50 YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT

50 YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT

50years of achievement During the past 50 years, Concrete Repairs Limited (CRL) has prospered and grown from a small waterproofing and concrete repair business located at 34 Millbank, London, into a major multi-disciplined national repair and refurbishment company. Ernest Mark, born on the 13th May 1891 in Cork, originally founded Concrete Repairs Limited with, it is believed, the financial assistance of Roger Wilment. At the outset of the first-world war Mr. Mark left Ireland to join the British Army. Following the conflict, Ernest Mark he remained in England and after the Second World War, whilst working with a company called Quickset (a division of Cementation) he became involved in bomb damage repairs. Also at Quickset was another Irish engineer, Albert Hill. Albert had joined Quickset after the Second World War. He had served as a Royal Navy Captain in the Mediterranean convoys. Albert was a keen sportsman, rugby and golf being his great interests. His Albert Hill commitment to sport helped him become chairman of London Irish Rugby Club and in his later years captain of Epsom Golf Club. A true gentleman and a clever contractor, Albert joined forces with Ernest and established Concrete Repairs Ltd in May 1955. Ernest Mark first became aware of the specific need for specialist concrete repair during a visit to Salisbury Racecourse, when a significant piece of the material became detached, narrowly missing many of the race goers.

1950s For the first five years of its existence, Concrete Repairs Limited business was very small. But toward the end of the decade it began to grow rapidly and the company s offices were quickly moved from 34 Millbank, to 25 Victoria Street, London. Ernest Mark was the company Chairman and Albert Hill acted as Managing Director. Two other key figures in the early days, having transferred from Quickset, were Eileen Spottiswood and Bill Beasley. Ernest Mark adopted the techniques and devised the Cathite Method of repairing concrete using Sika No.1 waterproof additive and Jenolite/Jenoseal to treat reinforcement. The process was very successful and was still in use to repair concrete until the late 1980s. As specialist contractors, much of the business was structural waterproofing mainly in London. Many basements and other structures required waterproofing and the company used its skilled applicators to apply the Sika No.1 cementitious systems.

1960s IIn 1960, Frank Dyton joined the Company and Bob Wall was recruited a few years later. The company became more involved in marine projects, which included many contracts carried out for the Ministry of Defence. During this decade, a great deal of work was also carried out for the Coal Board and British Rail. Waterproofing work, the company s speciality, remained buoyant with many underground structures, tunnels, power stations and deep basement contracts being won. Much of CRL s work during this decade was in the London docks. The experience gained eventually allowed the Company to take its skills further afield to other port installations at Harwich and Felixstowe and across the UK to a wider range of clients. During the 1960 s CRL again moved office, but this time just a short distance down Victoria Street from number 25 to number 137. Left: Redevelopment of 25 Victoria Street

1970s IIn the early 70s, the balance of CRL s business began to change. Waterproofing activity began to decline, but the repair side of the business started to boom. Work expanded on all types of structures throughout the UK. Many of the specialist activities were being carried out by a flexible and loyal workforce, some of whom are still employed today. In 1975 Ernest Mark, aged 84, retired and the involvement of the Wilment family ended. The company was the subject of a management buy-out involving Albert Hill, Bob Wall, Derek Storey and Frank Dyton. Albert Hill became Chairman, Bob Wall became Managing Director, Derek Storey controlled finance and Frank Dyton Bob Wall ran the contracts. Estimating work was shared and the team worked well. Because of its low capital base, the company only progressed due to strict financial management and hard work. Following major redevelopment of Victoria Street, the company moved to new premises at 748 Fulham Road, London. Above: Fulham Road offices

1980s Employee numbers expanded during this decade. In the early 1980 s, Tony Rimoldi, Chris Martin, John Drewett and Andy Came joined the company as young Engineers and went on to become the current Directors of the business. In 1984 Bob Wall retired and Frank Dyton replaced him as Managing Director. In 1986, at the age of 70, Albert Hill retired and the business was acquired by the Frank Dyton MJ Gleeson Group plc. The company also played a supporting role in the preparation of the European Standards for Concrete Repair - in particular, The principles of repair and Site execution. It also supported the production of documents dealing with Marine Repair and Life Cycle Management for the International Navigation Association. In 1983/84 the company secured its first overseas concrete repair contract - the 1.25km long Shell Jetty at Tabangao in the Philippines. Further overseas work quickly followed, including repairs to a cooling tower at a Shell Refinery in Port Sudan and work in Hong Kong, via a joint agreement with a local contractor. In 1988 the company became a prime mover in the use of electro-chemical repair techniques using cathodic protection, which would prove to be the foundation for future success.

1990s During the 1990s the company progressed to become one of the largest concrete repair contractors in the U.K. Research and development became the cornerstone the business success and helped extend the use of cathodic protection for reinforced concrete and also steel framed buildings. In 1992 the company commissioned its own composite strengthening research project at Sheffield University. In 1996 the Company completed the UK s first commercial installation of carbon fibre strengthening at Kings College Hospital in London. The company also successfully patented its Gel- Anode system for realkalisation and desalination. Tony Rimoldi Cathite House, Mitcham In 1992, Frank Dyton retired and Tony Rimoldi became Managing Director. In 1995 having again outgrown its premises in Fulham the Company relocated to a new head office at Cathite House in Mitcham, Surrey. Also during the decade new offices were opened in Sheffield and Bristol as the business grew regionally across the UK. The Company s activities regularly included work in Jersey and even took them as far afield as Baku in Azerbaijan. To meet the growing demand for professional surveys CRL also established a new division - CRL Surveys.

2000 and beyond In the five years between the millennium and its 50th anniversary, CRL s turnover more than doubled. Whilst concrete repair remained a core activity, the business had moved toward multi-disciplined refurbishment projects across a wide range of market sectors including housing, hospitals, car parks, power generation buildings, bridges and water industry structures. In 2001 a further CRL regional office was opened in Falkirk which, after four years in operation, is now providing a complete range of repair and refurbishment services to the market in Scotland. In 2003 CRL Refurbishment was established as a separate operating division to provide a multi-disciplined building refurbishment service. In the very short period since, the division has established an envied reputation for the quality of its service. In 2004 the Company was recognised with the award of Most Considerate Site by the Considerate Constructors Scheme for its work at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston. The project was adjudged the best site out of 2000 entered for the top award, entries being submitted from all sectors of the UK construction industry. CRL continues to lead the industry with new techniques in non destructive testing inspection, composite strengthening and electro-chemical systems. There is little doubt that when looking back at the last 50 years, the success of the business has been due to the commitment of its employees. From Managing Director to the newest labourer, it has been a team effort from everyone involved. Each employee s vision and dedication has made CRL recognised throughout the U.K. as a business of quality and integrity. Looking forward, CRL does not intend to stand still. The company s business culture is to challenge and innovate wherever possible. CRL will continue to lead the market by providing safer, cost-effective solutions for the on-going maintenance of the UK s buildings and infrastructure.

50 YEARS OF ACHIEVEMENT Cathite House, 23a Willow Lane, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4TU Tel: 020 8288 4848 Fax: 020 8288 4847 Email: mail@concrete-repairs.co.uk Website: www.concrete-repairs.co.uk Offices in: SHEFFIELD, BRISTOL, FALKIRK, MANCHESTER AND JERSEY