BESA steps up focus on specifiers
Promoting the expertise of building-engineering contractors to local authorities, consulting engineers, architects and key end-user groups is a central part of the strategy being pursued by BESA (Building Engineering Services Association) this year. The association has created the new position of key accounts manager to spearhead a programme aimed at creating stronger links between specifiers and BESA members to help ensure projects meet clients’ expectations and commercial objectives. Kevin Kingaby, former Travis Perkins senior executive, has been appointed to the position.
He will promote membership of the association as a ‘badge of quality’ for specifiers looking to appoint top-quality contractors. He will remind them that BESA is one of the few trade associations in the UK to insist that prospective and existing members are subjected to an independent, third-party-accredited competence-assessment scheme to verify their technical expertise and financial stability.
Members will be invited to tell Mr Kingaby of tenders that do not include BESA membership as part of the prequalification criteria so that he can approach the specifier and remind them of the value and benefit of using suitably accredited contractors.
BESA’s chief executive Paul McLaughlin said, ‘This is a key appointment for us. As specifications increasingly reflect the growing expectations of building users — linked to sophisticated ‘smart’ solutions, the focus on occupant health and wellbeing and the need to continually improve the financial performance of building systems — so specifiers need support in singling out contractors with excellent track records and independent verification of competence.
‘Qualifying for BESA membership means that a contractor meets the technical and commercial standards needed to deliver projects to a suitably high standard. It will be Kevin’s job to ensure more and more specifiers are aware of that fact.’
Kevin Kingaby concludes, ‘Some parts of the construction industry have a damaging habit of breaking specifications, either to save money or because of technical shortcomings in the project team, and it is the end client who suffers. An important part of my role will be to promote the technical expertise and financial rigour of BESA members so clients can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing that they are using contractors who deliver what they promise.’
