IN THIS ISSUE: Transferring Knowledge at CUBIS, p2 30 Minutes with Mark Lowry, p3 Man of Many Talents, p8

July 2010 Issue 21

Chief Executive’s Diary

On instructions from Mark Lowry and the Northstone Board a new corporate web site was launched on 31st May 2010 to further enhance the profile of our Company as the leading materials and construction business in Northern Ireland. “The time was right to confirm our new three division structure as well as providing profiles of the senior management team” said Mark. “ The new site allows us to tell the story of our history, the CRH connection, illustrate our capability and list the Northstone products and services portfolio. It also details the recent citations received by the Northstone divisions and emphasises our

I write my first article for Northlink as Chief Executive as we await an emergency budget from the new coalition government in the United Kingdom and we all fear even more stringent cuts in public spending which will impact directly on the construction industry and the materials supply sector. However, I am confident that our new streamlined board structure of Eamonn Sweeney, Graham McQuillan, Michael Wightman and Andrew Donnan will lead us through what is the most severe recession since the 1930’s.

In such times it is even more important to have effective and meaningful communication with our people using our Northlink magazine and other means.

Regrettably, the past six months or so at Northstone has seen more

redundancies, temporary lay offs, reduced hours of working and in some cases, rate reductions. While the situation is continually under review and I cannot guarantee that further similar measures will not be necessary in the future, I can assure you that the actions which have been taken to date have all been designed to preserve the sustainability of the Company, including securing employment. Our focus going forward has to be twofold: on the one hand, eliminating waste, streamlining operations and maximising efficiencies throughout the Company, whilst at the same time continuing to focus on cash management, profitability and reducing accidents.

I do not envisage growth in the construction market in Northern

Liam O’Hagan, the Farrans site engineer on the Nicholson Institute Schools project in the Western Isles of Scotland, exemplifies the calibre of technical staff employed by our Construction Division.

Liam benefitted from receiving a Farrans Scholarship while undertaking his degree in Construction Engineering and Management at the University of Ulster. This was awarded on the basis of his academic success in the first year of his course. He then successfully completed a year long placement period with Farrans working on the construction of the new tower block at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. The report he subsequently produced

Liam Comes Out On Top

on his placement year was awarded The Concrete Society Prize for the best dissertation in his year group.

On Liam’s return to university after his placement year, he achieved a First Class honours degree and was awarded the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) prize for the most outstanding performance in his degree course and rounded it off with a Diploma in Industrial Studies with commendation in respect of his year at Altnagelvin.

On completion of his degree, Liam joined Farrans as a site engineer. Northlink was interested to find out from Liam how things have gone since joining the Company on a permanent basis.“Things have gone really well,” said Liam. “I really like the way in which I have been given lots of responsibility at an early stage in my career and been expected to meet critical deadlines. I have already worked on the Wallace Hall Academy, a £20 million All Through School in Dumfries and now I have been relocated to a similar project on the Western Isles in Scotland.”

Northlink congratulates Liam on his success to date and looks forward to reporting further on our very capable, young engineer in Scotland.

Ireland over the next three or four years and it is even likely that the market will go into sustained decline during this period. This creates different challenges for our three divisions.

The Materials division will continue to operate largely in the Northern Ireland market, although opportunities further afield are being explored for some of its products. Farrans has scope for further growth in the United Kingdom market from our regional offices in Cambridge and Edinburgh. Cubis Industries, with its global market place, has excellent potential for growth.

I have recently taken over as President of the Construction Employers Federation (CEF) and the top item on my agenda is to work with the Construction Industry Group, which includes the Quarry Products Association (QPA), suppliers, architects and engineers, to gain an industry consensus view. I will then seek to lobby government strongly with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) to prioritise key infrastructure projects. These include roads, power stations, waste projects, schools and

colleges, and to explain the benefits of construction to the wider community and to potential investors. I will encourage them to make funds available and to consider alternative forms of funding. I can assure you that I will be doing my utmost to raise these issues at the highest level and bring some influence to bear.

The reduced level of activity across Northstone has meant greater significance for each and every accident we have in our workplaces. I met with the Health and Safety Directors recently and we agreed to focus on effective delivery of related health and safety training to reduce our accident frequency and severity rates. Whilst we should take great pride in having made the improvements that have been made in the last few years, the current rates are showing a worrying trend of decline and are unacceptable for a business such as ours.

It only remains for me to wish you a restful and enjoyable summer holiday and thank you for your efforts over the last six months.

Mark Lowry JUNE 2010

commitment to quality and standards in everything we do as a Company. The importance we place on people development, effective corporate governance and corporate social responsibility is there for everyone to see. I consider the new site as a vital element in enhancing the Northstone brand and clearing up any possible misunderstanding in the market and wider community about our structure.” The new web site, which can be viewed under the www.northstone-ni.com domain, provides a gateway to the Farrans Construction (www.farrans.com), Cubis Industries (www.cubisindustries.com) and Northstone Materials (www.northstonematerials.com) web sites.

New

Corporate

Websitefor

Northstone

Liam receives his CIOB prize (l-r) Martin Cushnahan (CIOB), Liam O’Hagan and Robert Craig (CIOB)

page 2

MORE ABOUT CRHThe year to 31 December 2009 saw the most severe and pervasive economic downturn in industry memory across the world. Our parent company, CRH plc, was adversely affected by it as the table below indicates:-

2009 2008 % Change€MSales 17,373 29,887 (17%)Operating Profit 955 1,841 (48%)

However, what differentiates CRH plc from its competitors is how it has reacted to the recession by responding proactively to it and further building on the capabilities of the business. This was done in the following 4 ways:-

• strong, prompt management action with an intensified focus on cash.

• implementing initiatives to reduce cost and maximise effectiveness.

• focusing on elements which contribute most to performance.

• improving competitive positions and establishing a firm base for recovery.

This desire to establish a firm base for recovery led to €0.45bn being spent on acquisitions in 2009. Seven of these acquisitions were in North America and resulted in the addition of 380 million tonnes of aggregate reserves to the CRH operations. One such acquisition was the Wheeler Manor business in the Texas state capital of Austin (see photograph below). The Wheeler companies are a leading asphalt, ready mixed concrete and paving operator with 6 asphalt and 8 concrete plants in the region. This acquisition represents a significant expansion of the CRH activities in Texas which is a market with strong, long term growth prospects.

CRH plc is well positioned to pursue more development opportunities in 2010 and 2011.

More about CRH plc next time.

3Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) is a part government funded programme to encourage collaboration between businesses and universities. It aims to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology from universities to business through the work of a recently qualified graduate on a specific project while at the same time enhancing the business and specialist skills of that graduate. Northstone have been a strong advocate of the mutual benefits of the KTP process and over the years quite a number of associates have contributed to the success of our Company.

CUBIS has appointed a KTP associate this summer to develop a new lightweight, composite manhole cover.

25-year-old Paul Davidson, from Bangor, will be based at the division’s Lurgan location over the next two years to undertake a project that involves optimising the current concrete covers to lower their weight and cost.The project will consider the design and processes used and will involve working with alternative materials such as polymer concrete and SMC (Sheet Moulded Compound). Paul graduated from Queen’s University Belfast, where he was awarded a MEng degree in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, specialising in polymers and composites. As part of his degree, Paul also spent a one-year placement with Denroy Plastics in Bangor, who specialise in injection moulded plastic products.

“Given that my past experience has not been with concrete, it was a bit of a challenge in the project analysis stage to quickly learn about reinforced concrete design,” said Paul. “Thankfully, this was made a lot easier with the guidance of my KTP project supervisors learning much from

Transferring Knowledge at CUBIS

the technical knowledge of Dr. Su Taylor from Queens University and the industry experience of Finn McCrory at CUBIS.”

“There is a very positive attitude towards my project amongst the other staff at CUBIS, especially from Graeme Pringle and Michael Wightman, and everyone has given me the support needed to make sure the project got off to a good start.”

“Looking ahead, my objective is to redesign the surface cover using SMC and polymer concrete, which will mean significant savings in cost and weight,” he said. According to Graeme Pringle, Director of Product Development at CUBIS, the project has already unearthed some interesting results with new prototype covers being tested in the last week of June at Queen’s University, Belfast.

“KTP projects allow CUBIS to invest in product innovation in a way that is not usually possible within the normal day to day operations of the business. As well as being able to have someone to work solely on a project for two years, we also have access to the knowledge, technology, testing facilities and experience on hand at the university not to mention the specialist skills and abilities of the associate,” commented Graeme.CUBIS in Liverpool is currently working towards appointing a KTP associate from Liverpool John Moores University to develop large sealed chambers that can be used for deep sewer systems and similar projects.

“Continuing to work closely with local universities and their KTP associates will strengthen our position as a world-class innovator and our capability to anticipate and meet the needs of our customer base,” said Graeme.

(l-r) Finn McCrory (CUBIS Design Engineer) and Paul Davidson get ready for some knowledge transfer.

July 2010 page 3

(1) Editor: Can you tell our readers something about yourself?

Mark:I live in Lisburn with my wife of 27 years, Jenette, and our two children, Deborah, 24 and Ethan, 18. I joined the Company in 1987 as a graduate engineer at Kilroot Power station, where Clifford Spence was the site agent and Eamonn Sweeney the measurement engineer; what a team! Originally from west of the Bann, I retain strong links with Fermanagh. I also recently celebrated a big birthday ending in a zero! My career has covered a wide range of roles; design engineer, site engineer, section agent, site agent, estimator, proposals manager, director of Farrans, MD of Farrans building division and now Chief Executive.

(2) Editor: I understand you spent some time in South Africa after graduating. What was this like?

Mark:It was a long time ago, in the mid 80’s, and a totally different place to what it is now, but there were great opportunities for work experience at a time of another recession, a great lifestyle, we had just married so it was in at the deep end for Jenette. Deborah was born out there, and at 24 years old I was assistant resident engineer on a 40km highway project, at a time when I would probably have been making concrete cubes back home. It can’t be denied though that Apartheid was an evil regime that discriminated against the vast majority of its citizens on the basis of the colour of their skin, and that definitely left a legacy with me to ensure that anyone who works with me is treated fairly and equitably.

(3) Editor: How have you found

the past six months as Chief Executive?

Mark:I love what I do, always did and always will. The enjoyment comes from working with some of the best people and greatest characters in the business, and also to be part of CRH, who really are a world class operator in every way. There is no denying that tough decisions that affect people can be hard, but my responsibility must lie with the sustainability of the Company, including our people, looking into the future. I am not aware of any other company of Northstone’s scale and size in the industry, where a junior site engineer can realistically become Chief Executive in 22 years, and this rise through the ranks does make me acutely aware of how important every person in the Company is to its success.

(4) Editor: How would you describe your management style?

Mark:My style is to be open and honest with people, to praise where praise is due, and to criticise constructively when not. I believe that I am fair and am prepared to listen to anyone. I like to think that I recognise areas where I need to learn more about aspects of the business, and I am enjoying getting out and about to correct that.

(5) Editor: Who are the real characters on the Northstone Board?

Mark:They are all characters, very different and yet all with clear strategies on taking each of the divisions forward. When I sit back and look around the boardroom table, I know that there is not a stronger group of individuals

3 MINUTESwith MARK LOWRY

in the industry. I do recognise that a management team is stronger when there is a mix of personalities, and the main Board does have that mixture.

(6) Editor: How do you plan your day as Chief Executive?

Mark:I like to be at my desk at 8am, and prepare for the day ahead. I find that I can feel like I have half a day’s work done by 9.30! Karen Reilly, amongst many of her other roles, keeps my diary, and does it far more efficiently than me! Approximately half of my days are spent either preparing for or attending meetings. I try to set aside time for getting out and about and talking to people, customers and business partners, particularly in the Materials and Cubis divisions, where I have more to learn. I spend half a day every month talking to people at one of our locations about health and safety. As a minimum I would attend 2-3 dinners/meetings after work each week, but I keep weekends free whenever possible.

(7) Editor: How have you got to know the non construction elements of the Northstone business as you came to the post from Farrans?

Mark:As I mentioned previously, I set myself the task of visiting every Company location within six months, and I have achieved that with a month to spare. However, this is very much a work in progress, and I will always be learning the business, but I’m a quick learner!

(8) Editor: What are your strengths?

Mark:That is for others to answer, but I would like to believe that I am fair and that I put the future of the Company and its people above everything else, and will make the decisions that are necessary to

achieve this. What I can say about myself is that I have put my heart and soul into every job that I have ever undertaken. I recognise that I have made mistakes, but try never to repeat them. My mantra is the old saying: “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”.

(9) Editor: What are your weaknesses?

Mark:Again, hard for me to answer. I realise that I can be impetuous and I find that I get frustrated by the slow speed at which things change sometimes. We need to remember that we can always improve and that, just because we have been doing it for years, doesn’t mean that we don’t change in the future. However I do appreciate that not all change is good and that it does pay to sit back and think things through as well! I have been told by a couple of people that I would make a good politician, so that is definitely a weakness!

(10) Editor: What is your vision for our Company?

Mark:To continue to be the number one construction group based in Northern Ireland; to be the ‘lowest cost’ and ‘best in class’ materials manufacturer and producer; to be the contractor and supplier of choice; to ingrain a culture of continuous improvement in our performance; to be sustainable and to continue to place the health and safety of everyone who works with Northstone at the top of our priorities.

(11) Editor: Do you have any interests or hobbies away from work?

Mark:Family, gardening, the odd game of bad golf and watching rugby.

Editor: Thanks Mark for letting us all find out a little bit more about your goodself.

Our new Chief Executive takes a break from managing the largest construction and materials group in Northern Ireland to chat to Northlink editor, Jim Leitch.

a wide area. However, once we started to demolish the buildings and clear the site, the concept of a housing development really took shape. We now have ten houses out of the ground with some roads also surfaced. In total there will be 90 units constructed at Moneymore with the first of them programmed to go on sale in November of this year. There will be a range of fourteen different house types on offer to suit every potential purchaser”.

Laurence and the rest of the Farrans Homes team held a launch event to promote the Gallion Heights development on 5th and 6th June 2010 which included a hot air balloon flying over the site.

Northlink wishes Laurence and the Farrans team at Gallion Heights every success in their new project as they further enhance their reputation as the house builder of choice.

page 4

The quarry at Moneymore had been operational at Magherafelt Road for almost sixty years producing aggregates and coated materials for both public sector and private clients as well as our own civil engineering contracts. Sadly, the quarry came to the end of its working life in 2007 and

Laurence takes Homes to New Heights at Moneymore

Not so very long ago, the sights and sounds of the Northstone location at Magherafelt Road, Moneymore were of a stone dryer, coating plant, conveyors, crushers and screeners. However, since February 2010, our former quarry location has been transformed into a private development site with potential for some 90 new homes.

rather than leave this valuable asset dormant, the Farrans Homes Division decided to do what they know best with it. In other words, transform the former quarry into a high quality housing development which will be known as Gallion Heights.

The Farrans Site Manager at Gallion Heights is Laurence Corr, who joined Farrans in 2004 initially as a placement student before joining the Company permanently as a site engineer in 2006. Laurence told Northlink recently of the story so far at Moneymore;

“I have to say that when I first saw the quarry at the start of this year it was quite daunting with the crushing and screening plant, the mixer and the various conveyors all dispersed over

for children on our sand sites is the collapse of stockpiles while children are digging holes or tunnels.

The visit was hosted by Sand Production Manager, Dessie McGuckin, Health and Safety Manager, David Smyth and Sand Barge Skipper, Paul Toal.

“The day commenced with the children being shown the “Stay Safe” DVD of the dangers of sand sites and described two serious accidents involving young people,” said David. “We then donned our protective gear and went on a visit to the site and watched a sand barge docking and discharging its load of sand. After that we all went back to the tile factory for

Earlier this year a primary five class from St Oliver Plunkett’s School in Toomebridge visited the Hutchinson’s sand site on the shores of Lough Neagh as part of the Northstone commitment to the Stay Safe campaign. The campaign is promoted by the Minerals Products Association (MPA) and aims to make children aware of the dangers of playing at sand sites which include the stockpiles and the mechanical plant. The main risk

Toome School Children Learn to “Stay Safe” at Northstone Sand Site

sandwiches and lemonade.”

The school visit to the Hutchinson’s sand site at Toomebridge is now an annual event in the Northstone calendar as our Company, ever mindful of its corporate social responsibilities, seeks to engage with local communities as much as possible.

It was certainly a happy group of children which left the Northstone premises that afternoon complete with goodie bag and more knowledge of the sand production activities which take place a short distance from their school.

David Smyth followed up the visit by sending the school a pack of the resources from the Stay Safe campaign for children to put on display and use.

Proudly Promoting the Gallion Heights Development (l-r) Shaun Burns of Burns and Co., Estate Agents and Laurence Corr.

All smiles and full of anticipation before the tour of Hutchinson’s Sand Site

July 2010 page 5

Patrick joined the RNLI in his home town in May 2006 at 17 years of age and in doing so, followed a strong family tradition of service in lifeboats as his father, brother and uncles were all existing members. He became a full active member of the crew in 2008. At the time of joining the Newcastle crew, Patrick was the youngest member of the RNLI in the United Kingdom.

“So far I have participated in over 30 ‘shouts’ which are situations when the lifeboat is called out to respond to an emergency at sea. In the month of June, we had four shouts alone,” indicated Patrick.

“Membership of the lifeboat crew has also allowed me to gain a radio operators certificate, a powerboat level 2 certificate, a yacht masters certificate and a mariners first aid certificate. My lifeboat membership has also increased my interest in sailing”.

During term time Patrick is also president of the University of Ulster at Jordanstown rock climbing club and gets involved in teaching other members as well as participating in intervarsity events. On leaving Farrans this summer he will be travelling to Malaysia on a ten week trip where he intends to climb as many

Serving Coastal Communities

with Patrick

peaks as he can.

To add to an already impressive curriculum vitae, Patrick is also a keen canoeist competing regularly in surf canoe competitions in Northern Ireland. He is currently at 3 star level for both canoe and kayak.

However, Patrick’s real passion is saving lives at sea with the crew of the Newcastle lifeboat. A lifeboat has been stationed at Newcastle for over 180 years and the crews have been honoured for their gallantry on 36 occasions. There is no doubt that Patrick contributes much to the capability of the current crew with his commitment

and enthusiasm.

Northlink also has it on good authority that Patrick is also not too bad when it comes to construction

management and engineering on

site.

Patrick Poland, a construction management and engineering placement student at the Farrans Girls Model School project

in Belfast, is never idle. Not only does he work hard on site overseeing sub contractors and assisting the Farrans

management team but he commits to being a full member of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Newcastle, Co Down.

It is not often that twenty or so Roadstone Wood and Northstone sales and marketing people come together from all parts of Ireland to share roof tile product knowledge but that is exactly what happened in April this year.

The venue was the roof tile plant at Toomebridge and the host was Northstone Materials Managing Director, Graham McQuillan. The objective was to enhance product knowledge and thereby the service level delivered to customers.

SHARING PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE WITH ROADSTONE WOOD COLLEAGUES

The day began with a tour of the Northstone tile factory led by Production Director, Brian Watt. Brian also delivered a short presentation on the history of the factory, its construction and its capabilities. There followed an overview from Ken Anderson, our Regional Sales Manager, of the Northstone tile portfolio on the relevant features and benefits of each profile.

Eddie Barton, the Northstone Roofing Services Manager, then gave a brief summary of the work

of his roofing contracts team as well as some prestigious projects recently undertaken.

Graham McQuillan closed the day by stressing the importance of product knowledge and awareness in relation to meeting the specific needs of customers as he explained to Northlink;

“Events such as the visit to the tile plant are essential to enhance the knowledge base of the sales team. Our customers are becoming more

demanding and we need to fully understand their specific requirements and then match these needs with the most appropriate product. That is how we will win more business.”

Wise words indeed from Graham.

Patrick Poland - saving time and money on site

Out among the tiles (extreme left) Brian Watt and (second from right) Graham McQuillan

Patrick Poland - saving lives on the Newcastle Lifeboat

page 6

Developing a Lean Manufacturing Culture

at CUBIS

The Farrans Belfast Streets Ahead Project nears its final stage as Northlink goes to print. A previous edition of our magazine carried an article on the award of the £28m project and the nature of the work which involved the revamping of 14 of the main shopping streets in Belfast City Centre.

The outcomes of the Streets Ahead Project have seen the old city centre streets of Belfast resurfaced with natural stone, new carriageway surfacing with traffic calming, co-ordinated street signage and high quality street furniture, installation of public art and tree planting along with contemporary lighting and new bus shelters and traders kiosks. However, an appreciation of the work done by our Farrans people can only be achieved by considering the statistics which are as follows:-

• 17,500 square metres paved in natural stone• 3,300 square metres of asphalt laid• 5 kilometres of new cable laid• 5,200 metres of concrete placed• 17 kilometres of new ducts laid• 265,000 man hours worked• 198 items of new street furniture installed including bins, benches, bollards and cycle stands• 312 traders liaised with • 25 new business start-ups in affected streets• 10 businesses which have carried out a refit in the affected streets

All of this has to be put into the context of maintaining safe access into shops and offices throughout the contract period, working in tandem with Northern Ireland Electricity and the laying of pipes to enhance the sewerage system not to mention the high water content of the underlying ground conditions and the poor condition of the existing utilities.

Kevin Corley, the Farrans Utilities Director, provided Northlink with an insight into life on site at the Belfast Streets Ahead Project;“At the outset we all realised that it was not going to be easy to carry out the work in and around a busy city environment with all the pedestrians, businesses and traffic,” said Kevin. “However, one of the first things we did was to employ a dedicated customer care assistance and offer a 24 hour care line to businesses and the public. The key was effectively planning the work, keeping all stakeholders informed, responding quickly to complaints, continually monitoring the effectiveness of the access arrangements and as always, expecting the unexpected. We also tried to manage the work from a common sense perspective, for example, we had a Christmas break in the work programme of six weeks which began in December 2009 and ran through to January so that we did not adversely affect sales in the shops.”

Kevin admits that the temporary walkways and the disruption caused by the work did fray tempers on occasions;“We did have complaints but the key to this was acknowledging and responding effectively to the issues raised, keeping people informed of progress and at all times stressing the objective of our work which was to replace the existing run down environment with attractive streets paved with natural granite. I was delighted with how the site team responded to difficult working conditions within a frantic city environment. In effect, the team saw it as all in a days work and did a superb job.”

Praise indeed for the Streets Ahead Team and well deserved as Farrans further enhance their reputation as the Contractor of Choice.

ALL IN A DAYS WORKat BELFAST STREETS AHEAD

Lean thinking is all about improving productivity by eliminating waste, removing non value added activities and simplifying processes. This involves the whole organisation and not just the manufacturing process in isolation. Lean thinking is closely associated with the automotive industry and the growth of the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota from a small company into the world’s largest car maker. This growth is very much attributed to the Toyota total commitment to the principles of Lean Manufacturing.

However, Lean Manufacturing is not only applicable to car production and the 5 ’S’ tool (Sort, Set, Shine, Standardise and Sustain) implemented at CUBIS allows the management teams to streamline work areas and devise ideal work processes at all three locations.

The 5 ‘S’ tool has identified production activities and areas at CUBIS which require further review and these include over processing, time, motion, inventory, defects and reworking. It is planned to address these issues in the coming months at Lurgan, Liverpool and Roscommon.

Lean production is often thought to be simply an exercise in cost cutting but it is much more than that. Implementing lean techniques leads to a more efficient business from the bottom up and results in an

The ever improving operational and administrative efficiencies evident at CUBIS Industries owe much to the hard work and

dedication of the teams at Liverpool, Lurgan and Roscommon in adopting the principles of Lean Manufacturing.

improved level of service for customers.“Lean is perhaps the wrong title to use in today’s economic climate as it is sometimes mistaken for cost cutting,” said Charlie Gibson, Process Specialist, who has led the Lean project at CUBIS Liverpool.

“Lean is neither new or complicated and is a holistic approach to total commitment and focus on the customer which can only be achieved through a wholesale change of attitudes at every level of our business. Successful implementation of Lean in CUBIS will not only guarantee our long term survival but will raise our profile as a world-class manufacturer and in turn enable us to significantly increase our global market share.”

Michael Wightman, Managing Director of CUBIS Industries, also shares this view and believes a lean philosophy is essential to the continued success of the division.“What will make Lean a success at CUBIS is the total buy-in of the workforce and management at all levels,” he said. “We plan to further implement the ethos in the coming months and make CUBIS a truely Lean business.”

Looks like Lean techniques have much to contribute to the ongoing success of our CUBIS division.

CUBIS Director of Site Operations at Liverpool, Andy Hobbis, delivers a lean thinking session to his team

July 2010 page 7

CUBIS Industries access chambers have been installed in Japan for the first time.CUBIS have been working with Tokyo-based telecommunications distributor DOI, who are supplying chambers on a Government funded contract to move cables from overhead to underground in order to improve the aesthetics of major cities.

Two containers stocked with the STAKKAboxTM Ultima and Modula chambers have been despatched to Tokyo with further orders to come; under the plans, access chambers will need to be installed every 30 metres to provide a point of access. Delegates from DOI visited the Liverpool and Lurgan sites in the spring and were impressed with the products. Although the visit to Liverpool was judged to be a success, Farrans Utilities Contract Manager, Conleth Greene, a fluent Japanese speaker, was drafted in to the meeting at Lurgan to ensure nothing was lost in translation. Andrew Wright, Sales and Marketing Director of CUBIS said: “We were very grateful to Conleth for helping us out when our guests visited Lurgan.

NOTHING Lost in Translation

“We were told that no-one in Farrans quite believed that he was as fluent as he said he was but I can confirm that he definitely is!This is the first time we’ve had dealings with Japanese customers and I noticed some significant cultural differences,” said Andrew. “More than any other visitors we’ve ever had, they were extremely meticulous in the detail they required. Thankfully we met their very high standards and they were happy to place the order. Northlink congratulates Andrew and his team as Cubis Industries continues to engage with and supply customers across global markets.”

On 28 May 2010, the Farrans site team at the Boys Model School project in Belfast hosted a visit to their site by fourteen Year 10 schoolgirls and two of their teachers from Victoria College in Belfast. The visit was part of the Institution of Civil Engineers “Experience of the Workplace” programme for aspiring civil engineers and other construction professionals. Northstone’s Jonathan Hunter co-ordinated the visit.

The visit commenced with Julie McGuigan and Neil McStravick from the Farrans site team presenting an informative session on careers within the construction industry as well as their own career paths. The session then developed into an overview of the Belfast Boys Model School project from concept to completion.

Site Manager, Donald Doyle, then led the girls and teachers on a tour of the new state of the art school focusing on aspects of the design which had taken account of the views of teachers and the specific needs of the pupils. The visit went very well as Donald explained;

“The girls were extremely impressed by the design and it’s facilities and one even asked if she could change schools and move to the Model. I of course indicated that we would be delighted to build new premises at Victoria College at any time.”

“Please Sir

Can I Change

Schools ?”

Angus Kennedy, the Environmental Manager in our Materials Division, as well as being a geologist is also a committed naturalist and takes a great interest in maintaining a database of the flora and fauna to be found at the locations across his Division. He kindly provided Northlink with an appreciation of some of the smaller and more colourful residents at our production locations

“One of the pleasures of being the Environmental Manager for the Materials Division is getting around the production locations, whether quarry or pit or lough site, and seeing some of the wildlife for myself. All of our production sites have undisturbed areas and corners where wildlife flourishes. We also have to manage the biodiversity of our properties as part of the Aggregate Levy Credit Scheme (ALCS) which requires compliance with its environmental code of practice and thereby allowing the industry a rebate on aggregate tax. To do this, we monitor the wildlife on our properties and record it on a database.

When thinking of wildlife, most people think only of the larger animals and birds (for example, foxes: yes, we have them, as well as badgers, peregrines, ravens, swans and lots more besides), and overlook the smaller creatures such as insects; but these too are important for biodiversity. For me, the most fascinating kinds of insects to see are dragonflies and damselflies.

What is the difference between them? Dragonflies, have wing pairs that are unequal in size (the rear pair are usually shorter and broader) held at right angles to the body, and are larger, ranging in body length from around 40 to 80 mm. Damselflies are smaller, around 30 to 35 mm in body length, and their wing pairs are even in size and generally held parallel to the body. Dragonflies are strong fliers, while damselflies

are slower and much weaker in flight.

In Ireland, there are eleven resident and four vagrant species of dragonfly, and eleven resident species of damselfly. The Irish list is around half of the British list in number of species.

You can spot them just about anywhere where there is fresh water – ponds, streams and lakes. Four spotted chaser, common darter, black darter and common hawker dragonflies have been recorded on some of our sites. Though brightly coloured, damselflies can go unnoticed because of their small size. When spotted, they look like gaudy floating threads. We have records of large reds, blues and emerald damselflies at some of our quarry locations including Long Mountain, Ballymena, Carrickmore and Mountfield.

So the next time you go for a walk in a park or in the country, and there is water about, keep an eye open for these most appealing of insects.”

Information on Irish dragonflies can be found at http://www.habitas.org.uk/dragonflyirelandInformation on British dragonflies can be found at http://www.dragonflysoc.org.ukThe amazing animals, insects and plants at our Lough shore sand sites, pits, concrete plants and quarries are very clearly in safe hands with Angus monitoring them and preserving their habitat.

There be

Dragonflies

Girls from Victoria College, Belfast pose for the camera at The Boy’s Model School.

Rigorous product testing underway at Lurgan with DOI representatives

Most customer facing businesses usually select a well known face to promote their products like Kate Moss, Twiggy or Jamie Redknapp. However, our pragmatic colleagues at CUBIS have gone for someone who can really extol the virtues of the STAKKAboxTM access chambers. There was really only one person to choose and that had to be Darren ‘Dazzler’ Molyneux, the production planner at CUBIS, Liverpool.

Dazzler is pictured on promotional material holding a STAKKAboxTM Ultimate ring section which is used to construct access chambers which illustrates just how easy each section is to lift as they weigh less than 25 kilogrammes each. The image also indicates the ease of assembly which reduces on site costs by not requiring specialist heavy equipment.

Our new pin up boy made his debut on the CUBIS stand at the Intrarail 2010 Exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham in April this year. Dazzler appeared in a life sized cardboard cut out for the event.

Since returning home to Merseyside, Darren’s cut out has proved so popular that he has become something of a cult hero justifying a page in the new in-development CUBIS web site. The page features a world map indicating some of the more noteworthy places where CUBIS products can be found. Darran can be seen globetrotting from a Tokyo shopping street to a village in the Faroe Islands to the front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

Asked about his status as the new pin up boy of CUBIS, Darren was typically modest indicating that he has enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame but there’s more to come;

“There has been a lot of joking about the cut out in the office but it should be pointed out that I was the only person willing to put the hard hat on, don the high visibility vest and pose,” he said. “I think some of the more vocal people are just jealous that I am the new public face of CUBIS Industries and at least I didn’t have to show my six pack! I am looking forward to seeing some more of the exotic places where I feature on the map as we extend our customer base across the globe.”

Northlink understands that Darren is prepared to listen to offers from

other Northstone Divisions to promote their product portfolio and we have it on good authority that he is considering appointing an agent to handle the enquiries.

page 8

Colin Perry, the well known estimator at Farrans, has guided a Farrans five a side team to success in the inaugural Northstone Simon Community Soccer Challenge.Five teams eagerly contested the competition in mid May with two sides representing Farrans, one from Materials and two from the Simon Community. The competition required each team to play four matches with the top two meeting in the final. Each match was extremely competitive with Colin’s team and the side from Northstone Materials taking the top two positions.

Colin Guides Farrans Team to Cup Success

Colin, also known as Fabio by his team mates, recounted the story of the final;“We knew we were up against it from the outset as the Materials lads had a lot more skill than us but they were showing signs of tiredness from the start of the match. We were fortunate to finish the normal playing time on level terms at one goal a piece. It then came down to penalties and as luck would have it, I was able to push the ball around the post from a spot kick by John O’Connor. I have to say we all thoroughly enjoyed the competition with our friends from the Simon Community”.

Colin, who comes from Ballymena, is married to Alison with two children, Kirsten and Lauren. He lists his interests as American Football, collecting football cards and Subuteo.

Readers may be aware that the Highways Management Company (HMC) is the joint venture between Farrans, Grahams of Dromore and Bilfinger Berger which is undertaking the project. Highway Management Group (HMG) is the finance provider for the project.

After the introductions, David and Hugh briefed the Minster on current progress. There followed a tour of the site to view the first section of tarmac being laid on a stretch of the new M80 motorway which will reduce traffic through several Scottish communities and villages by 70 per cent.

An eight kilometre section of new motorway, which is being constructed off the line of the existing road, will remove around 45,000 vehicles a day from the existing A80 between Mollinsburn and Stepps, helping the communities in Moodiesburn, Chryston and Muirhead by reducing traffic and improving their quality of life.

Minister Stevenson was clearly impressed with what he saw on the M80.

“Anyone driving along the A80 between Stepps and Haggs cannot fail to notice the very significant work being undertaken to upgrade this major arterial route for the whole of the country.

The start of the tarmac going down on the new eight kilometre section between Mollinsburn and Stepps is a major milestone in this project. People living along this section of the existing A80 can look forward next year to 45,000 fewer vehicles a day passing through their community, with the consequential improvement in the environment in these areas.

Because we have been very careful to require our contractor to maintain tow-lanes open in each direction, the peak time congestion faced during construction is the self same congestion that makes this

upgrade so vital to the economy and communities. It is why this road is so urgently needed.”

The Minister also commented that he was very aware that the nature of some of this work, being carried out on a road that continues to carry over 76,000 vehicles a day, has led to some additional disruption for motorists. “I want to thank them for their patience and assure them that the contractor is taking all steps to keep any delays to a minimum as the work progresses. However the first priority must be to maintain a safe environment for both road users and road workers.”

Hugh O’Connor, the HMG General Manager said;

“It is fair to say that the travelling public and local communities will be very aware of the works being undertaken to upgrade the existing ‘online’ section of the A80 to motorway standard. However very few will be aware of the works and the progress being made ‘offline’ on the new section of motorway linking Stepps to the new M73 interchange at Mollinsburn.

This new section is progressing well and I am pleased to say that laying this first stretch of tarmac is indeed a ‘key milestone’ for the M80 team. This is another important step towards completion of the missing link in the major route between Glasgow and Stirling.”

Northlink will continue to report on progress at the M80 Project and the significant contribution made by Farrans people to the HMC joint venture.

Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson visited the M80 Stepps to Haggs Motorway Project in Glasgow on 28 May 2010. His hosts were Hugh O’Connor, the General Manager of Highways Management Group, David Parr, Assistant Project Director and Bridie Casey, the Public Liaison Manager. Representatives from Jacobs, the project designers and Transport Scotland, were also in attendance.

M80 Hosts Ministerial Visit

(l-r) Minister Stevenson receives an insight into the M80 project from Hugh O’Connor

Farrans Cup Winning Footballers(Back Row l-r) Kieran McElmeel, Roger Humphrys, David Kennedy, Graeme Fell, Rudi Moore(Front Row l-r) Donal Murphy, Wesley Calvin, Tommy McElmeel, Andrew Connolly, Colin Perry

A New Pin Up

Boy for CUBIS

July 2010 page 9

Farrans Awarded New Water Mains

Rehabilitation Contract

Its official, Farrans Utilities have been awarded Northern Ireland Water’s multi million pound framework contract for water main

rehabilitation work across the Province ahead of six other bidders.

The contract requires the management, design and construction of a Design and Build Framework for the construction of new water mains and the replacement of or renovation of existing water mains up to 600mm diameter using a range of technologies. The contract also

covers miscellaneous ancillary works including service reservoirs and pumping stations.

“The award of the framework agreement is great news” said Farrans Utilities Director, Kevin Corley. “It will run for five years

until March 2015 and is worth £100 million. The Contracts Manager, Gerard McGirr, and his team are now hard at work carrying out site

investigations and working with designers to be in a position to commence installation work by the middle of August. The team will be installing up to 150 kilometres of water mains each year across all

areas of Northern Ireland.”

Northlink congratulates Farrans Utilities on their tender success.

Farrans Team Celebrate the Award of the New Water Mains Contract ( l-r) Kevin Corley ( Director – Farrans Utilities), John Murphy ( Construction Manager), Eamonn Sweeney( Managing Director) and Gerard McGirr ( Contract Manager).

We have now entered the final month of the Northstone Simon Safety Challenge in which we, through CRH plc, support the work of the Simon Community.

Northlink is delighted to report that our work with this local charity has been recognised by Business in the Community with their Local Community Impact Award. The Award was for the organisation which demonstrated a positive impact on local communities by working to address local issues and invest people, resources, time, finance and expertise in improving people’s lives.

The work of the Simon Community in addressing homelessness is on a scale which very few of us realise as indicated by the statistics detailed below for 2009:-

2,801 individuals approached the Simon Community in need of emergency accommodation.

58 families approached the Simon Community in need of emergency accommodation.

826 individuals were accommodated and supported in the 272 bed spaces managed by the Simon Community.

59 adults and 28 children were accommodated and supported in the 49 family units managed by the Simon Community.

Over 20% of people coming to the Simon Community slept rough at some point in the previous 2 weeks.

50.5% of Simon residents were 16-25 years old.

Addressing Homelessness and Improving People’s Lives Together

The support we have given the Simon Community through our Safety Challenge has helped with a 15 bed temporary accommodation project at Bondshill in Londonderry last year. One of the residents at Bondshill, Bobby, was quoted as saying;

“When I became homeless I was afraid I had lost everything. The Simon Community provided me with accommodation at Bondshill and have helped me get my life back together.”

The Business in the Community Award was presented to our Human Resources Director, Jim Leitch, at a gala event at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast in June. After the event, Jim gave his comments to Northlink;

“I was honoured to collect such a prestigious award on behalf of everyone at Northstone. However, what made it special was that I knew our Simon Safety Challenge had made a difference to people’s lives in Northern Ireland. This year our support has made it possible for the Simon Community to extend its harm reduction service programme. This programme assists young people in Northern Ireland to address alcohol and drug problems which can lead ultimately to homelessness. Everyone in our Company has had a part to play in addressing homelessness and improving people’s lives through the Northstone Simon Safety Challenge. This is the real reward for our hard work.”

A young man receives treatment from a nurse under the Simon Community Harm Reduction Service Programme as supported by Northstone

The Northstone Supported Bondshill facility for the homeless in Londonderry

page 10

Phase one of the Scheme involved the construction of a three storey Trauma and Orthopaedic Unit comprising of two modular build, ultra clean, laminar flow theatre suites along with various support and recovery accommodation on the ground floor. The theatre suites are the first of a series of such facilities to be commissioned across the United Kingdom. On the first floor of the Unit, a new orthopaedic ward has been created featuring seven single rooms with en-suite facilities, a four bed multi bed area, two bed areas and associated support accommodation. The new Unit links to the existing hospital internal theatre corridor.

Phase two of the Scheme involved extending and refurbishing the existing, ageing maternity facilities at the hospital. This upgrade

FARRANS HEALTHCARE DELIVER CRAIGAVON HOSPITAL SCHEMEThe Farrans Healthcare team have just completed a two phase Scheme at Craigavon Area Hospital to improve facilities for patients.

included the addition of four delivery suites, a four bedded induction ward and a recovery ward.

Darrell McGuckian, the Healthcare Contracts Manager, told Northlink a little about the challenges on his Craigavon Hospital Scheme;

“One of the big issues we were very much aware of at Craigavon was that in a hospital environment you must get it right first time. There is no “out of hours” or “quiet time” for snagging when you can go back and put things right.”

The two unique operating theatres within the Trauma and Orthopaedic Unit utilise the latest innovative skirt-less and ultra clean laminar flow ventilation canopies

for better control of

airborne infections during surgical procedures.

“In the Unit we faced a major challenge with the theatres,” said Darrell. “As far as we are aware, these are the first of their kind in the United Kingdom to be fitted without the traditional canopy skirt. In the Craigavon theatres, the canopy is centrally positioned within the theatre ceiling and clean air is channelled downwards over the surgical table for removal by low level extraction ducts. This facilitates increased headroom and flexibility for surgical staff because essential operating equipment can be mounted in a less obstructive manner. What really pleases me about this is that the theatre laminar flow systems at Craigavon were the result of close co-operation between the Farrans project team and the surgical

specialists at the hospital.”

The Farrans Healthcare Project Manager at Craigavon, Glenn Gilmore, said that the client responded very positively to the efforts made by the construction team on site.

“Everyone who works at Craigavon Hospital has received the Scheme very well, they think it really is top class,” said Glenn. “Every time a member of hospital staff walks into the new space they cannot believe the light and room they have available.”

Northlink also understands that the caring side of our Farrans people has also been very evident at Craigavon with visits to the children’s wards to distribute Easter eggs, toy donations to the children and also the construction of a cycle stand for staff, free of charge.

Northlink congratulates Darrell, Glenn and the Farrans Healthcare team for another superior and caring performance at Craigavon Area Hospital and further enhancing the Northstone reputation.

Ready Use Concrete Company Limited. In 2005, John relocated to Toomebridge to join with the former Scott business under the new Northstone (NI) Limited identity.

John is one of those diligent, competent and professional people found throughout Northstone who are the bedrock of the business. His progress and commitment were recognised recently as John told Northlink;

“In January 2009 I was promoted to the post of blocks manager with responsibility for four depots, namely Carryduff, Toomebridge, Aghadowey and Strabane. In this role, I report directly to the Division’s production director, Brian Thompson. There is no doubt that the extra responsibility has developed my skills as a manager in keeping with the range of tasks I now undertake.”

In January 2010, John was awarded a 2.1. honours degree in Business Studies from the University of Ulster as he explained;

“I found the degree very beneficial as I was able to relate much of the theory to my role at Northstone. I will always be grateful to the Company for the support I received during my studies.”

More recently, John even appears in the Bushmills Whiskey Band of Brothers advertising campaign along with three of his friends. His photograph is now on various web sites and billboards across the world. The press release which accompanied John’s Band of Brothers says of John;

“Jonny, he’s known for his dancing. He’s a unique dancer and he’s got his signature moves. He’s ‘Burnie Feet’ – dances like his feet are on fire and kind of points his fingers at the same time.”

Northlink congratulates John on his recent promotion, academic success and of course, his new found fame although the protective footwear he wears at work may hamper his Burnie Feet routine.

Man of Many TalentsJohn O’Connor, (second from right) the Materials Division Blocks Manager, is certainly a man of many talents. When he is not scheduling production at one of our depots, he could just as easily be starring in the Division’s five a side football team or even appearing in a worldwide advertising campaign.

John joined our Company in October 2001 as a nineteen year old trainee working in both the mortar and concrete plants at Dunmurry for what was then

Farrans Project Manager, Glenn Gilmore (back row second from left) donates toys to the children on one of the wards at Craigavon Hospital.

at Farrans gave Northlink an insight into why such awards are so important to his business;“I am often asked the question as to why we spend time and money committing to standards such as Considerate Constructors. The reasoning is quite simple. It shows we comply with recognised standards, it gives our people a sense of pride and sets specific targets to achieve in respect of the softer issues on construction sites. More importantly, our clients expect it. Only last week I was asked by a particular client to provide details of the lowest and highest scores achieved by our sites in the latest Considerate Constructors Scheme audits. In today’s competitive market, the more relevant standards we comply with like Considerate Constructors will serve to differentiate us from competitors which means further progression in the tendering process.”

Northlink congratulates all award winning sites on their superior performance under the 2010 Considerate Constructors Scheme.

July 2010 page 11

Alvar Kenwell’s Team Farrans in Scotland have continued their recent rich vein of tendering success with the award of several more contracts.

In Montrose, on the east coast of Scotland, an £8m contract has been awarded to renew some 220 metres of collapsed quay wall for the Montrose Port Authority. The works include underwater demolition of the existing structure and construction of a combi wall solution utilising 30 metre long, 1.5 metre diameter tubular piles. These heavy weight challenges are being managed on site by Eugene Flaherty and his team.

In the Firth of Forth, Farrans have been appointed to renew and realign an existing sea outfall by Scottish Water. The works are necessary as the existing outfall lies in the footprint of a new bridge which will be built in the future to cross the estuary. The 750 metre long outfall wall requires divers to work at depths of up to 30 metres to install the pipework and associated protection. Mickey Watson and Pat McKiernan are the Farrans people on site looking after the work.

In Glasgow, Farrans and our joint venture partners, I + H Brown from Perth, submitted the winning bid for the East End Regeneration Route Phase 2. Ian Waugh is the

The talents of the Farrans site teams evidently know no bounds as their recent success at the 2010 Considerate Constructors Scheme awards event indicates.

The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a voluntary Code of Considerate Practice which is adopted by participating construction companies, as well as everyone involved on a particular construction site. It aims to improve the image of construction by committing contractors in the Scheme to be considerate and good neighbours, as well as clean, respectful, safe, environmentally conscious, responsible and accountable. On the practical aspects of the Scheme, Site Managers are also expected to comply fully with specific terms of reference.

The awards under the Considerate Constructors Scheme are based on the scores of two independent audits using the site manager’s terms of reference.

The Farrans Considerate Constructors roll of honour in 2010 is as follows:-Gold Award - Belfast Sewers ProjectSilver Award - Arecleoch Windfarm - Thaxton Mill Gardens Phase 3- Templepatrick Primary School- Belfast Streets Ahead ProjectBronze Award - Lisburn Institute

Alex Anderson, the Farrans Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality Manager, who co-ordinates the Considerate Constructors Scheme

Smiles of Success from the Farrans Site Team (l-r) Laurence Corr (Thaxton Mill Gardens Phase 3), George McClure (Lisburn Institute), John McReynolds ( Belfast Sewers), Stephen Foster (Templepatrick Primary School) and Frank Hennity (Belfast Streets Ahead).

Ricky Guy receives the British Safety Council (BSC) International Safety Award from Julie Nerny, Chief Executive of the BSC

Alex Anderson, the Farrans Safety, Health, Environmental and Quality Manager, will soon be seeking a larger trophy cabinet at Dunmurry to accommodate the ever growing number of awards and accolades received by his department.

Readers may remember from the last edition of Northlink that Alex’s team had a very successful 2009 with three awards being presented to Farrans for superior performance in health and safety. This year so far, the team already have two in the bag which are the British Safety Council International Safety Award and the ROSPA Gold Award for Occupational Health and Safety.

The British Safety Council Award was presented to Farrans Health and Safety Advisor, Ricky Guy, at a

Considerate Constructors Award Winners On Parade

LARGER TROPHY CABINET REQUIRED AT DUNMURRY

Aerial view of Montrose Harbour showing the collapsed quay wall half way along the bank on the left hand side.

Tendering Success Continues For Team Farrans In Scotland

project manager on this £24m design and build project which will see a 2.8 kilometre four lane road constructed from the south side of the River Clyde to the Gallowgate area of the city in preparation for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. As well as the road, the works also require the installation of a 2.7 metre diameter storm overflow pipe by means of a tunnel drive.

The tunnel will be in four sections with one section passing under the London Road, which has a disused railway tunnel to negotiate as an added complication. Mine consolidation works are also required in close proximity to the new tunnel to ensure the long term stability of the new shafts and chambers.

As with all urban redevelopment schemes, traffic management and utilities will be vital elements of the work requiring close co-ordination with Glasgow City Council. Other issues on site include contaminated land, badger setts, nesting birds and invasive plant species such as Japanese Knotweed.

Northlink congratulates Alvar and his team on their tender success and maintaining the Farrans position as the Contractor of Choice when it comes to technically demanding projects.

gala event in the Grosvenor House Hotel in April. The award citation reads;“Farrans has demonstrated that it has comprehensive health and safety policies in place, as well as commitment from the shop floor to the boardroom to a positive safety culture and the adoption of behaviours that have safe and healthy working practices as their heart”.

Ricky provided Northlink with an insight of the importance placed on award winning health and safety standards at Farrans;“Winning health and safety awards is very important for a number of reasons at Farrans. Most importantly, it shows that we are totally committed to safe working which directly benefits our employees and sub contractors

in that there will be fewer work related accidents. It also encourages us to continually seek to improve our health and safety standards. Having a good health and safety track record which is acknowledged by professional bodies undoubtedly helps us in tendering for contracts as all clients want to be sure that the principal contractor they engage implements best practice in health and safety. I have no doubt that winning health and safety awards is good for our business.”

The ROSPA Gold Award will be presented to Farrans later in the year.

Northlink congratulates Farrans in making 2010 another award winning year in health and safety.

Silver for Scotland – The Arecleoch Windfarm team receive their award (l-r) Alvar Kenwell, Matt Dickson, Neil Sturdy (all Farrans) and Stephen Ward (Scottish Power Renewables ).

page 12

After much deliberation, checking of audit scores and no little head scratching, the ten best performing locations in 2009 in respect of health and safety have been announced.

They are as follows:-

Materials DivisionRoofing Contracts Squad - Mark Boville SquadLarge Plant Category - Carryduff DepotConcrete Plant Category - Coleraine DepotMost Improved Location Category - Croaghan DepotSand and Gravel Pit Category - MurniesSand Depot Category - Sandy Bay

Mattest Best Laboratory Category - Dublin and M3 Site Laboratory (equal first)

Cubis IndustriesZero Lost Time Accidents Category - LiverpoolMost Improved Location - LiverpoolOverall Divisional Winner - Lurgan

Each of the awards was presented by our Chief Executive, Mark Lowry, who also took time to give Northlink his views on the importance of recognising superior performance in health and safety.

“This award scheme was launched in our Company three years ago as a way of raising standards at our locations and stressing that health and safety is very much a team effort requiring each and every one of us to play our part. I have reviewed the performance of each and every winning location during 2009 and all involved deserve great credit.”

Hopefully we will see different locations appearing on the winners list next year as together we all endeavour to improve our performance in health and safety.

Safety Locations of the Year Announced

Mark presents the Overall CUBIS Divisional Award to a group of employees at Lurgan ( l-r) Joe Brankin, Mark Lowry, Brian Rice, Sheila McGuire, Phillip Magill, Petr Trinka, Linda Hyde, Martin McKay, Kevin Doherty, Nigel Hanna and Derek Williamson.

Mark presents the Materials Division Sand Depot Award to the team at Sandy Bay ( l-r) Dessie McGuckin, Dominic Moore, Mark Lowry, David Brazier, Brian Thompson, Tom Kelly, Francis O’Brien and Michael Crossan.

5 months to31/05/10

5 months to31/05/09

This performance is disappointing as there has been a total of 7,058 health and safety training hours delivered across our Company in the five months to 31 May 2010.

In the same period a total of 207 Visible Felt Leadership visits have been undertaken and these have resulted in 78 non compliances or unsafe conditions being identified. However, one very positive item arising from the visits is that 35 suggestions were made by Northstone people as to how our workplaces could be made safer or healthier.

Generally however, we all must do our utmost to reduce the number of accidents which are occurring at Northstone locations whether it means paying greater attention to safe working procedures, avoiding risks or encouraging colleagues to work in a safe manner. We must all play our part in this.

Our Chief Executive, Mark Lowry, chaired the last meeting of the Northstone Health and Safety Directors on 7 June 2010 with Brian Watt (Materials), Kevin Corley (Farrrans), Derek Williamson (Cubis) and Gordon Ellis (Mattest) in attendance. The action points arising were as follows:-

• to address the lack of improvement in our health and safety performance in the year to date.

• the Health and Safety Directors are to bring forward ideas and suggestions for developing the Northstone Safety Management Plan for the remainder of 2010.

• the Divisional health and safety managers are to meet regularly to share ideas and arrive at solutions to common health and safety issues across the Company.

• a health and safety initiative will be developed and implemented in the autumn to refocus everyone in the Company on safe working and achieving the necessary targets.

Our health and safety professionals in each of the Northstone Divisions continue to work tirelessly to implement and improve safe working methods, deliver relevant training and inspect our workplaces. They deserve and should receive our full co-operation.

We should all also be mindful that a deteriorating health and safety performance will adversely affect our business in tendering for contract works. All client bodies are particularly vigilant on the standards expected of contractors they engage. For this reason, we must do our best to work safely as it will impact on our capability to win contracts.

It only remains for Northlink to wish its readers a restful, enjoyable and safe summer holiday.

The SAFETY FACTOR

Lost TimeAccidents

11

11

DaysLost

92

54

AccidentFrequency

0.46

0.35

AccidentSeverity

3.86

1.75

Target

0.30

0.36

Target

2.50

6.00

Health and safety continues to be the top priority at every level and at each and every site, depot, factory or office in Northstone.

This summer Northlink can report that the required training in respect of the implementation of the CRH Fundamentals for Fatality Elimination has now been delivered. All those involved in the process deserve great credit.

Sadly, as the table below indicates we have had no reduction in the number of lost time accidents in the year to 31 May 2010 compared to the same period last year. As a consequence, we are some way off meeting our targets for 2010 in relation to accident frequency and accident severity.