24/08/10 - Thomas Vale secure West Midlands Framework

Earlier this year the County Council launched its Contractor Framework and invited firms from across the country to bid to get on board. This week, following a thorough tendering process, Stourport's Thomas Vale Construction, one of the Midlands largest privately owned companies, was confirmed on to the list. The Contractor Framework sees the authority's property contracts over £1 million in value being shared between three firms. Thomas Vale has been joined by Kier Moss in Cheltenham and Malvern's Speller Metcalfe in securing their place on the framework. The three firms will stay on for four-years before the Framework contract goes back out to tender. The Framework was set up to meet a number of key objectives:

• Improve the delivery and value of projects
• Improve levels of customer satisfaction
• Secure local community benefits
• Develop a framework that is accessible to all public sector organisations within the West Midlands.

The Framework was set up to not just to get better value for money on major projects but also improve the way they are delivered. Local community benefits are sought which could include enhanced product supply and employment opportunities as the selected contractors will be encouraged to 'think local', and will be able to plan around an ongoing stream of work within the local area. The Framework will be available to all public sector organisations within the West Midlands and West Mercia Police Authority and Herefordshire Council are already partners.

Cllr Stephen Clee, Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, said: "The Contractor Framework brings a range of benefits; for the three firms it gives them added security of knowing they will be delivering their share of big county council property contracts. For the County Council it delivers significant savings in procurement costs, ensures early contractor engagement in projects, more timely and efficient programme delivery, reduced overall construction costs and greater predictability of outcomes." The criteria for selecting contractors was in part on price, but more importantly on the quality of their staff and other resources, the quality of their delivery of the management and construction of building projects, their approach to health and safety and their ability to add value to building projects.

Tony Hyde, Managing Director, Thomas Vale Construction, said: "As a local Worcestershire man, and as a local business, we are extremely proud to be working in partnership with Worcestershire County Council in order to deliver real tangible benefits for the people of Worcestershire and beyond. This framework will secure and create hundreds of jobs across the region as well as providing other local supply chain partners with a continued workload in order to secure the economic status of the area." The Contractor Framework starts from the end of August.