It’s been another outstanding year of growth for GKR Scaffolding. It’s not something we take for granted – so we are reflecting on some of our key achievements this year. We are getting ready to take on 2018!
1. We updated the GKR brand and website.
A new website isn’t usually a big deal. But this was the culmination of a lot of work looking at what we stood for as a company and brand, and how we wanted to be perceived in the construction industry.
We think you’ll agree that our fresh digital presence made an impact.
2. We won Scaffolding & Access Specialist of the Year.
For the second year running! Even better second time round!
3. We won Training Excellence 2017.
Our dedication to development and creating career progression for scaffolders via the GKR Academy contributed to us being given this award.
4. We launched the BetterFuture programme.
BetterFuture is our commitment to improving the lives of our people, the societies we build for and the industry. It is a vehicle for us to live our values and our commitment to constant improvement.
5. We continued our work on complex and iconic projects.
Wimbledon, Tottenham Hotspur’s Stadium, Bishopsgate, One Angel Court, Camden Lock… and they are just the ones you’d recognise. We are lucky to win interesting projects needing interesting solutions.
6. We invested in Virtual Reality training.
We built a business case on solid learning objectives around working safely at height. Our training recreates situations with hazards and risks that couldn’t be simulated in real life.
7. Our staff raised £200,000 for charities and supported local communities.
Demelza, St Mungo’s, Newham Ability Camp and Centre Algarve all benefited from our staff’s energy and passion to raise funds. From hosting a Ball for 400 people for Demelza to abseiling down The Orbit in the Olympic Park, we all enjoy getting involved.
8. Our workforce has continued to grow and key personnel promoted.
We’ll be going into 2018 with a team that will take us to over 400 people. New apprenticeship schemes are being developed, more scaffolders were promoted to supervisors, and 2 key Director appointments were made to the Senior Leadership Team.
9. We won Best Place to Work (Contractor)
Our business is owned and lead by scaffolders who wanted this to be the kind of company they would have wanted to work for. We are proud to have our investment in our people recognised.
10. We maintained our industry leading safety record.
Another year with no RIDDORs and we have lost count of the on-site safety awards we received from Contractors. Safety First. Always.
11. We have grown our in-house Design Engineering team.
We now have 4 dedicated Engineers and the team is still growing!
12. Another cohort graduated from the GKR Leadership Academy.
And another cohort enrolled in September. These scaffolders are the future leaders in our business.
13. We have been shortlisted for 5 CN Specialists Awards.
Yes 5! Access & Scaffolding Specialist of the Year, Specialist of the Year, Innovation of the Year, Training Excellence and Health & Safety Excellence. That’s also 5 presentations we have to give to the judging panel!
14. More notable renovation and regeneration project wins.
Our biggest this year has to be Battersea Power station. But lets not forget other icons such as The Royal Opera House and The Royal Albert Hall!
15. We’ve invested £4m in more tube & fitting and Layher system scaffold.
Quite frankly we need it – you’ve seen the size of our projects…
16. We’ve grown our Health & Safety team with more officers.
As our workforce grows, so does our need for officers to ensure the safety of our people, fellow contractors and the general public. The team is also focussing on wellbeing and mental health initiatives for all staff.
17. You’ve guessed it. We are still growing!
We’ve grown another 8% this year and have been recognised as one of the fastest growing businesses in Kent. This is down to the dedication of all our staff who fully engage with our values and our commitment to growing the industry.
