Spec Finish

WELCOME Nicky Rogers Editor 4 www.thefis.org CONTACT US EDITORIAL Editor: Nicky Rogers Email: nickyr@warnersgroup.co.uk SpecFinish Warners Group Publications West Street Bourne Lincs PE10 9PH ADVERTISING Advertising enquiries: Theresa Geeson Email: theresag@warnersgroup.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS SpecFinish is distributed to members of FIS and other selected finishes and interiors businesses. If you wish to receive a copy of SpecFinish or would like to amend or cancel your subscription, please contact either info@thefis.org or telephone 0121 707 0077. FIS Tel: 0121 707 0077 www.thefis.org Email: info@thefis.org FIS, Unit 4, Olton Bridge 245Warwick Rd Solihull, West Midlands B92 7AH SpecFinish magazine is published on behalf of FIS by Warners Group Publications plc and the views expressed in this journal are not necessarily those held by FIS or the publishers. The publishers shall not be under any liability in respect of the contents of the contributed articles. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or alter articles for publication. © All editorial contents SpecFinish 2022 Welcome SPEC FINISH I planned to read a research report about the interior refurbishment and fit-out market in the UK in preparation for writing this letter, but couldn’t afford the £995 it cost. Reading around and listening to what people in the industry are saying though, the consensus seems to be that after a slow couple of years for business generally (unsurprising) – unless warehousing and deliveries happen to be your bag of course, activity has picked up in some public sector areas as many buildings are being repurposed to cope with changing demographics and technological advances. Environmental performance is likely to remain a key driver of refurbishment work, which is what we are all getting used to factoring in, but it won’t simply be a question of ‘work as we all used to do before the pandemic’, instead, we have pressures of labour and skill shortages, the demands of constructing more sustainable buildings (because that’s what clients demand – and so they should) but also; the expected price inflation for projects this year and next is draining. Still, it’s a promising picture with industrial sector leading the charge. On page 18, read what leading experts have to say about how technology and innovation are driving change in this sector. On page 21, we expand on the technology thread in an article about the benefits of digital asset information and how supply chains can deliver the golden thread. Our health and safety article on page 14 will chime with a high proportion of members; it’s about diabetes, and explains why employers must understand the risks and know how to support affected employees and their colleagues. Please let me know about your projects and company news, not pure nosiness on my part, but we do like to feature members as much as we can. No project too small... nickyr@warnersgroup.co.uk www.thefis.org SpecFinish magazine wrapper Please recycle the wrapper this magazine was delivered in. It is recyclable plastic. Cover image courtesy ofTroaxUKLtd www.troax.com