Simon Strong Email & Phone Number

Welwyn, England, United Kingdom

Vandyke

Senior Technical Advisor

Biggleswade

Avonside Group is one of the largest envelope contractors in the UK construction industry, installing over 17,000 roofs a year, with 27 regional operations which are run from 23 locations across Britain. The group is made up of a family of specialist divisions offering services to a wide range of markets including commercial, residential, health, local authorities, education, defence and domestic, in both public and private sectors.We operate the following divisions: Avonside Roofing, Avonside Commercial and Industrial Roofing, Avonside Renewables and Avonside Eco Homes. The combined skills and expertise of these individual divisions’ means we are well-equipped to deliver projects of any scale or nature and deliver first-class service and results across the UK.We are committed to excellence in all we do, and are proud of our achievements in attaining group wide certification to ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 on 10th October 2014.We continue to seek growth through organic and acquisitive means, with continued investment into systems and people, providing long term, stable growth and success.I look after day to running of the Slating & Tiling division, controlling budgets, maintaining production ensuring margins are met.Negotiating contracts between 20k to 750kManaging Staff (2 x Contracts Managers, 1 x Estimator and a administrator)Implementing Health & Safety and complying to ISO9001Ensuring RAMS and SHEQ files are in place prior to commencement of works.

Biggleswade

As Operations Manager I manage 6 staff and 22 loft/cavity installers working within set budgets. I ensure quality and Health & Safety procedures are followed and revisions where appropriate are implemented. I also still attend pre contract meetings and occasionally carryout surveys. I hold weekly meetings with field supervisor as well as credit controller to ensure installs and cash flow are running smoothly.• Started as Estimator-Surveyor preparing quotations and tenders for cavity wall and loft insulation for newbuild and domestic houses for the major house builders such as Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and also refurbishment contractors such as Mansell and Lakehouse.• The quotations ranged from £200 up to £350,000, I attended pre-contract meetings negotiating discounts or additional measures and agreeing final contract values.• I prepared spreadsheets with breakdown of plots/rates/measures included in quotation so the administration team could invoice correctly.• I increased the orders intake from £250,000 to £2m in 6 years.• In December 2006 i was promoted to Branch Manager, managing 9 office staff and 40 insulation operatives. I looked after 3 Supervisors, Credit controller, Warehouseman and 4 administrators. We covered an area from North London up to South Lincolnshire.• I reported to the Regional Operations Director and had to submit daily sales reports along with weekly profit reports and perform to the Budgets set by the Board, I was in charge of maintaining the Health and Safety for the branch and also maintaining the quality procedures (ISO9001).• During my time I have had to carryout disciplinary hearings and if the case was more serious I would carry out the investigation for the Senior Management to proceed with the disciplinary hearing

Surveying & producing quotations for local authorities. I would also liase with carpenters for repairs and contract managers and Clients.

I looked after the estimating to 2 no depots. I was preparing cavity & loft quotes for major/local housebuilders and also local authorities. I would either carryout surveys or take quantities off drawings, prepare quotions. I would also follow up the quotations negotiating discouts etc. I would them prepare plot breakdowns for invoicing and planning