Photo Credit: Capture the Joy Photography

With Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, we reflect on the exciting progress HCS has achieved this year.

GROWTH

This year we have focused on diversifying our geographical reach, so it is reflective of the growth and development of our team, clients, and service offerings.

This year we welcomed three new members of the team, bringing with them valuable project management experience and helping to enable us to focus on our goal of expanding our project management arm. We have also developed our client base this year and are pleased to be working with a number of new managing agents. This has in part given rise to a growth in the breadth and variety of project management and contract administration work, including Section 20 Major Works projects, that we have completed this year. For example, we have managed internal and external works on a group of historic residential blocks in Kent, a large converted Victorian convent in north London, and a Georgian residential block in Belgravia.

We have also experienced a higher demand for our structural engineering offering and have expanded our expertise in this area to accommodate. Our survey work continues to flow, and we have had some unique instructions this year which have excited our surveyor’s appetite for building surveying. For example, we have conducted detailed surveys and defect reports on a Grade 2 listed Victorian Gothic building in London, which comprises of flats, studios, workshops, and a drama school. Our professional services arm has also been in high demand and we have completed a wider variety of expert reports this year.

HCS opened a new office in Kent in the Spring, facilitating the expansion of our geographical coverage and work in the Southeast. We are excited to continue to focus on developing our work in this area next year. Further to facilitate growth, our Essex office relocated from Shenfield to a larger space in Billericay this autumn. HCS are proud to have built strong roots and relationships in Shenfield and Brentwood, which contributed to our early growth as a business. Going forward, we will maintain our presence in this business community, whilst setting down new foundations in Billericay and growing our client base and local involvement here.

We have expanded our network in London and enjoyed attending regular networking events across Marble Arch, Belgravia and St Pauls. One of the stand-out events had to be Leasehold London, where we met current and new clients and attended valuable seminars for industry updates. Furthermore, our business software has undergone a significant update this year. This has improved both the efficiency of internal operations and business development processes, future-proofing the business.

EVENTS AND 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

2023 was a year of significance for HCS, as we were proud to have our ten-year anniversary in November. As part of the celebrations, the team enjoyed a morning of games, eating and reminiscing over our achievements and progress. For further reflections on significant achievements and our goals looking forward to the future, see our Managing Director’s blog.

Following a strong start to our CPD programme last year, we have continued this momentum throughout 2023 by expanding the topics we have presented on. In addition to our popular presentations on Section 20 Major Works and Home Surveys, we have also provided talks on Planned Maintenance Programmes and Reinstatement Cost Assessments to current and new clients this year. We currently present to Property Managers, Estate Agents and Solicitors, but are looking to expand our audience into 2024.

Team activities are an important part of HCS culture, whether it is a ten-minute game after our Monday meeting, or a get together after work. This year we were back at the Brentwood Cricket Club for their PCA summer event, which provided an opportunity for the team to meet some of our key clients and watch the England Legends team take on Brentwood 1^st Team. At our Go Karting event earlier in the year, there was some healthy competition between the team out on the course, ending in a close win for Christian (sorry Harry!). More recently indoor mini golf was a great way to wind down after a busy week for the team. Our Team Cup has passed from team to team each week, and Spencer’s team were crowned the overall winners for 2023.

COMMUNITY

Continuing our sponsorship of the Brentwood Cricket Club was important to us this year as we have a long relationship with the club. We also gave back to the community by fundraising and donating to SNAP Charity, for example through the Ride London event and sponsoring other events. Additionally, some of the team enjoyed speaking to parents and students at the Brentwood School Careers Convention, providing some advice and insight on the surveying industry to students. More recently, we had a successful first year at the Billericay Christmas Market. Our Lego game was enjoyed by families, as was our snowball-chimney throwing game, and it was fantastic to meet some of the local community and other local businesses. We presented our Multi-Lego box to the winner, and it was clear he had big ideas for new creations. We gave him some tips to ensure their structural integrity!

We joined with fellow Brentwood Environmental Business Alliance (BEBA) members in exhibiting for BEBA at the Big Green Expo event organised by Essex Wildlife Trust earlier this year. Here Lucy gave a short presentation about the steps HCS have taken in starting a green journey, and about the benefits of BEBA to businesses based in Brentwood and Rochford. We are keen to see how BEBA evolves and continue our green efforts into 2024.

We couldn’t be happier with the progress we have made in the last 10 years and are proud to reach this significant milestone this year.

We look forward to more exciting opportunities ahead in 2024 and wish all our clients, contacts, and colleagues a happy & healthy Christmas and New Year.

Call or email us at:

020 3102 7701 (London)

01277 223594 (Essex)

01508 405501 (Kent)

info@howecs.co.uk