4 News


People on the move


CEDRIC Sloan, director general of FETA, will be retiring during the latter part of 2014. Mr Sloan joined FETA as director general in 1998 and developed the federation into a larger trade body, respected both at home and abroad.


Applications are now being invited for the post of the new chief executive of FETA to take over the director general responsibilities in the Autumn.


DERK van


Mackelenbergh of the


Netherlands took over as president of the European Cold Storage


and Logistics Association (ECSLA) on 1 January. An industry veteran who has rich experience of the international association world, Mr van Mackelenbergh’s experience will be telling as the Association sets about innovating, while conserving the best of what is already in place.


AS THE next stage in its international growth strategy, Airedale


International has


promoted key account manager Asim Ansari, to lead its export sales team.


STIEBEL Eltron UK has appointed a new sales manager for the Midlands and South Yorkshire


regions. Tony Preston will be tasked with bringing in new installer partners, developing existing relationships with installers and creating new business.


ACR News March 2014 Visit ACR News online at www.acr-news.com


Construction growth shows consistancy


THE LATEST Construction Trade Survey shows that construction activity rose in Q4, marking the first time in over five years that the industry recorded three consecutive quarters of growth. Firms across all areas reported increased output, including building contractors, SMEs, specialist contractors, civil engineers and product manufacturers.


Commenting on the survey, Dr Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, said: “The recovery, which started in 2013 Q2, continued, though risks remain. The rises in activity were slower than in previous quarters, and orders for new work similarly decelerated, potentially highlighting uncertainty amongst contractors as to whether the recovery would be sustained.


“Growth was driven by the housing sector, though this was partially offset by a drop in repair and maintenance work. Building contractors, SMEs and civil engineers reported rises in output, although Q4 levels were not as strong as Q3. Indeed, only product manufacturers saw activity levels higher in Q4 than Q3. “Tender prices rose again this last quarter, especially for building contractors and civil engineers. These rises, however, were mitigated by growth in cost inflation, largely owing to increased labour, energy and transport


costs. As a result, most contractors reported a fall in profit margins despite the improving demand over the past 12 months. In addition, 41% of building contractors reported difficulties recruiting bricklayers and 32% reported difficulties recruiting carpenters.”


Stephen Ratcliffe,


director UKCG, said: “While contractors reported a slowdown in output growth this quarter, the trend over the last year remains one of modest recovery. Unlike housing, the broader construction sector remains a lagging indicator and we would expect the main growth to come later than the wider economy. Rising labour costs highlight the need to tackle skills shortages as we move towards recovery, and for a clear pipeline of future work so firms have the certainty to invest in apprenticeships and other long term training programmes.”


Julia Evans, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders added: “These figures highlight the fragility of the construction industry’s recovery, which is being driven by house building. Ongoing investment and future prospects point to further growth for the construction industry as a whole but as the economy recovers, it is important for companies to be at least as vigilant about costs, cash flow and late payment as they were during the downturn.”


Google enters hvac controls


GOOGLE Inc has agreed to buy Nest Labs for $3.2bn in cash. Nest’s mission is to reinvent unloved but important devices in the home such as thermostats and smoke alarms. Since its launch in 2011, the Nest learning thermostat has been a consistent best seller – and the recently launched Protect, a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm, has had rave reviews. Larry Page, chief


executive of Google, said: “Nest’s founders, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, have built a tremendous team that we are excited to welcome into the Google family.


“They are already delivering amazing products you can buy right now – thermostats that save energy and smoke/carbon monoxide alarms that can help keep your family safe.”


Mr Fadell, chief executive of Nest, said: “We’re thrilled to be joining Google.


“With its support, Nest will be even better placed to build simple, thoughtful devices that make life easier at home, and that have a positive impact on the world.”


Nest will continue to operate under the leadership of Mr Fadell and with its own distinct brand identity.


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