A Lichfield business which was started less than six years ago by two people with a vision of ‘service above profits’ has brought home the silver after winning a national building and construction award.
Legionella & Fire Safe Services won the silver award for Contractor of the Year (contract value up to £5m) in the 2022 National Building and Construction Awards at a glitzy ceremony in London.
The accolade was in recognition of a challenging £2.5m programme of work carried out at Jordan House, a 13-storey apartment building in Castle Bromwich which is home to 50 families and individuals.
Danielle Bayliss, operations director at LFS, said: “Winning this prestigious award is a huge recognition for every single member of the team and their contributions to the business.
The judging criteria recognised how the business has developed in the last 12 months in areas of innovation, how obstacles have been overcome, and overall success in delivering key projects.
“From starting less than six years ago to being recognised at a national awards ceremony is an achievement we are extremely proud of.”
LFS was contracted by Wates Group to undertake a series of fire safety improvements, plus heating and waste upgrades to the tower block, which is owned by Birmingham City Council.
This included draining and removing hot and cold water storage tanks, installing new unvented hot water systems and carpentry works to rebuild cylinder stands and service cupboards.
The most challenging element of the project involved removing the entire cast iron soil pipe system and replacing it with new sustainable pre-fabricated soil pipes throughout the entire building. This was carried out ‘live’ to minimise disruption to residents of the 50 apartments.
All the work was undertaken without having to move the tenants out, with individual heating and water being restored the same day.
Neil Stevenson, operations manager at Wates, said: “The challenges with carrying out construction work within a live environment requires a different mindset, with the priority being on the resident at all times, ensuring disruption is kept to a minimum.
“As a contractor, you can’t just ‘leave it until tomorrow’, so at times it requires you to go above and beyond, something Legionella & Fire Safe Services achieved on this project as they have the correct mindset and care that’s always needed.”
Sharing success with the LFS family
The award is the perfect end to what has been an amazing year for the business, which has achieved 50% growth in turnover and increased its workforce by 67% to 60 members of staff.
The business has come a long way since it was set up in 2017 by compliance industry specialist Steve Morris who had a desire to improve service excellence in the sector. He was joined by Danielle Bayliss and LFS was born with two laptops and an oil heater in a small rented office in Lichfield.
It has secured major contracts in several industries since then, including local authority, retail, education, manufacturing and hospitality, and is leading the way in innovative new products and processes. In June 2021, the business moved from its then Rugeley office to a new standalone HQ in Lichfield to accommodate the growth.
This success has been shared with the entire LFS team, with above inflation rate pay rises alongside a new package of employee benefits and support to help people through the cost-of-living crisis.
This includes an extra £100 per employee every month of the winter to help with energy costs, private healthcare for all, a 24/7 private GP service for staff and their families, Perkbox discounts, offers and freebies and a wellness hub.
This is in addition to investments in ongoing staff training and development.
Steve Morris, LFS managing director, said: “We are nothing without our people and we are so lucky to have such an incredible team – no matter how much we grow, we will always look after our LFS family.
“It’s been a great year for the business and this is thanks to the hard work of the whole team and we want them to reap the rewards of that success. Winning the award has been the perfect way to round off 2022 as we look forward to 2023 and projected growth of a further 45%.”
