Stancold are once again fitting another food-safe fire-rated production area, ensuring the LPS 1208 specification is met as part of the partition works between manufacturing and office spaces.
Whilst our installers continue working hard, our design team in the office are busy on an additional starch room for later installation.
Have a look through the gallery to see updates on what we are working on.
“That’s true – Stevenage has felt like a big construction site for a while now. I’m proud to say we participated in a few of these projects over the past years, contributing to what could soon become the heart of Europe’s R&D for life sciences,” says Mark Kendrick, CREST Business Development Director.
“This one landed in our inboxes in mid-2021. We were excited to be working with a new main contractor client, helping them to deliver a part of a significant project currently in development in the area.”
But it wasn’t until a year later that the end user signed all the contract details. The scope of work was to construct two fully equipped pharmaceutical-grade holding chillers across two storeys, on the first and second floors of the building. Both included a turnkey N+1 refrigeration package with high-specification monitoring system and required a stable temperature of 4°C. Steve Gunning, our Contracts Supervisor, ran the project.
“The main contractor put in an enormous amount of work stripping the internals of the building. Made our job look easy,” he says, mentioning how CREST installers completed the walls in 8 working days, split across three visits.
“Initially, we were only supposed to build the box, install all the refrigeration components and leave the rest to the client,” he continues. “But as it often can be with construction sites, the plans changed, and the team returned for a few hours for a third visit to build over the structure. Long story short, we did slightly more than you can see in the photo. We’re very pleased with the outcome and how we accommodated all the changes, worked around the limited access and our client’s scheduling,” he sums up humbly.
Need a flexible fit-out partner to deliver a cleanroom project or add pharma cold stores to your facilities?
Mark, Steve and their CREST colleagues are here to help. Email mkendrick@stancold.co.uk or call 07585 301425.
“I’ve always been a big picture guy,” starts Rich Chaplin, who joined Stancold last September. “But there was a lot I had to sink my teeth into before I could start thinking about new procedures and streamlining our project delivery. Quickly digesting the processes in place wasn’t an easy task. It took a good couple of months to wrap my head around everything, but thankfully, my team has been most helpful, especially my female voice, Becky!”
Rich managed a few projects to ease his introduction to the company. “I ran M&E contracts, worked with renewable resources, and built top-secret government sites under NDAs… But to be honest, my experience working with Stancold’s range of solutions was limited. It works to my favour, as I get to use what I learned in other sectors, without the we always used to… attitude that plagues the construction industry,” he continues. As our departments grow, Rich’s efforts will let us introduce new team members more smoothly than ever.
“My current goal is to make all our internal operations transparent to improve communications. For example, to move from Outlook to Teams and from Excel to Project. What we’ve got is working perfectly right now, but I can see this being a bottleneck in the future with our plans for 2023. It’s all a process, but we’re getting there!”
He says he’s “pure business – no fun”, but if you ask him why “The Wire” is the best TV show ever or where his favourite surfing spots in the world are – spoilers, Scotland – you’ll instantly notice his eyes go bigger and brighter.
See for yourself – get in touch with us at info@stancold.co.uk. You’re bound to chat with Rich at some point!
“This is something we quoted a long time ago. September 2021, I think. The client is a well-regarded respiratory devices specialist. They had been busy over the past years, ramping up production every month – there was no time for any construction works,” he says. Stancold’s job was to limit dust from spreading between manufacturing and storage areas by constructing a 370m² division wall.
“The trick here is to separate two areas while ensuring quick access. We’re installing three roller shutters alongside three sets of doors to allow quick access,” Shaun continues. “The factory has to be fully operational while we’re on-site, so the plan is to carry the works out overnight.”
“It’s been almost a year since the original quote, and it’s a completely different market now. I have to say I really appreciate the clients coming back to us after such a long time and going ahead with the project,” he sums up.
Stancold is due to start the installation in April, with Sam Glover managing the project. We’ll keep you posted about its progress!
In the meantime, why not email us at info@stancold.co.uk or check out our quick-quote calculator to see how we can help to optimise your facility?
“Naturally, we don’t expect to be awarded every project we quote. It comes down to factors like aligning timelines, our internal capacity or the current prices of materials we use,” says Shaun Jones, our fire-rated partitions specialist.
“It was to my great satisfaction when we won two tenders for a Worcestershire-based main contractor within two weeks, having quoted them for years! Both projects were quoted and procured within six weeks, with an installation completion estimate of 3 months following issuing the PO,” he continues.
When deadlines are tight, Stancold’s proven track record separates us from the competition – our food & fire divisions completed 94 projects in 2022 alone.
Rob White‘s teams have just started working on the bigger, 1250m² installation, while our project coordination team is busy making arrangements for the second project’s planned start in March. Stay tuned for more news!
Are you looking for new supply chain partners? Email info@stancold.co.uk and see how we can help you to deliver your build.
“Clients approached us to deliver firewalls and ceilings for a future distribution hub in the Birmingham area, which seems to be in shortage of those,” says Shaun Jones, Stancold’s fire-rated partitions expert.
“As we’re moving towards net zero, the industry needs to adapt. It might seem like there are plenty of warehouses dotted around the country, but there is still a great need for more eco-friendly logistics. It forces everyone to think about not only their business’ operating capacity, but also distances between their distribution hubs and other facilities,” he continues.
Shaun first heard about the 10,000m² warehouse in late 2021, but it took a few months to finalise designs and details, given the slight delay and changes we advised for LPCB compliance and cost savings.
“With builds this size, it’s always an exercise of patience and working with our suppliers to hold favourable prices for materials, which is becoming harder every month,” he concludes.
Thanks to Shaun’s 40+ years of experience working in the construction industry, challenges like these are easily manageable. All it takes is our usual approach of always going the extra mile.
To find out how our team can help your partitioning project, email sjones@stancold.co.uk or call 07821 152663.
Working with a local M&E services contractor as part of the fit-out of four compressing bays within the manufacturing site, CREST are responsible for the design and build of walk-on ceilings across the space, utilising the Puracore cleanroom system, as specified by the client.
A full site survey by CREST’s Contracts Director, Lee Duffield, and Site Manager, John Barrie, was required to assess the scope of works. This allowed them to advise on the orientation of the ceiling in line with necessary suspension and how this would integrate with the addition of loading bays and walkways above.
Coordinating the programme of works in line with other trades working on site has been key to ensure a timely build, where the implementation of two phases has enabled the team to work around the contractors undertaking the build of plasterboard walls.
A complex contract of this nature further demonstrates the vast range of CREST’s capabilities within the construction of highly controlled environments across the UK.
For more information about working with CREST as your cleanroom envelope construction contractor, get in touch with Mark Kendrick on 07585 301425 or send your enquiry here.
This was no different for one of the team’s latest contracts, where they were required to carry out repairs on an existing client’s cleanroom within automotive manufacturing. Accidental forklift damage can be common on busy sites like this but being able to ensure that the cleanroom’s validity isn’t compromised is a top priority in this situation.
As the cleanroom envelope was originally built by our team in 2019, CREST’s Mark Kendrick had some familiarity with the Oxfordshire site, but it was imperative that a site survey was conducted to assess the damage and understand the requirements to repair.
As a two-storey cleanroom with single-span outer walls, care and attention was necessary when removing the damaged panels and replacing them with new ones, all while the warehouse remained operational.
Repairs were complete and CREST’s team off-site again in less than a week.
CREST’s end-to-end service with clients across the pharmaceutical, medical and advanced manufacturing industries in the UK has demonstrated time and time again. To find out more, get in touch with Mark Kendrick on 07585 301 425.
Jessica, Stancold’s youngest team member works as a Sales & Marketing apprentice. Unlike the typical construction worker, she works in the marketing department and spends her day compiling data through LinkedIn, aids in content creation and helps generates new leads.
Since joining the business seven months ago, Jessica stated that as the company grew, so did the team. She said “The dynamic is positive and supportive, and I feel like I’m constantly learning and growing both personally and professionally. I’m excited to see where this experience takes me in the future.”
After leaving school, Jessica was unsure of her next move, but she ultimately found her passion in the marketing industry. She said, “Working within the marketing department has ultimately changed my perception on both self & corporate representation, and how the world revolves around promotion and advertisement. Without a unique portfolio directed at the right audience, your capacity is limited.”
Although she was not sure what to expect when she first started her apprenticeship, she has been pleasantly surprised by the experience. She said, “My role has not only taught me a completely new skill set but walking into my apprenticeship was nothing like I expected it to be.”
The unique nature of Jessica’s job often leads to confusion when she tells people what she does for work. “Whenever someone asks what I do for work I love nothing more than mentioning that I work in construction. 99% of the time the first assumption made is that I’m on a site in a hard hat and hi-vis, it’s hilarious witnessing the confusion as it always seems to throw everyone off!”
Jessica is excited to continue growing in her career and is proud to be a part of the Stancold team.
If you would like to learn more about our group or how we can help with your project, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 0117 316 7000 or submit an enquiry here.
Working closely with CREST’s Business Development Director, Mark Kendrick, Jacob has been working hard to date to learn the intricacies associated with producing costings for new cleanroom envelope and cold storage enquiries within the pharmaceutical and medical industries, as well as adapting client drawings and conducting take-offs to provide accurate quotation information.
“I’m enjoying the variety and scope of the enquiries that I’ve been dealing with to date. That’s why CREST stood out to me as a business; it specialises in such a niche within the wider construction industry that’s really interesting.”
It’s not always a numbers game for Jacob, as he plays a pivotal role in generating key commercial reports, aligning key supplier information and integrates with CREST’s contracts team as part of post-sales administration procedures.
“I’ve worked in technical and commercial roles – primarily in estimating and procurement – since leaving the Navy around 5 years ago but am also halfway through a part-time degree in Business Management to support my career path.”
When Jacob’s not keeping himself busy in a professional capacity, he loves travelling and the outdoors:
“My favourite holiday destination so far has been Argentina – the BBQ food was amazing! I enjoy lots of outdoor activities though, such as walking and kayaking, so it’s always nice to be getting fresh air.”
We’re really pleased to have Jacob on board and his contributions to CREST’s operations have been invaluable so far.
Find out more about CREST’s dedicated team here or get in touch with us via info@stancold.co.uk.
“CREST’s Lee Duffield passed me an email with an enquiry for a couple of firewalls. Not necessarily our cleanroom division’s expertise, so I was happy to assist,” says Shaun Jones, Stancold’s industrial partitions expert. “As much as we are separate teams, we always work together on things that cross over. Our clients know whenever they need a composite-panel-based solution, they can reach out to any of our staff and be passed on to the most appropriate person to speak to.”
This time, the client was another fit-out company – an interior specialist looking for a partner to deliver the enclosure for a future office in a warehouse. Stancold not only built the walls but also assisted in creating designs and provided advice on the steelworks required to provide the specified fire rating.
Two partitions totalling 266 m² had to be colour-matched to existing structures. Our team took into consideration all aspects of such requirements, as panel colours vary not only between suppliers but also differ slightly with every production run on the same factory line.
“The team showed great effort as the project required a quick turnaround, not only on the installation side but also at the design stage. It is an enormous advantage to partner with an experienced crew like my colleagues at Stancold when working towards strict deadlines,” Shaun summarises.
Whether you’re a commercial landlord or a company looking to partner up to deliver an industrial partition within your project, reach out to Shaun at sjones@stancold.co.uk or call 07821 152663.
Starting the new year celebrating two years of CREST.
OUR HISTORY
Creation of Rowland Adams Metals Ltd, Bristol
Name change to Stancold Coldstore Construction
The Gillham family steps in
Stancold acquires Mercury Coldrooms
New HQ
From father to son
Gilcrest Group
Stronger team and offering
Cleanroom Development
Demonstrating resilience amidst Brexit uncertainty and a worldwide pandemic, Stancold preserves its strong financial status and diversifies our offering further. Where we saw an increase in demand from clients for more technically challenging projects, including cleanroom envelopes and humidity-controlled facilities, a specialist team was formed within the business.
CREST
Stancold formally launches its dedicated Clean Room Envelope Specialist Team, to reflect our current unique position within the marketplace. The team continues to deliver envelope solutions of increased complexity for more demanding applications, such as containment laboratories, battery manufacturing facilities and nuclear establishments.
