Underlining the strength of its offering, Devon-based We Are Ease Ltd recently received award recognition for its involvement in its biggest hotel project to date, which was so challenging that many contractors were unable to take it on.
“We were delighted to win a Gold Devon Control Building Excellence Award within the Best Commercial Development with Accommodation category for our work on Tides Reach Hotel in Salcombe, which has subsequently been renamed Harbour Beach,” explains Liam Gooding, Senior Project Manager/ Associate Operations Director. “Receiving any award is a great way of getting our name out there, but to receive recognition for such a difficult project was particularly pleasing.”
The biggest hurdle with the £15m Harbour Beach Hotel project was its location, which had considerable access issues. This meant several contractors looked at the site and declined the opportunity to get involved. Thankfully, because of We Are Ease’s model, it was able to find the right people to not only take on the project, but who could also deliver the high quality standards it was looking for.
“We operate as a management company, so we administrate the contract between the subcontractors and the client,” says Mr Gooding. “On the majority of our sites we have a project manager, a commercial quantity surveyor and an assistant, who is usually a university graduate, either in construction management or quantity surveying. Typically for jobs up to £2m there’s three staff, but for larger projects we will double this number. This gives us the capabilities to strictly manage the works packages and look after all the individual elements, including the responsibility for all the health and safety aspects.
“The main benefit is that the client can be much more involved with the project. This is why so many are increasingly choosing the construction management route.”
With the growing demand for the model, We Are Ease’s award-winning approach is showing a surge in demand and it is developing its infrastructure to make the most of the market potential. We Are Ease was the first and now largest CM company in the South-West.
“We currently have 33 staff, including two directors, and we’re in the process of undertaking a Management Buy-Out that will give us an even sounder footing moving forward,” outlines Mr Gooding. “It’s a very competitive marketplace but we have all the elements in place to keep progressing, especially in the hotel sector, which is currently very buoyant.
“The award shows what we’re capable of and really demonstrates our ability to overcome difficult challenges. We want to be seen as a viable alternative to traditional operators and industry recognition really helps to raise awareness of what we’re about, both locally and nationally. We want to stand out from the rest and gain a leading edge wherever we can.
“Our goal is to grow the business by 20% year-on-year for the next five years and to achieve this we want to cement our reputation as the prime construction management company around. We have the ability to source the best contractors around and this has been shown on the projects we’ve completed so far.”
In an increasingly challenging construction sector, it is clear that We Are Ease has the ability to tackle many of the issues its clients are facing at the moment. That being the case, further growth – and potentially more awards – looks on the cards.
