Keltbray Group Awards.
Keltbray Group has won this year’s Construction News Specialist Contractor of the Year Award. The company was presented with the award in a ceremony at Grosvenor House in London in July 2018. The judges declared Keltbray the winner of this category because of its exceptional commitment to improving every aspect of its business.
The panel was impressed with how the firm underpinned that mantra with a clear vision and determination to raise standards across the industry: Keltbray demonstrated these attributes in several ways, including its expansion in the past year with the launch of Keltbray Structures: a business providing concrete structure solutions. The new unit allowed the group to go beyond preparing new sites for infrastructure and developments and contribute to a project for a longer period.
Having delivered a number of smaller complex projects with the new division, the company stepped things up by securing a two-year £110m contract to construct more than 500 homes at Battersea Power Station.
The panel also praised the way in which Keltbray combined its ambitions for growth with a continued push for efficiency within the business. Its emphasis on innovation drew similar admiration, with several outstanding examples singled out. These included the introduction of a road rail wiring unit that halved overhead line electrification installation times, as well as software for piling applications that enables staff to share information in real time as work progresses.
Many of these innovations have been developed by Keltbray’s staff, and the business has structured itself in a way that enables employee ideas to become reality. This was apparent not only through the firm’s structure, but also in the investments it made: in 2017 it spent £2.4m on training and £15m on technology and equipment. Such investment has allowed staff to devise new and innovative solutions, as well as providing the workforce with high-quality tools and up-to-date skills and expertise.
The judges were pleased to see that Keltbray went that extra step when it came to best practice, sharing its innovations and methods with the rest of the industry in an effort to raise standards for all. They were left with the clear impression that the business cares deeply about its staff and supply chain, and that it wants to improve them as much as possible.
Keltbray sees these factors as critical to its financial performance, and has been rewarded with significant growth in recent years.
The company’s attitude made a lasting impression on the judges, its dedication from top to bottom convincing the panel to name Keltbray Specialist Contractor of the Year. “Keltbray’s attitude made a lasting impression; this is a business that cares deeply about its employees and its supply chain,” one of the judges commented.
Keltbray Environmental was also Highly Commended in the Environmental Contractor of the Year category for its use of barges to move excavated material was a simple yet effective measure to reduce plant emissions in an economical fashion, the judges noted. Also catching the judge’s attention was Keltbray’s investment in its restoration facility at Thames Wharf, which treats the excavated material so it can be reused or, if necessary, disposed of safely.
The judges said Keltbray’s entry showed “impressive technical knowledge” regarding its restoration process, as well as a commitment to lead the industry in this area of sustainability.
Published on Wednesday 7th November 2018