A firm of surveyors with fourteen offices across Scotland have recently set up a new arm to offer a Dispute Resolution Service. So in truth they really do want your problems and they will help you solve them!
Hardies, who are Scotland’s largest multi discipline surveying firm held a special showcase event to introduce the service at the RICS offices in Princes Street last week, attracting around 30 guests from across the construction, property and development disciplines.
The new service is designed to provide clients in both the public and private sectors with an opportunity to resolve problems without adopting formal Dispute Resolution procedures.
The event was led jointly by Len Bunton FRICS FCIArb, a specialist consultant who has joined Hardies to develop the service across the UK, and Hardies Business Development Partner, Jim McArthur.
Jim McArthur said: “We are very pleased with how this event at the RICS went. We had a good turnout of Lothians based construction industry professionals and those from associated disciplines. We believe that this new service fills a gap in the market and that there is no substitute for face to face contact in introducing it to the marketplace. Holding these special seminars has enabled Len and myself to engage directly with potential customers.”
“Len brings to the table a wealth of experience in this sector,” added Jim McArthur. “This new service has the main objective of saving clients time and money. It’s complementary to the other wide range of services we currently offer to the construction and property sectors but it’s now applied in a more focused and co-ordinated manner, enhanced by appropriate training. As a firm we are in many ways, a combination of very specialist departments in one firm, able to offer clients a one hundred year heritage, wide geographic coverage, all backed up by well informed, highly trained specialist staff.”
As well as having extensive experience in the construction industry, as a cost consultant and project manager, Len Bunton has been involved in Dispute Resolution for over thirty years and is Past Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
He said: “I am really pleased with the turnout here in the capital. It would appear that industry professionals are indeed very interested to see how our philosophy of assisting them to achieve resolution of any dispute without recourse can help them. We have hit the ground running for sure with the new service.”
“Hardies are the ideal firm to bring this to the UK market because they are a major consultancy with all the requisite in–house skills to support the Dispute Resolution process, “added Len.
With wide experience of negotiation across both sides of the contractual divide, the new Support service can assist in Adjudication and other Dispute Resolution procedures, providing advice on payment and valuation disputes; measurement; interim and final accounts; extension of time, loss and expense; building defects and remedial works; programming, planning and delay analysis; rent review, lease negotiations and related disputes.
Hardies celebrated their 100th anniversary last year and serve clients in both the private and public sectors with a complete operation in property and construction development, including property valuation, building and quantity surveying and project management.
The firm also handles the leasing and sale of commercial and industrial buildings; CDM Co-ordination and the provision of Energy Performance Certificates. Altogether, Hardies employ 100 members of staff, with 58 professionally qualified staff across various disciplines.
Photo shows LEFT TO RIGHT – Mark Kirke of CMS Cameron McKenna who was the guest speaker, Hardies managing partner Derek Ferrier and consultant Len Bunton who is heading up the dispute resolution service
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