A.P. Waters Building Contractors Ltd is a family-run construction firm providing high-quality building and maintenance services to clients throughout South Wales. Founded and run by Adrian Waters, the organisation directly employs over 100 staff who work with a variety of clients ranging from individual homeowners to local councils and hospitals.
CORONAVIRUS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
After an initial drop in business at the beginning of the pandemic, A.P. Waters was hired to work for the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to build isolation wards at The Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport. Unfortunately, South Wales suffered badly in the beginning of the pandemic and A.P. Waters was working 7 days a week to build the infrastructure necessary to care for Covid-19 patients. In under a 3-month period the contractor quickly built over 100 isolation units which helped the hospital cope with the intense strain of the pandemic.
A.P. Waters had invested heavily in an in-house manufacturing facility which allowed it to rapidly mobilise and meet the demand of the hospital. Having received the first contract from the health board they were able to begin construction in just 17 hours.
WORKING WITH WHITE OAK
White Oak UK has supported A.P. Waters for nearly four years providing a range of working capital solutions. After using six or seven different banks and non-bank lenders over the years, Adrian Waters says that White Oak UK’s reliable, honest financial support and unrivalled customer service mean that they are always his first point of call when looking for support.
Managing Director of A.P. Water Building Contractors, Adrian Waters:
It’s the personal element of White Oak UK’s service that sets them apart. We have continual contact with our consultant Elizabeth who checks in with us on a regular basis and is always happy to help. With other firms you really have to chase them and it can be a hassle to access finance, but White Oak UK are always ready for our call.
Primarily, White Oak UK has supported A.P. Waters with asset-based lending solutions. This has allowed the company to consistently invest in their business and explore new markets and opportunities. It was White Oak UK’s support that allowed A.P. Waters to develop their own in-house joinery workshop for manufacturing any necessary building materials, and this has positioned A.P. Waters as a uniquely agile construction firm able take advantage of any opportunity.
Similarly, the firm has also began exploring opportunities in sustainable construction by investing in technology that creates concrete from recycled building materials. They recently completed a project to demolish over 1200 local authority owned garages and have managed to recycle 98% of the materials into concrete. A.P. Waters is now looking to further develop their offering in this market and position themselves to grow and expand as the UK looks to recovery in 2021 and beyond.
White Oak UK’s consultants are here to support UK businesses through COVID-19 and beyond. Our team can help you work out your next steps, create a plan of action and provide a gateway into the vital resources, support and initiatives needed to sustain your business.
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