Christmas 2021

Christmas 2021

Can’t quite believe it’s almost Christmas; where did 2021 go? It has been another productive year and one of growth for Kaymac. In the past 12 months, we have welcomed five new staff members on board, and fourteen new clients. We have received hundreds of opportunities, successfully delivered an astonishing 143 projects with zero accidents or incidents. All of which has resulted in an impressive increase in turnover; a remarkable achievement considering the current economic climate.

Equally satisfying is what our clients think of us, and an incredible 97% rated us nine or above on the quality and performance of our projects, while 100% of our clients said they would happily choose us again. Delivering excellent customer service is at the heart of everything we do at Kaymac, and that sort of client service is unrivaled in the industry. This standard of excellence is down to the culture of this business and every team member giving their utmost; which is highly congratulated.  

This year Kaymac have, quite literally, walked on water to repair, maintain and stabilise structures across the UK. We have developed solutions to difficult engineering problems, and successfully delivered projects that others thought were impossible. 

An award-winning year

We are delighted to have won The Bridges Award for New Life (projects below £5 million) at the e-Bridges Awards 2021. The award was for the Escob West Bridge Rehabilitation project in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

Following the unprecedented flood conditions we experienced in early 2020, structures across the UK’s watercourses were left in dilapidated states, with asset owners determining whether repairs can be undertaken safely, or in some cases whether a full structural demolition is required. The Grade II listed structure at Escob West was earmarked for demolition before Kaymac was given another great opportunity to showcase our innovative approach to solving complex in-water engineering problems.

The Grade II listed bridge near Crickhowell suffered significant damage during the unprecedented flood conditions caused by Storm Dennis last year and was earmarked for demolition. However, thanks to the innovative solution we presented to Powys Council’s engineering design service, the bridge would be saved.

This was a challenging in-water engineering problem, the type that Kaymac excels at, and because of the instability of the severely damaged bridge, safety was of paramount importance.

Following the successful completion of the works and subsequent removal of the temporary propping system, the bridge was re-opened to the public. All parties were delighted with the outcome that Rhys Colcombe and his team delivered and Councillor Heulwen Hulme, Cabinet Member for Highways, said:

“Kaymac’s professional approach developed and executed a solution that saved the bridge from being lost forever, whilst also offering the council a substantial savings compared to a demolition and reconstruction option. We are very grateful for their involvement with the project and feel the award recognition they have received is very well deserved.”

Councillor Heulwen Hulme

We started working on the application process for the awards in January and then after the closing date in March we waited anxiously until the winners were announced in May. Considering this was the first time we had entered the awards it really is an amazing achievement. The positive effects of winning a prestigious national award cannot be understated. As well as the feel-good factor for everyone connected to Kaymac, it is also great publicity for the company that will hopefully result in new clients and additional business for the years ahead.

National television coverage

You may have heard that we recently featured on television as part of Britain’s Scenic Railways on Channel 4. Episode three of the series showed the Kaymac team working on a scour protection project on the Redbridge Viaduct in Galashiels, Scotland. This is an arched viaduct carrying two rail lines between Galashiels and Tweedbank. The scour repairs involved the removal of the riverbed material from between the piers and the installation of a scour mattress to protect the structure from the fast-flowing river. Following the installation of the mattress, the original riverbed material was reinstated to the original level. The River Tweed is susceptible to high water levels and fast flows, making it a difficult and far from the straight forward project – exactly the challenging conditions that Kaymac excel in. Once again, this is great publicity for our business, raising brand awareness and opening up opportunities for projects with new clients in the future. If you haven’t watched the episode, and want a change from all those Christmas films, take a look…

Professional recognition

As you all know, we like to invest in training at Kaymac and especially in developing young talent, so it was wonderful to see our apprentice, Caspar Farquhar, being Highly Commended at the CECA Wales Annual Awards and Dinner in October.

Happy holidays

Gareth and the rest of the Kaymac team would like to thank all of our clients and suppliers for your support and commitment to Kaymac during the past 12 months and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Whatever you are doing, stay safe, and we can all look forward to another productive and exciting year by delivering many more successful projects in 2022.