Build Magazine 21 Construction Pace Consult, which is now entering its 11th year of trading, initially established as an acoustic consultancy. Quickly asserting itself in the market, its services has naturally diversified as the increasing demands of the clientele and their projects have forced the group’s exemplary customer to focus upon other disciplines. Pace Consult’s excellent clients are a large part of the reason that they have managed to grow, even during the recession of eight years past. ur development and growth has very much been driven by our fantastic client base,” states Martin Jones. “We now offer many forms of assistance to projects at planning stage as well as during design, construction and final sign off. These include; vibration analysis in ground and buildings, air tightness testing to residential and commercial developments, energy efficiency calculations, air quality assessments and building thermography.” Indeed, the willingness to engage fully with the client and design team, and to be practical, cost effective, and available, are key standpoints in the business philosophy of Pace Consult Ltd. The aim of the business, as Mark puts it, is not about reinventing the wheel; rather, “the business objective is solely to serve our clients; whatever they need, the answer is always ‘yes’. This is most evidently the case when undertaking a new client or project; engaging with the client to assess their needs is a sure-fire way of attaining the right level of thorough analysis, as well as answering all the burning questions that the client has. “It might be a very simple thing to say,” Mark adds, “but we encounter so many occasions where a report is almost pre-written and is not dynamic to the client’s and project’s specific needs.” That is where Pace Consult step in to carry the project forwards in a bold new direction, with every intention and available resource to achieve the right results in an affordable way. Because of these practices, Pace Consult Ltd. are finding themselves being picked up for a number of frameworks with their key commercial sector clients. “There are so many schools to be built, and we are fortunate to have one of the largest portfolios of completed schools in the country. We know how they go together in a cost-effective manner, and our clients trust us to deliver”, the upshot of which is a portfolio of projects, each instance more successful than the last, and leaving Mark in the impossible position of singling out a particular success story. Mark is rightly proud of his team at Pace Consult; all of the consultants carry a set of core principles that run like a vein through the entire company: understand the Practicality Above All Else “O client’s needs, work with their design ethos wherever possible, and remain fundamentally practical. In addition, one other added motto, impressed regularly upon newer consultants as well as the veterans, is to not overcomplicate. As Mark explains, “there are far too many examples of reports that set out to show how clever the author is, when through prequalification the client already knows they are qualified. Pace Consult, on the other hand, are not in the business of showing off – we just answer the question and get the job done.” We are working towards an office in the middle east and hope to realise this within 12 months, subject to continued UK growth. Again I consider myself very fortunate that the relationships I have developed over 20 years in the industry are proving that initially clients have become firm friends and where they move, they take us along with them as a service provider. There is no finer compliment in my opinion. The industry, according to Mark, is currently relatively strong, and Pace Consult have been working towards establishing an office in the lucrative Middle East region, to take advantage of new consultancy options there. “We hope to realise this within 12 months,” Mark comments, “subject to continued growth in the UK. “Again, I consider myself very fortunate that the relationships I have developed over 20 years in the industry are proving that initial clients have become firm friends – where they move, they take us along with them as a service provider. There is no finer compliment in my opinion.” As Mark points out, however, the short- and long- term ambitions of Pace Consult Ltd. are still subject to the whims of the economy. The severe recession of 2008 was the biggest challenge to face Mark and his consultants, and it was all that they could do to simply stick to their core values; “this meant that our clients were not paying over the odds on their projects, as we kept every piece of advice practical and cost- effective.” Mark knows better than anyone in his firm that experienced clients have been around the block, and should know when there is too much meat on the bone – “this is when we often get a call, and the upshot of this is that we are now recognised as experts in the art of Value Engineering.” The more recent economic news from the UK has also forced Mark to reassess the firm’s prerogatives. Back in May, when the political clime of the UK was becoming hot and a bit tense in the build-up to June’s EU Referendum, Mark recognised that the potential upheave had introduced a “subtle air of uncertainty” to the industry. Three months down the line, with a new firm date set for the invocation of Article 50 and the eventual withdrawal of Britain from the EU, Mark is finding himself in a potentially precarious position, but not one that is not also being shared by other such firms in his industry. “We should wait to see the dust settle,” he concludes, “and with it any concerns which have resulted in delays to projects. I believe that we should have many good years ahead.” Company: Pace Consult Ltd. Name: Martin Jones Email:
[email protected] Web Address: www.paceconsult.co.uk Address: Pace Consult Limited, 652 The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, CO4 9YQ Telephone: 0845 2410142 Ones to Watch for 2016: Construction