SMEs ‘unsung heroes of construction’

David Parson, National Chairman of the NFB, said SMEs are “the unsung heroes of the construction sector”.

He was speaking after the Government’s chief construction adviser Peter Hansford met construction firms in the south west of England to discuss issues facing the industry in the region.

A main topic of concern was the size of public sector frameworks, with members calling for a reduction in the number of contractors on frameworks to allow for a fairer spread of opportunities for small and medium sized companies SMEs.

Mr Hansford highlighted the need to remove barriers to access for SMEs where possible and where new technology, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), can make a difference.

He said he wants to find ways for central government to help local authorities develop ‘SME friendly’ frameworks and highlighted that the Government’s industrial strategy contains a supply chain project as part of the its analysis of the effectiveness of supply chains at all levels.

David Parsons, who is also managing director of Pearce Barnstaple Ltd, who hosted the meeting in Devon, said:

“It was good to have Peter Hansford in the region where he could hear about our concerns and ideas.

“The role of the supply chain is crucial and smaller companies are the unsung heroes of the construction sector.”

Mr Hansford said: “Governmental and legislative processes can create unintended barriers to innovation for SMEs and good procurement is essential to unlocking inhibiting factors.”