Showcases / Local construction company celebrates fourth birthday
WITH Shetland’s new Anderson High School nearing completion, local company Shetland Quality Construction Ltd looks back on its two years at the site next to Clickimin, writes Regan Williamson.
It also happens to fall in place with their fourth birthday – which they plan on celebrating at the Ideal Homes exhibition this weekend by offering 15 per cent off on all orders for
- Domestic driveways
- Paving
- General garden works.
That’s 15 per cent on orders that are placed at the Ideal Homes exhibition. On top of that, SQC will have a sandpit available so you can bring your young ones so they can begin their road to a career in construction! They’ll be a giveaway of a toy digger available too.
The groundworks specialists were brought in by Morrison Construction over 24 months ago for the school to work on:
- Site establishment
- Drainage
- Site clearance
- External works.
These would prove to be extremely challenging aspects of the project. Stuart Smith, of Engineering 60, employed as the company’s project engineer, mentioned how “it wasn’t just a case of progressing our own work. SQC had to “consider other contractors’ programmes within everything we did. We had to maintain access & work areas for others while having to adapt to Shetland’s unpredictable weather & ground conditions to ensure resources were where they were needed most.”
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Shetland Quality Construction were brought in early due to their reliability and professional approach to the undertaking of work packages within budget, without delay and to the standard required. The sheer scale of the work undertaken by the local construction company can be seen when breaking down the numbers:
- 65,000m³ of rock was excavated from the site.
- 3,000m of underground pipework.
- 40,000m² of paving and roads.
- 4,500m of kerbing.
SQC were also awarded the contract to undertake the pickup and drop-off area for the new school. Despite a heavy workload, SQC managed to complete the pickup and drop-off area whilst also completing time critical tasks at the AHS. Clever resourcing and cooperation with Morrison Construction allowed SQC to form a joined-up approach in the successful completion of both projects.
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Commercial Success
Away from the school, SQC have undertaken a wide range of jobs for commercial outlets. One of the larger jobs was concrete works for the Garth Wind Farm in Yell, but they have also resurfaced:
- Sound Service Station Forecourt
- Hillswick Hotel access road and parking areas
- Brae Co-Op car park
- Lerwick Co-Op car park
The team’s contract surveyor, Robby Watt, noted: “it’s rewarding when you see the work we are doing have such a positive impact. The resurfacing works at Sound Service Station and Hillswick Hotel wasn’t only received well by the clients but the wider public as well.”
Ivor Smith, one of the directors, spoke about the Co-Op Project saying the Car Park was “in particular poor state in Lerwick. From the patching and potholes to the damaged kerbs, there was a need for a complete overhaul. This can be particularly challenging when you consider that we needed to ensure minimal disruption to the store whilst meeting tight deadlines and setting in place safe systems of work that wouldn’t disrupt other contracted works. We pride ourselves in developing a co-operative approach (If you will pardon the pun). Working effectively with clients, the design team and other contractors is really important to us.”
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Homes
With the Ideal Homes exhibition approaching, SQC saw this as an opportunity to celebrate their anniversary. Over the last four years, they have been trusted with a number of driveways and garden works throughout Shetland & have always delivered success. Completing a broad range of work on time, to budget and with quality in mind
Domestically, it isn’t just driveways. David Black SQCs director noted: “We can do decking, fencing & turfing, as well as the likes of retaining walls, site clearances and foundations. They are all jobs we have carried out over the last few years. We engage early with our clients to ensure they are getting the right & necessary work done for reasonable and affordable prices – this is backed up by the countless jobs and positive testimonials we have received over the years.”
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Ivor, David & the team will be available to chat through any possible requirements you may have this weekend and they welcome you and your family – as they will have a sandpit available for the younger generation to play in while you chat business!
Commitment to Quality
You could have guessed from the company’s name that quality is at the forefront of everything they do – whether on a huge scale like the new High School or that new drive your partner has been asking for, SQC are here to deliver what you are looking for.
Ivor Smith said: “Maintaining a standard of quality means investing in the people we employ. We pride ourselves in the fact we have given opportunity to Shetlanders enthusiastic about working in our Industry
SQC have put a number of locals through their certificates to see them becoming not only valued employees but also skilled site supervisors or competent machine operators.
David Black: “Obviously without full client satisfaction we can’t see a project as wholly successful. It isn’t all about just understanding what the task is – it must be executed very well and this comes down to having trained operatives knowing what they are doing and doing it to the highest of levels. Investing in training & operator tickets is an investment and commitment to the future.”
Ivor added: “The only reason the cogs can turn is due to the support and commitment from the backroom staff, who successfully handle all the paperwork around the multitude of jobs completed by Shetland Quality Construction. In most cases they are our customers first point of contact – and this could be the difference between securing a project or losing it. They do a fantastic job and are a credit to SQC.”
Looking to the Future
Firstly, SQC are looking to successfully tackle the Ideal Homes exhibition this weekend. They are incredibly keen to meet the public face-to-face instead of email’s, social media or a telephone. SQC hope they can be the perfect fit for homeowners who are looking to revitalise anything around their home with the added bonus of a 15 per cent discount. Contact: http://www.sqcl.co.uk
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