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BINKS VERTICAL |
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of England Pride in the Job Winner 2004 & 2007 |
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| © binks vertical 2007 |
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Words of Wisdom from a winning manager. Yorkshire Post Saturday
BINKS Vertical, headed by MD Richard Binks and project managed by Nick Kenyon, has been awarded the Regional North East NHBC award in the Pride in the Job competition, qualifying for the national final in January 2008. Kenyon has been chosen from 18,000 entrants nationwide to head the North Eastern Multi-Storey category for Ledgard Bridge Mill, Mirfield. How did you become involved in the building industry? At the age of 16, I became an apprentice-trained plumbing and heating engineer. I ran my own business until I was 30. I have always known Richard (Binks) as I was a junior, and he a senior player at Morley Rugby Club. We even played in the Yorkshire Cup final together. In 1991, in the clubhouse one day, Richard asked me if I would come and help him build his executive homes in West Ardsley. This friendship and working partnership has never looked back. Describe a typical day as a project manager? Well, no two days are the same, although all are always very full on and hectic. My job incorporates all aspects, from design team meetings through to decisions with regards to marketing, suppliers and everything in between. On the construction side of things, one thing that we work very hard to get right is acoustics. Our acoustic tests reach standards above the manufacturer’s warranty, as we simply cannot afford to have come backs from customers that sound problems are occurring. Another huge task in large projects is the coordination of the fire strategy, to make the building safe for residents. It is my role to implement the strategy that has been agreed by the consulting engineers, building control, the fire department, and then I have to pass this down to all trades that are involved in the implementation of the strategy. We have to be singing from the same hymn sheet, and there is no margin for error. To ensure that we get the product right we build several mock ups before we even begin the planning process. This is a great form of market research, as it ensures that our product will sell, and then from this we can work through any design fault from the outset. We only employ quality people, often keeping people on from apprentice ship level for many years. I also enjoy the people side of my job, from the training of apprentices to the interaction with customers. This can sometimes go above the call of duty though. I remember when we had hundreds of people arrived at the launch of our Millroyd Island scheme in Brighouse one evening, all wanting to go to the eighth floor penthouse apartment, via our glass fronted scenic lift. To my horror, the newly fitted lift ceased to work. As I was the only person who knew how to fix it, in front of the crowds, I jumped on top of the lift shaft, managed to sort it and luckily the show went on. What advice do you have to offer people who are converting their own properties? First, take a deep breath, acclimatise yourself with good sound knowledge, trustworthy tradesmen and set out realistic budgets and timescales. Then, you need to have a vision of the finished product and what you are looking to achieve. A good purchase requires good foundations, a solid roof and a good shell for you to work with. With these basics in mind, you cannot go too far wrong. When converting a property, always strip the original building back to its core, and work with what you have. This makes conversions more difficult than new build, as you have to travel backwards to get a good base, and then finally you can move forward. Do not skimp or try to cut corners because in the long run, this will cost you a great deal more than it would have done in the first place. When things become tough, make sure that you keep calm, and recognise that most things are achievable with common sense. The key part is to follow step by step technical advice. An example of this would be if you built a long wall without expansion joints, the wall will crack from the top to the bottom in the summer. If, however, you follow technical advice, and research your task before you begin, you will be fine. When it is your own project, the learning curve can be incredibly steep. You will not get everything right. I know that I don’t, but as long as you do not cut corners and you do your research, by the end of the project, the satisfaction is enormous. The most important piece of advice is to insist that quality prevails on your project. For us as developers, when the market tightens, wemust never move away from this fact, and remember that the customer is always our number one priority. What has influenced your success at work? I captained Morley Rugby Club in the 1990s for five years, playing in National League Division 2. This taught me many parallel skills that I have brought to my job at Binks Vertical. The chemistry of your team mates is vital. I have to be tough, but fair, yet instil discipline into my team mates work. We all have to strive for the same aim, be this winning a game or winning quality award trophies at the NHBC awards ceremony. What does the future hold for you? As we have completed Ledgard Bridge Mill, we have a huge forthcoming conversion development that is under wraps. It is aimed at first-time buyers, will have a swimming pool, gymnasium, 2.5 acres of landscaped gardens. We are now committing ourselves to further compliance towards a zero carbon footprint for the development. We are introducing a district heating system, along with a bike stores for 400 bikes. Whenever we start a new project I become extremely excited, and look forward to all of the challenges that this brings with it. |
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