Ciara writes:
On behalf of the shareholders and directors of the VGC Group, Sean, Laurence and I would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone at VGC for your hard work in 2017.
Despite early challenges in the year such as the loss of the rail delivery fleet, we have had another successful year, and can report continued growth across the group.
We continue to experience downward pressure on our margins, and the procurement processes for securing new sales is becoming tougher. However we are delighted that our team continues to rise to the challenge and work together to achieve our shared objectives.
Some of the key highlights for 2017:
VGC Group
- Group sales of over £75 million
- Major upgrade to finance, payroll and procurement systems
- Introduction of various self-service online systems
- Refresh of corporate social responsibility and behaviour based safety programmes
- Tendering strategy for HS2 established
- Successful partnership with Samaritans
VGC Labour Solutions
- Volume of work increased as a result of framework contracts
- Restructured management team for Northern and Scottish divisions
- Secured the A14 contract following a new style ‘behavioural assessment’
- Established a strong presence in Sellafield
VGC Rail Projects
- Secured sales with six new rail clients
- Continue to work on Crossrail Anglia
- Extended provisional principal contractor’s licence with Network Rail
VGC Construction
- 300% growth within division
- Improved capabilities as a specialist civils contractor
- Strengthened delivery team
VGC Personnel
- Achieved early placements on HS2 contracts
- 20% contractor growth
Cole Hire
- Restructured team with a strong focus on sales
- Increased sales despite tough retail market conditions
We look forward to working with you in 2018 to continue to build on our success.
There are a number of uncertainties within the political landscape with the unknown implications of Brexit. However VGC will continue to focus on growth within the company. We will support this with major investments in technology, training and apprenticeships and corporate social responsibility programmes.
We must maintain competitiveness through efficient and innovative work practices, managing costs and managing cash. Everyone at VGC needs to work as part of the team, using each other’s skills, knowledge and experience to deliver best value every time, and outperform the competition.
We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
