Lawrence Ashton

Lawrence Ashton, Project Manager at Balfour, describes his company's involvement in the redevelopment of the south bank area as "very important" and admits the project is incredibly significant to the company.Balfour Kilpatrick has been specifically involved in the development of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts which, Lawrence explains, was once a flour mill devastated by fire during the 1980s.Its survival was secured by local councillors who were determined to preserve the unique brick structure.

During construction, Lawrence says Balfour Kilpatrick relied heavily on Wilo Salmson pumps and booster sets for the provision of a range of building services including low-pressure hot water, domestic water, and chilled water.He describes the reliable operation of the monobloc-construction pumps as vital to the success of the arts centre.He says: "The pumps are the lifeblood of the centre.
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Balfour Kilpatrick, Lawrence explains, employed a variety of speed-controlled, circulating pumps but specifically allocated Wilo Salmson a contract because the company was able to meet the unique specifications of the project, delivery timetable and price restrictions.Referring to the tender selection process, Lawrence says: "It was fairly easy; Wilo Salmson is one of our ‘preferred suppliers' and is always on our quality-assured list."

The particular specifications of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts called for easy maintainence, quiet operation and low running costs which meant the range of suitable pumps was limited.Lawrence explains, after considering numerous submissions by a variety of pump manufacturers, it became clear that only one could meet the requirements of the project.He says: "The Wilo Salmson equipment suited what we needed - they fitted in with our design."

Thanks to Balfour's long-standing record, ability to resource multi-million pound projects and proven track record with main contractors, Lawrence says there will be no shortage of work for the foreseeable future.He admits: "We're always on the lookout for pumps, and when we put a job out for tender, we always make sure Wilo Salmson is on our list."

Set to accommodate 600 staff members, the new Inland Revenue office development is being co-ordinated by Lawrence Ashton, ABB's site-based project manager.He explained that Wilo's reputation for quality of service was a significant factor in winning the contract.
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"Everything's got to be built so quickly these days, as a result, we usually need equipment yesterday," Lawrence explained.

These time pressures, Lawrence concluded, were an important factor in the commercial and engineering decision to select Wilo as the project's pump and pressurisation unit supplier.