Nordic Construction UK
Until CRL’s ten-year structural defects insurance products were recommended to Nordic Construction UK, the national developer and contractor had been paying over-the-odds for the same level policies that were attached to household name providers.
Nordic Construction UK has been using CRL’s structural defects insurance cover on all its major national projects for the last two years. When its newly appointed project manager was asked who he’d previously used for insurance provision, he was quick to commend the products, service and cost of CRL’s compared to the obvious high street providers.
About Nordic Construction UK
Guilford-based Nordic Construction UK, established at the start of the UK economic recession in 2009, has continued to grow, achieving more than a seven-fold increase in turnover over the last few years, with a total project value of £44million to date. Its major projects include multi-storey residential and mixed-use developments across the UK, for clients in the student accommodation, residential, healthcare and commercial sectors, with plans to grow in the education sector.
Nordic’s challenge
Nordic, a new company starting out in 2009, had ambitious growth plans. At a time when the property industry was suffering considerably, Nordic knew it was essential to scrutinise all outgoing costs and keep up its values of high standards. Its insurance policies had to be comprehensive and exact, and quickly underwritten to prove Nordic’s security.
Nordic had to demonstrate unequivocally that it was a trustworthy and cost-effective contractor, delivering its clients’ schemes on time and within budget. Therefore, it had to be certain that its ten-year structural defects policies would not let them down.
Mohammed Afzal, commercial manager, Nordic Construction, said: “Our sector is competitive and overrun with rogue contractors so it is vital for our fairly young company to sustain the highest construction standards, to assure clients of the long-term quality of the buildings.”
In 2013, the developer won a significant £16million construction project to build a 339-bed mixed use student facility at Hope Street, Liverpool for which a reliable and competitive insurance provider was crucial.
Why CRL?
Nordic’s project manager recommended CRL to the commercial manager, Mohammed Afzal. From previous experience, the project manager knew that CRL competed positively with the well-known providers.
CRL’s standard ten-year structural defects insurance cover not only offered all the covenants of the well-known providers’ but its on-hand service was the reassurance project managers, architects, quantity surveyors and funders needed to ensure the success of a major construction project.
When Mohammed Afzal called CRL’s Vice President Relationship Management, Jacqueline Penfold, at the early tender stages of the Liverpool project, he was confident in the personal advisory service CRL gave.
Mohammed said: “Even at such an early stage, CRL went the extra mile to understand our project and needs, providing supportive advice to ensure we complied with the most up-to-date structural defects insurance guidelines.”
CRL went on to provide its evolving services and products under one standard level of cover, at the most competitive price compared to other brokers.
Its team of surveyors made regular inspections: completion of the foundations, pre-plaster stage and completion. The relationship manager and surveyors maintained regular communication with the project management team over the course of the building works, including on-site meetings and telephone calls.
Mohammed said: “We are confident that by using CRL as our provider, our projects are inspected and continuously monitored to ensure they are being handed over structurally sound for our clients.”
He added: “Using CRL’s insurance cover has assisted us in keeping within construction budgets, and ultimately realising profit for our business.
“CRL has been a genuine partner on this project, with us every step of the way from tender stages to the completion of each project. They are more than a product supplier, they are a valuable addition to our project team, offering their advice and support along the way.
“Our relationship with CRL has already proven to be effective and profitable and they will remain on our preferred supplier framework as our go-to provider for structural defects insurance.
“CRL is now definitely Nordic’s number one choice of provider.”
