Annual Captains of Industry

40 top level directors representing all aspects of construction, property and development met recently at the Cabinet War Rooms in London to discuss the current state of the UK construction industry.

Senior directors and partners from some of the country's biggest firms, including Gleeds, Willmott Dixon, James Lang LaSalle, Costain, CBRE, Mace, Arcadis and EC Harris, met for a 'Captains of Industry' event at the central London location at the invitation of Forum for the Built Environment's (fbe) new president Phil Laycock.

Phil Laycock commented: "It is rare that such a diverse and powerful group can meet informally and speak openly in a non-competitive environment about how the industry is faring throughout the UK, this is one of the reasons fbe has launched this elite networking forum and judging by the feedback, it is something that will serve to fill a much needed niche.

"Looking at the industry in general, while most were in agreement that Central  and Greater London were leading the recovery – taking the Olympics out of the equation – with the South East beginning to pick up, concerns were raised about major projects coming to a close with some predicting the industry will suffer further in 2012/13.

"The North West reported certain areas, such as high end retail as gaining strength and there is hope this would filter through to other sectors. Many considered the North of the country would suffer the most from public sector cuts, especially as there were concerns that the demise of RDA's and the subsequent fallout has not been thought through by Government."

Alison Nimmo, director of design and regeneration at the Olympic Delivery Authority, gave the gathering an update on the UK's biggest ever peacetime project, highlighting that although the emphasis is on delivering to budget and on deadline, which the scheme is scheduled to do, the aim is to leave the best legacy possible, in terms of design, facilities and sustainability once the Games are over.

"With fbe, the only national networking group for professionals involved in every aspect of property, construction and development, celebrating its 65th anniversary this year it is our intention to develop the 'Captains of Industry' as a unique club, bringing the movers and shakers together to open dialogue and provide a sounding board for the industry in general," explained Phil Laycock, concluding. "One CEO commented that the Cabinet War Rooms was an inspired choice for the event, considering the challenges facing the industry now and in the future."

Picture Caption:(L-R) Phil Laycock, president, fbe; Alison Nimmo, director of design and regeneration, Olympic Delivery Authority and Neil Griffiths, national chairman, fbe in the Cabinet War Rooms for fbe's Captains of Industry meeting.