
United Living
Asset maintenance provider Fastflow Group has rebranded as the United Living Group and restructured its business to make the company “fit for the future” and able to adapt to the changing marketplace.
It will cease to use the Fastflow name and is rebranding as the United Living Group following the merger last year and the creation of a new business.
The group will have combined revenues for the financial year ending 31st March 2020 of about £400 million, with 2021 revenues budgeted to be £420 million.
The streamlined business comprises three service pillars – United Living Infrastructure Services, United Living New Homes and United Living Property Services – delivering a broad range of integrated services. These include new housing and property maintenance services to local authorities and social housing landlords as well as supporting the infrastructure services required to maintain power and water throughout the UK.
The company said the restructure will ensure that it is large enough to deal with big capital projects, and “agile enough to react quickly to customer demands and facilitate further growth”.
Neil Armstrong, current chairman and CEO, will continue to lead the business supported by his executive team – Daren Moseley, COO; Stuart Hall, CFO: Ryan Brennan, group strategic development director; Peter Scraton, group business improvement director; and Kamal Shergill, group HR director.
The managing directors of each pillar have also been confirmed as board members. Conor Bray heads property services, Gordon O’Regan leads the national New Homes division, and Benn Cottrell takes the helm at Infrastructure Services – the combined water, multi-utility and gas transmission business.
Armstrong said: “Our business has stood up well to the shock of the pandemic. Essential utility and property maintenance operations continued throughout but in the height of full lockdown, new housing sites were temporarily hibernated. Several new contracts were secured during the period. As a result, we continue to trade well, however, we, like other businesses, continue to face a number of challenges which will see us working, living and managing our business with the Covid-19 virus still present and Brexit on the horizon.
“These changes are designed to ensure that we are in the strongest position possible to address necessary market changes with a key objective to generate ‘profit for purpose’ continuing to make a difference in our communities.”
In addition United Living this week secured a place on the CPC Whole House Refurbishment and Associated Works (WH2) framework.
The framework, which runs for four years until 2024, is aimed at providing an efficient procurement route for public sector housing refurbishment works.
The placement covers the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber as well as East and West Midlands, with United Living in the highest annual bands of £1.5 million to £5 million.
Work is split across two workstreams:
Workstream 1: Individual Whole House Refurbishment Specialisms with associated works
- Kitchens & bathrooms with associated repairs
- Landscaping
- Electrical works
- Painting & decorating
Workstream 2 is composed of multidisciplinary services.
Helen Francis, business development director at United Living North, said: “Through this, we look forward to applying our expertise and experience to support the public sector in delivering a wide variety of refurbishment works.”
Image credit | United Living