Project: Relocating 120 staff and refurbishing 1850sq m offices
Value: £1.2m
Works Programme: 16 weeks

BACKGROUND

When Tarmac Group demerged the two main divisions that formed the company - so that Tarmac Heavy Building Materials (Tarmac HBM) and Tarmac Construction became separate entities. Tarmac Heavy Building Materials became Tarmac Plc.

Group Headquarters at Hilton Hall -an old mansion house- became surplus to requirements. Directors and associated staff were relocated to Ettingshall, to the north-west of Birmingham. Ettingshall would again become Tarmac HQ, it’s original home.

The third floor at Ettingshall became the Director’s Suite and had to be refurbished to a very high standard. To house those already working on the third floor, a new building was erected. Under the direction of the Chief Executive, this building could not be remote from the main offices, as he did not want cultural barriers to emerge.

A fast-track, two storey, 8,500 sq. ft. building had to be sourced, constructed and linked to the main building by a new bridge. An existing generator house occupied the only feasible location and had to be demolished, a new one erected and the generator moved, without removing the critical power back-up that the generator provided for Tarmac’s computer network. The deadline meant the erection of the new building and refurbishment of the third floor had to take place at the same time.

SCOPE OF WORK

McCarthy & Associates acted as Project Manager, provided design and space planning, dealt with health & safety issues, controlled logistic issues and above all took responsibility for and commitment to the project timing and cost control.

Chris Reynolds, Head of Group Accounting said: ‘I wanted someone to take responsibility and report to me. I spoke directly to Bernard McCarthy, and having gotten on very well with him, I asked him to do a feasibility study. We formed the project team which incorporated all required disciplines.’

The feasibility study outlined a critical path - all of the three phases had to take place virtually simultaneously. McCarthy & Associates handled the delicate, phased relocations as well as organising construction and controlling, specifying and purchasing (either by tender or by benchmarking costs).

PULLING TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOAL

The various phases of the project were all run under CDM regulations. McCarthy Group's Health& Safety consultancy facility dealt with the pre-tender and construction phases, and supervised the safety element of this fast track programme. In addition to regular site meetings, the Project Core Team met weekly, and user groups attended the appropriate meetings to ensure their needs were satisfied. The Core Team determined designs, specifications, approved drawings, timing programmes, contractor appointments and monitored committed expenditure.

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