Tony Kay has become the latest addition to join the Construction Alliance North East (CAN) management board, as the regional alliance targets procurement opportunities for north east contractors in 2021.
CAN was formed in 2015 to better represent regional small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) contractors in the north east, and has grown to represent more than 500 businesses in the region since.
Joining the board, Kay, president of the Northern Counties Builders Federation (NCBF), brings a wealth of experience. As commercial director at Classic Masonry and Bespoke Concrete Products, he has more than 35 years of experience in the industry. Starting out as a quantity surveyor, Kay has also worked with English Heritage, William Anelay and Northumbria University.
Commenting on his appointment, Tony said: “CAN has a crucial role to play in championing regional companies. We have the united voice of the SME contractor to lobby and influence organisations not to exclude us from tender opportunities, and we can lend weight to the campaign by highlighting real examples of good and poor experiences of procurement.”
Construction Alliance North East consists of a collection of construction and civil engineering contractor bodies, which have a combined turnover of £3 billion. It was founded when government policy and procurement processes were deemed to isolate regional SME contracting businesses from public sector procurement.
Representing the NCBF, Kay’s knowledge of the industry will complement the input to CAN from its other board members. Representation also comes from the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, the Federation of Master Builders, and the National Federation of Builders.
As a turbulent year comes to an end, CAN has outlined a fair payment policy that will support procurement opportunities across the north east through 2021 and beyond.
Caroline Meehan, vice chair at CAN and director of the FMB, added: “Our fair payment policy is going to be critical to the uptake of local companies wishing to undertake local work as part of a supply chain. We have to ensure that fair payment terms are set out and adhered to, to enable them to manage their cashflow effectively.”
CAN chairman Ken Parkin believes CAN is perfectly positioned to provide this support to north east construction firms. He said: “CAN will promote the interests of regional firms through the combined weight and influence of the four member organisations, and we will campaign and lobby on behalf of north east firms in a focused and joined-up way – no other organisation can do this. We represent a broad spectrum of regional contractors.”
