The Guardian - August/September 2009
The S2 Partnership Win Sole
Supply of H&S Services to Jones Lang LaSalle
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(L-R) John Miller (JLL), Lorraine
Harrison (S2) and Stewart Smith (S2) |
From humble beginnings (their words), Directors Stewart Smith and Lorraine
Harrison have turned the S2 Partnership into a leading deliverer
of Health & Safety and Environmental consultancy. It's the company
that property services like Hermes Real Estate, Alder King, Ryden, Drivers
Jonas, LaSalle Investment Management and King Sturge go to for peace
of mind (and reductions in their liabilities).
Certainly the S2 Partnership's industry standing is soaring.
Having recently won the contract for the sole supply of Health &
Safety services to Jones Lang LaSalle - up against the cream of their
industry peers - they've got comprehensive proof of their market leading
position. "It's a big coup for a company of our size to win this
contract", says Lorraine. Stewart agrees: "We feel we've built
up a truly symbiotic relationship with Jones Lang LaSalle. But this
contract was never a given. We underwent a rigorous tendering process.
Jones Lang LaSalle had to prove to their stakeholders that their chosen
partners gave best value without any compromises."
John Miller, Jones Lang LaSalle's Socially Responsible Management Officer,
was uncompromising in his approach. "We needed to re-think risk
management in the light of a dramatically changed commercial environment.
After four great years of partnership with S2 we had to draw
a line and go look again for the best value, the best consultant and
the best data management system the market could offer us. We've lowered
costs, focused risk management activity for maximum impact and got a
grip on the widening range of risk data. Job done with S2".
It wasn't just S2's flexible ethos or industry acumen that
tipped the scales. The company has always been toe-to-toe with the zeitgeist
and they're still setting trends. Their innovative RiskWise2
web-based software product sets new industry standards for an easily-operable
modular system for overseeing Health & Safety and Environmental
requirements for Facilities Managers. Stewart says, "Our customers
tell us RiskWise2 is the best safety risk management product
on the market. It's totally transparent; property managers and owners,
managing agents and even clients can log on remotely and view live data
relating to their building portfolios."
S2 has demonstrably had a good-fit relationship with Jones
Lang LaSalle for many years as their sole safety risk service providers.
But as Lorraine says, "The way we work with Jones Lang LaSalle
isn't actually any different to the way we work with many other clients.
We always aspire to the same model: working in partnership."
Maintaining those partnerships across a growing client base has led
to this point: S2 is now poised to double staff levels, with
some key appointments pending. "We've always managed our growth
very deliberately. While the temptation might have been to take on larger
numbers of staff earlier on, we spent time getting the right people
on board; cementing our position with our client base and giving them
a maximum value service," says Stewart.
So is there any concern that growth on this scale will undermine those
client relationships? "Our clients have come to expect a level
of personalised service from us - whether that's at Director level or
Consultant level - and it's important for us to preserve that. We're
sufficiently flexible to be able to give them precisely the kind of
service they need - and having this extra capacity will only help to
facilitate that."
By turns passionate about the Health & Safety industry and self
effacing about their achievements, Stewart and Lorraine are content
to brush the accolades aside. "So much of what we've achieved is
down to our staff" says Stewart with a smile. "And innovation.
Innovative approaches, products and people. That's what this is really
all about."
Why Being Green is Serious Business
The idea that green credentials are mere fluff orbiting a commercially
driven business model has long since moved on. Environmental initiatives
not only look good but are increasingly focused on asset preservation
and efficiency, which in turn can have a rather attractive impact on
your bottom line.
The challenges facing your business when it comes to reducing your
environmental impact can be daunting. Yet being green is increasingly
valuable. It raises your Corporate Social Responsibility profile, improves
service, and demonstrates your environmental credentials to clients
during the tender process.
It's easy to underestimate the commercial value of environmental initiatives.
With the right planning, they help to ensure long term protection of
your assets, not least by identifying tenants whose activities may have
long term consequences for your site. So when you come to planning the
future of your green initiative, it pays to have the best advice.
Environmental and economic
The remit of S2's environmental team is far reaching. It
includes an initial gap analysis, the design and implementation of environmental
policy, site sustainability assessments, including energy reviews, recycling
and transportation. In addition, pollution prevention, drainage and
historical land-use can be included.
But it's our commercial sensitivity that makes all the difference.
After all, when saving money helps to save the planet, you can't go
far wrong. As a result, we understand that any changes to your business
must be practical and cost-effective, which is why we make recommendations
based on those changes that will have both long and short term commercial
benefits.
Whether you need a bespoke environmental policy or are seeking ISO
14001 accreditation, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that a
few very simple changes can make a tremendous difference. For example,
changing halogen light bulbs for energy efficient ones, installing passive
infrared motion sensors and introducing spray taps into bathrooms are
relatively straight forward steps to making significant savings.
The future of business is leaner and greener
Through a process of practical sustainability surveys we identify ways
to make your business greener and more efficient. Crucially, we also
take an in-depth look at your associated business models to ensure that
no matter how commercially viable, they don't have a negative impact
on your site, devalue the surrounding environment or reduce the value
of your assets.
While budgets are tight right now, businesses are increasingly waking
up to the long term benefits that environmental initiatives or ISO 14001
accreditation represent in terms of attracting clients, reducing costs,
mitigating the impact of their activities on the environment, providing
a more sustainable base for your assets and preserving and adding value
in the longer-term.
For more information about our tailored environmental services, please
contact Rob Bagley on 01954 267788 or e-mail rob.bagley@s2partnership.co.uk.
Is Japanese Knotweed Invading
Your Land?
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| Japanese Knotweed |
Japanese Knotweed is Britain's most invasive non-native plant. It is
extremely destructive to both the natural and built environment. Find
out more about this persistent weed and how the S2 Partnership
can help keep your land free from this hazard.
Originally brought into Britain as a decorative shrub from Japan via
Holland, the early growth of Japanese Knotweed begins in March. In August,
the canes are at their highest (up to 3m), with the creamy-white sterile
flowers being in full bloom.
The rapid growth of this plant causes major problems. It overruns drains
and brickwork foundations, obstructs paths and roadways, obscuring signs
and entrances. More importantly, it can cause significant damage to
buildings, as the shoots push through any small gaps available.
Due to its persistent and invasive nature, Japanese Knotweed is listed
under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as a plant that is not to
be planted or otherwise introduced into the wild. The Environmental
Protection Act 1990 also lists it as 'controlled waste' to be disposed
of appropriately. You have a legal obligation not to cause it to spread
if it occurs on your land. An offence under the Wildlife and Countryside
Act can result in a criminal prosecution and an infringement under the
Environmental Protection Act can lead to enforcement action being taken
by the Environment Agency, resulting in an unlimited fine. You could
also be held liable for costs incurred from the spread of Knotweed into
adjacent properties and for the disposal of infested soil off site during
development which later leads to the spread of Knotweed onto another
site.
Japanese Knotweed cannot be quickly and easily removed. It has to be
dug out to a depth of 6m and a width of 14m to ensure all fragments
of the plant are removed as the tiniest piece can re-grow. Disposing
of the plant waste has to take place by a Licensed Waste Management
operator, which can be extremely costly. Alternatively, spraying the
plant with a herbicide mix is acceptable. The most effective time to
spray the knotweed is when the canes are about 1m tall, usually between
April and July although spraying could continue until September. The
type of herbicide used is dependent on the environment in which the
plant is growing.
The S2 Partnership can readily incorporate a site assessment
to include identification of Japanese Knotweed during a general health
& safety assessment or a site sustainability survey. S2
Partnership can also provide specialist advice and control and remediation
procedures.
For more information on Japanese Knotweed and the assistance S2
can provide, please contact Rob Bagley on 01954 267788 or e-mail rob.bagley@s2partnership.co.uk.
New Recruits
The S2 Partnership is pleased to welcome Nicola Anderson
to the team. Nicola is based in our head office in Elsworth, Cambridgeshire
and has taken up the position of Business Manager.
We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart Morrison.
Stuart, who is based in the Elsworth office, works in our administration
team.
Sarah Whelan joins our Sales and Client Development team. Sarah works
alongside Rob Mead, our RiskWise Business Manager, in delivering RiskWise2.
Tom Seaman also joins our RiskWise2 team. Tom offers technical
support to RiskWise2 clients and works alongside the programming
team in developing and supporting the system.
And finally, we would like to welcome Nik Johnson to the team. Nik
joins our software programming team, developing and supporting RiskWise2.