touch point Spring 2012

touchpoint
Spring 2012
Welcome to the first issue of Touchpoint which will give you quarterly
news on the TCL Group’s activities. There’s a chance to win £200 of
Gardens by Covey vouchers in our competition – see the back page!
TCL Play wins Barratt PLC play deal
TCL’s specialist play business, Admiral Play has
agreed a deal with Barratt PLC to design and build
play areas for all Barratt and David Wilson Homes’
regional businesses throughout the UK.
The largest play installation company in the country, Admiral
Play has an impressive track record of providing play areas
for a range of house builder clients all over the country and
has gained specific experience of the key criteria which
make play areas a success within residential developments.
Simon Cashmore explained: “TCL had undertaken a
number of projects for various regional offices, both for the
Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes developments,
and demonstrated that we could make tangible and
worthwhile financial savings.
TCL Group Chairman
Richard Glover cuts
a celebratory cake to
mark the company’s
move to its new head
office in Denby,
Derbyshire.
With him are Matt
Masters, Investment
Director at Caledonia
Investments plc, Mark
Waghorn, Clean Estates
National Accounts
Manager and Charlotte
Hopkinson, Clean
Estates Customer
Service Manager.
New head office for Clean Estates
Clean Estates has moved into a new head office
to accommodate the additional staff it has taken
on to service its growing number of clients.
The commercial estates cleaning and grounds
maintenance contractor moved into 4,000 sq ft
premises in Denby, Derbyshire.
Clean Estates has seen its staff grow across the
UK from 80 colleagues to over 200 in five years as
its reputation for professional, friendly, reliable,
flexible and quality service spreads. Twenty five of
these are based at the new HQ.
touchpoint
New fencing department
will reduce cost and
hassle for house builders
TCL has launched a new fencing business to offer
housebuilders a one stop shop when landscaping
new developments and creating show home areas.
The division will complement TCL’s existing landscaping
service, reducing hassle, cost and time for developers.
The service will include the supply and installation of
site fencing, sales trap and play area fencing and
decorative metal railings for town house frontages as
well as security fencing, protective barriers and gates.
It will also include specialist offerings such as newt and
acoustic barrier fencing.
Jon Cowley, Director of Bespoke Services at
TCL Midlands explained: “It is a natural progression to
extend our existing service to include fencing to all
areas of new developments, as installation of
landscapes and fencing often go hand in hand as vital
components in the presentation of outside spaces.”
Latest Admiral Play brochure is launched
The new 2012- 2013 Admiral Play
catalogue has landed!
Available via the Admiral Play website
it offers play options for children from
two to teens and even equipment for
outdoor adult fitness.
Filled with case studies, example
play combinations and details on how to
maximise budgets, it offers inspiration,
information and guidance for those planning a new
scheme for a school, housing development or community.
Huge rise in demand for Clean
Estates’ FrostWatch service
Clean Estates’ winter maintenance service
FrostWatch saw a huge rise in business
this year – despite the weather being far milder
than in 2010/11.
The salting and gritting service paid more than
2,000 visits to customer car parks, service
yards, access roads and warehouse loading
areas since the start of the year, a seven per
cent rise on last winter when snow paralysed
large areas of the UK.
The increase is due to an expansion in
Clean Estates’ overall customer base – many
of whom decided to add the FrostWatch
service to their general maintenance
programme rather than opting for separate
contractors for different services.
Clean Estates FrostWatch Manager Christine
Thompson said: “It’s been a great start to the
year. Not only is our business significantly up
on last year with more customers, more sites
and more visits, but the quality of our work is
reflected in the many positive comments we
have received back from site facilities
managers and their tenants.”
Sporting prowess
TCL North Operations Manager Steve Dick
is competing in the 30th Belvoir Half
Marathon in April to raise money for Hose
Village Hall, near Melton Mowbray.!
Steve claims to have been blackmailed into
taking part in the event by school friends who
assured him his fitness levels hadn’t decreased
since his younger days despite the bathroom
scales suggesting otherwise.
Meanwhile TCL South East Maintenance and
Construction Quality Supervisor Mark Church
was officially named ‘worst ten pin bowler ever’
after his dismal performance at the staff
Christmas party in Basildon.
Next chooses TCL to
launch new patio range
High Street retailer Next Retail has teamed up with
TCL to launch its new patio range this spring.
The retailer is expanding its successful interiors division
to include outdoor living – and has chosen TCL as its
installation partner.
David Wilson Homes and
Redrow are first two takers
for Clean Estates house
builders’ cleaning service
Clean Estates has launched a specialist
three stage house cleaning service - with
David Wilson Homes and Redrow
becoming the first two developers to take
advantage of the new offering.
Clean Estates Managing Director Phil
Chapman explained: “Finding cleaning
providers is a major recruitment and
management headache for housebuilders.
Because of our excellent reputation for
service and attention to detail, and the TCL
Group’s long standing relationship with
major house builders this is a natural
extension to our portfolio”
Dog walker foils digger theft
A dog walker has been given a hamper
of goodies as a thank you for foiling the
theft of an £14,000 digger at a play
area being created by TCL on behalf of
Kompan in Hadleigh, Essex.
The new Next paving range, launched initially at a trial
store in August 2011, will offer customers a range of
styles and finishes - from traditional York to
contemporary beach pebble effect - along with
installation, as a one stop shop package.
“Next chose us to act as their official installation partners
to create a completely hassle free package for their
customers. Shoppers just choose the NEXT paving
range preferred, and one call to TCL is all it takes to start
the hassle free, fixed price installation service.
“Next chose us because we are one of the largest
independent landscape installers in the UK and offer a
regionally consistent, reliable, cost effective and
professional installation service.”
The man spotted half a dozen or so ne’er do
wells manhandling the 1.5 tonne excavator
across the cricket field near the partly
constructed play area at JH Burrows Park as
he was taking his dog for his evening stroll
one dark evening.
TCL South East Director Jeff Thackeray
explained: “He then ran to his friend’s house
some 800 metres away, raised the alarm and
the police landed on site within five minutes
and recovered the earthmover. However, the
chancers managed to escape leaving only
the sighting of two white vans.
The least we could do to thank such a
community minded soul for thwarting this
attempted larceny was to give him a thank
you hamper of wine and chocolate.”
Coffee Stop: fond memories of fish and chips
Stacey McAlwane has joined Admiral Play
as Regional Relationship Manager from Russell Play.
With a solid background
in the play industry, and
many
years
with
Wicksteed under her belt,
her role will be to develop
customer relations with
housebuilders.
We cajoled her into
becoming
the
first
member of staff to be
interviewed for our coffee
stop section, which gives
us a little insight into the
person behind the job!
If you were seven again which piece of play
equipment would be your favourite?
It would have to be a roundabout of some sort. I used
to love seeing how fast I could make it go.
Where was your most memorable childhood
holiday?
We always used to go to seaside resorts – and
Cromer was the one we went to most often. We went
for walks on the beach, played crazy golf on the pier
and ate good old fish and chips in our caravan.
Which three words would friends use to
describe you?
Determined, enthusiastic, caring
If you were an animal what would you be?
Everyone would expect me to say a tiger or a lion
but actually it would be an elephant – because I
never forget anything!
£500k seaside fun
The team at TCL (South West) are
putting the finishes touches to their
exciting £0.5m Geopark play project in
Paignton. For the full story and pictures
see the next edition of Touchpoint.
Competition!
Guess the Location
to win £200 Vouchers...
Can you guess where the
TCL team member is
planting a tree? Win £200
worth of vouchers to spend
at Gardens By Covey.
Email answers to:
enquiries@tclgrp.co.uk
Closing date: 30th May 2012
tcl group Head Office: Pitsford Road, Chapel Brampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 8BE.
t: 01604 821 843 | f: 01604 821 951 | Registered in England and Wales 4649316