enabling and groundworks for a new Marks and Spencer’s development in Longbridge, Birmingham.

O’Brien Contractors Ltd, winner of ‘Tomorrow’s Company’ at the Construction News Awards 2014, are delighted to announce they have secured a new contract with RG Group.

The project will see O’Brien undertake the enabling works, substructures, associated drainage, along with the external works for the service yard and car park. The section 278 road works are also included in the O’Brien Contractors package.

As part of the contract, O’Brien’s have recommended a number of value engineering alterations that result in a large saving from the original disposal service, including the re-use of excavated materials in drain and service trench backfills and a potential redesign of the attenuation tank to minimise excavation and off site disposal.

Director of O’Brien Contractors, Stuart Chamberlain, sees the contract as further evidence of their proven ability to reduce costs whilst providing the highest quality and level of service possible “We pride ourselves on our flexibility and our ability to work with our clients regardless of the size, diversity or complexity of the project.”

“Our on-going commitment to using innovative new technologies allows us to continually im-prove the quality of our work and the speed of installation, saving our clients both time and money.”

The new Sainsbury’s supermarket is part of the £84 million regeneration of the former Wellesbourne Industrial Estate, designed to deliver new employment and residential opportunities.

Construction commenced in September and O’Brien will be on site for 20 weeks.

Key aspects of the project include:

• The installation of a reinforced concrete slab floor and foundation work, including ground beams.
• Car Park approx. 6,500m2.
• Reinforced concrete service yard approx. 3500m2.
• Below car park attenuation system of 864 m3 approx.
• Drainage up to 4 metres deep below car park and service yard.
• Civils works including duct trenching and boxes for water, gas, telecoms and electric service installations.
• Provision and installation of street furniture including anti-ram raid bollards, bus, trolley and cycle shelter, lockers and trolley bays.
• Slab and block paving.
• Section 278 highways improvements including footpath, carriageway works, pedes-trian refuges, bollards, beacons, street lighting and bus shelter.

In the past few years O’Brien Contractors has completed a successful diversification programme that has transformed its business and seen it win multiple awards in recognition of its innovation, increased sustainability, customer service standards, profit growth and staff satisfaction. This has led to a 40% expansion of its offices.

O’Brien’s business achievements since implementing the diversification programme include:

• New job creation that has increased staffing levels by 20%.
• Over £2m invested in new plant, technology and training programmes.
• A 60% increase in turnover in the last two years.

The improvements and continued growth don’t stop there and the company plans to employ a further 25 local people by the end of 2014, potentially more. Supporting the local community is integral to the company’s commitment to CSR and it is also dedicated to remaining a family business so Victoria O’Brien will be overseeing the development of expansion plans.

Managing Director, Peter O’Brien said: “The expansion of our offices is testament to how hard everyone in the business has worked to make our diversification programme a success. We are all looking forward to continuing that success to provide more jobs for local people.”

The 40% expansion will see the addition of new offices, a new meeting area and new car parking area in order to accommodate the growth the business has seen.

O’Brien has won a contract for Project Gateway in the Jewellery Quarter in central Birmingham. The contract will be for the construction of a new Assay Office and will be its second contract with Galliford Try after the successful completion of Solihull College.

Project Gateway is a landmark building marking the Western ‘gateway’ to the Jewellery Quarter and St George’s masterplan. The proposed development has been designed to respond to its location at this key frontage in the Jewellery Quarter, and respect its sitting within the Conservation Area.

The contract will involve the construction of the new building which will be 2/3 storeys high, utilising the sloping nature of the site, and will extend to circa 5,380 sq. m. The environmentally friendly design is proposed to be built to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard. The scheme comprises on-site car parking within a secure yard area.

Peter O’Brien, Managing Director, said: “I am extremely pleased to be working alongside Galliford Try again on what will be an exceptionally prestigious contract. We look forward to delivering the contract on time and to budget.”

The contract is due to start at the beginning of May 2014.

O’Brien Contractors has been appointed to work on the construction and redevelopment of an emergency department at New Cross Hospital for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

The development is part of a £30m major healthcare upgrade to bring all emergency services, currently spread out across the hospital site, under one roof. The scheme is being funded under the ProCure21+ framework and will provide additional capacity, a new A&E department, wards and admin space.

Appointed by main contractor, Kier Construction, O’Brien will deliver a range of enabling and ground works in a live hospital environment – including bulk excavation to remove in excess of 5000m3 of spoil, drainage diversions in excess of 5m deep through blue routes and reinforced concrete alteration works to existing service tunnels.

Phil Griffiths, Commercial Director said: “The new centre is a very important emergency healthcare facility for Wolverhampton and we are delighted to be delivering enabling and groundworks for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.”

Reinforced concrete sub structures including: lift pits and switch room, a ground floor slab, reinforced concrete works to upper floors, as well as the external works: roads, car parks and footpaths, are also included in the package.

“We are operating in a live hospital environment with a tight and challenging programme. However, our early involvement in the project and close collaboration with Kier’s, has enabled us to plan thoroughly, identify gaps in design to ensure our works are delivered with minimal disruption to hospital operations and patients.”

Matt Pugh, Senior Project Manager of Kier Construction said: “We have been very impressed with the professionalism shown by O’Brien in all areas from the help and assistance they provided pre contract, through to planning, rationalising of scope and execution of all their tasks on site. This is the first time we have worked with O’Brien’s, but we already consider them a key member of our supply chain and we will benchmark our other groundworkers against their performance.”

O’Brien is currently on site with a planned opening date for the new department of November 2015.

O’Brien Contractors has been at the heart of the construction for Nestle’s new £200 million coffee manufacturing centre, the project is progressing well in to 2014, below details the success that Sisk, Nestle and O’Brien have seen thorough out the contract.

Overview

Nestle UK is investing £200 million to enhance its soluble coffee manufacturing centre at Tutbury bringing together for the first time, all forms of coffee production on one site, including freeze dried, spray dried and pod technology – an investment that will create around 140 new jobs in the region. This is in addition to recent investments in DOLCE GUSTO manufacturing which has already created an additional 400 jobs over the last few years.

The new factory development will comprise of a series of interlinked blocks of varying height and scale. These include the reception building for coffee beans, roasting, extraction and drier buildings, as well as buildings for packing, storage, utilities and workshops.

Buildings will range in scale from single-storey engineering workshops to the extraction building, which is a concrete framed tower of over 30m in height.

The appearance of the new factory development will be defined by a carefully selected approach to the cladding finish of the buildings. The profile and colour of the cladding will be selected to add interest and break up the apparent mass of the individual building blocks.

The development will appear as a substantial group of new buildings in the local landscape. From many viewpoints, the new buildings will be seen against the backdrop of the existing factory.

However, they will have an edge to open countryside and there is a recognition that there needs to be landscape treatment around the development to act as a transition from the new factory to open agricultural land.

Progress

After one year of construction the buildings are substantially in place. Site clearing started in January 2013 and over the summer the building frames were constructed with cladding commencing in late 2013. Some of the large processing equipment was installed in late 2013 with the majority due for installation in 2014. New electricity, gas and water supplies are being brought to site to support the increased scale of the factory however the new installation is the most energy efficient factory of it’s type to have been built by Nestle.

As the factory is seen as a long term investment in a manufacturing centre, the size and durability of the factory have been designed accordingly. The concrete frames provide significant fire protection compared to steel frames and the cladding is designed to diminish noise emission as well as insulate the building.

Over 300 hundred people are active on the site each day and in 2013 there were no lost time accidents. The project team have strong safety management procedures in place and contractors are selected with a strong emphasis being given to their safety track record.

The new Nescafe building will be fully operational late 2014 and already the first new starters have joined, spending their first fortnight working through the factory induction process and then moving onto the general overview of coffee manufacture before specialising.