BAM Construction

BAM Construction - Meet the Buyer Event

‘The event with BAM Construction is a first class example of how the Council can work with industry to generate trading opportunities for local businesses in the area.’ Gordon Andrews, Head of Economic Development Neath Port Talbot Council.

Engaging with local companies brings a wide range of benefits including: local knowledge, local people and support for the local economy while reducing our carbon footprint. They also help BAM support Local Council’s policies for sustainable and local procurement. As BAM Western was expanding in South Wales, building relationships with local subcontractors and suppliers was a priority.

BAM met with Business Support Officers from Neath Port Talbot Council to discuss the best way to engage local companies. It was agreed a ‘Meet the Buyer Day’ would be most beneficial. Using the Councils knowledge of SME’s in and around the local area it became clear that there was substantial interest in the event.

A list of target trades and suppliers was provided along with the requirements for working with BAM regarding Health & Safety, Environmental and Employment standards. The trades reflected the procurement schedule for the recently commenced local school project and also typical works packages.

BAM organised a venue at a local hotel conference room and set up individual discussion areas in a relaxed environment. Each company which had pre-registered with the Local Council had half hour slots to pitch their business to a BAM Manager who could make a decision on their suitability and confirm or decline the opportunity to tender on the local project or registration on the BAM Supply Chain for future opportunities.

To support the subcontractors who needed further assistance to meet the required standard, BAM and organisations including Construct Wales, Workways Employment and the Councils Business Support Department were on hand to assess business requirements and highlight training opportunities.

Sixty companies attended the buyer day held on 28th March 2011. 75% of these companies were added to the BAM Supply Chain database and 55% were invited to tender for over thirty packages on a local school project. The feedback and results tangibly demonstrate the positive impact of the day.

Following the event local training needs were evaluated and prioritised. Neath Port Talbot Council planned local training workshops, to bring the companies up to required standards. By organising group sessions the council was able to reduce the cost of the workshops, which made the training a viable option for the smaller companies. The training will help to ensure the companies are fit to compete on future construction tenders.

"Every supplier is allocated 20 – 30 minutes, and in some cases longer, with a buyer representative. This enables a meaningful discussion to take place and as a result the companies obtain a more in-depth knowledge of the buyer requirements, including mandatory accreditations. In this instance it also allowed the individual suppliers to explain what they have to offer BAM Construction Ltd. Overall, a well received and executed approach to introducing local supplier with buyer. If success is determined by how the suppliers viewed the event then the graph below, taken from a survey of the local supply companies at the end of the event, clearly shows it to be very well received and appreciated." Lynne Davies, Construct Wales

For the full press release, please see the link below:-