HACKNEY SCHOOL CENTREPIECES UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

February 14, 2012.

REGENERATED HACKNEY SCHOOL CENTREPIECES UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE.

A newly-built school in Hackney, East London, could become a model for schools worldwide when it features in a presentation at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on February 21, 2012.

The Urswick School, in its former life as Hackney Free and Parochial School, was run-down and under-achieving - but since undergoing regeneration under the Building Schools for the Future programme it has not only seen huge improvements in academic and behavioural standards, but has also had a massively positive impact upon the local community.

The Urswick School story will be part of a presentation made by Anthony Coumidis, a director of London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, at the United Nations in Geneva, to more than 400 Public-Private Partnership practitioners from 70 countries.

Anthony’s team were independent certifiers of the project, appointed by the local authority in Hackney and the Building Schools for the Future Local Education Partnership (private sector and local authority JV organisation, Mouchel Babcock Education and Hackney Council), which involved McBains Cooper ensuring the project complied with technical and quality requirements.

“Because of our role we were provided with the opportunity to ensure the project maintained schedule and standards, but it also gave us a fantastic opportunity to chart the before and after aspects,” said Anthony Coumidis.

“We monitored the reconstruction, but we also engaged with the school; what we learnt was that not only did the new school prove inspirational on academic and behavioural levels, it also had a significant and positive impact for the local community, with the new school facilities being used out-of-hours by the local community for everything from choir practice to sports events.

“But the school also became a learning centre for other local schools, with entire classes being walked over to The Urswick School for educational experiences they’d never before experienced in, for instance, science labs.”

Anthony will be chairing the “Transforming Urban and Rural Spaces through PPPs” session.

“Such a presentation and ensuing debate and discussion will highlight what can be achieved to a wide range of representatives of influencing authorities and organisations in dozens of countries,” said Anthony.

“There’s no room for modesty here, because there is great benefit to be gained: British property and construction consultancies are the most advanced in the world when it comes to brokering, driving and delivering PPP projects, so there is a very real chance that The Urswick School could become a model for similar regeneration projects around the world.”

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) Days is the premier global meeting for public sector PPP practitioners. It provides a forum for those charged with developing and implementing PPP programs to share experiences on innovations in

PPP policy, structuring, and financing. The four-day conference brings together PPP practitioners from public sector PPP units and senior PPP executives worldwide to analyze and explore innovative PPP models and key policy issues.

The PPP Days 2012 will take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 21-24 February 2012, and will be jointly hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the World Bank Institute and the Asian

Development Bank.

The event includes two days of presentations and debates among public sector PPP practitioners, managers and experts, followed by a full-day Business Forum open to the private sector. On the fourth day there will be a special session dedicated to case studies, while site visits to operational PPP are also envisaged. An exhibition will also run for the four days.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

@McBainsCooper

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

January 27, 2012.

USE OLYMPICS TO EXPORT BRITAIN’S ENVIED GOLD MEDAL-PERFORMING CONSTRUCTION EXPERTISE.

Stop criticising and talking down our Olympic achievement – some of the strongest economies in the world are watching Britain and considering what we could bring to future games.

That’s the message from international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper which says it winces every time there’s any domestically-generated criticism of London 2012 – because from a design, construction and delivery perspective it has been a gold medal-winning performance by Britain.

McBains, which works on public and private sector projects in the UK, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East, is urging UK government international trade development teams to wave the flag abroad for UK construction and property businesses who have moved heaven, earth and big pieces of east London to deliver one of the most organised games construction plans ever.

“McBains Cooper already has an alliance in Brazil – the venue for the 2016 games - and we’re working in virtually every country or region, bar Japan, which are candidates for the 2020 games. But whether it’s Rio 2016, or candidates in Spain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Turkey or Qatar for 2020, there’s a common murmuring we hear every time the subject comes up,” said Michael Thirkettle, Chief Executive of McBains Cooper.

“And that is that everybody involved in construction, whether in Brazil or the 2020 candidate venues, has commented on the success of the planning and construction of everything London games-related – and more often than not it’s accompanied by some positive reference to the UK construction industry, and its professional advisers and consultancies being the best in the world.

“The fact is that in comparison to any other recent major sporting event – and some recent Olympics - London 2012 construction has run far faster and more efficiently. That has been noted by other countries, and, frankly, because of our reputation, British construction and professional consultancy businesses are amongst the very few who can travel the world to help drive and deliver major projects for other venue cities – the Olympics is a fantastic global shop window for British management expertise, design and construction skills, and that expertise can be exported to make other games equally impressive.

“The Office of Budget Responsibility reckons that a good deal of UK economic growth in 2012 will be down to the Olympics – but we shouldn’t be believing the opportunity ends when the last competitor or spectator leaves through Heathrow’s temporary games terminal: it could be the start.

“Anybody with any ability to export British construction expertise should be hot on the heels of those departing, and selling that expertise to the next successful or candidate Olympic venues.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than �100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Glasgow, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

BILLY CONNOLLY: MADE IN SCOTLAND FROM SCULPTED STEEL BARS, AND HUNG FROM A WEE BUILDING IN ANDERSTON

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

December 14, 2011.

BILLY CONNOLLY: MADE IN SCOTLAND FROM SCULPTED STEEL BARS, AND HUNG FROM A WEE BUILDING IN ANDERSTON.

Billy Connolly sculpture video. http://bit.ly/vLq6eV

Anderston residential project: the challenges video: http://bit.ly/ut0NsJ

Anderston – the next stages, video: http://bit.ly/vxHop5

Links to photos http://bit.ly/vkEhZN

Made in Scotland from girders … not quite, but a sculpture of Big Yin Billy Connolly has been created in metalwork to signal the completion of the first phase of a landmark McBains Cooper project-managed residential housing project in his home town of Anderston, Glasgow.

The sculpture, made from steel bars by renowned north-of-the-border artist Andy Scott, is hung high on an elevation of the first phase to be completed.

And while Glasgow’s most famous son couldn’t make it to the unveiling of a ground level commemorative plaque marking the occasion, a big crowd of locals and media did.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper are project managers on the five phase residential rebuild of Anderston, working with client Sanctuary Housing, and the sculpture of Billy Connolly is high up on the elevation overlooking Glasgow.

Such was the attention to detail during the project as a whole that the team even designed one apartment specifically for the needs of one family, and the gratitude and delight of the residents at that sort of effort - plus the overall finished product – has been clearly signalled by how well kept the whole area is.

“We occasionally get celebrities turning up at launches and openings, but it’ll be nice to drive past the sculpture of the Big Yin every day and be reminded that we played a part in putting Anderston back on the map – after Billy Connolly did it first time round,” said Alan Hannah of McBains Cooper.

The project involves the demolition of a number of 1960s housing blocks in the Glasgow suburb, but has proven to be a massive logistical challenge for the McBains Cooper and Sanctuary teams.

“The key issues here are that the work is going on in amongst a number of schools and nurseries, while also being surrounded by occupied homes – so not only have the logistics of getting into the sites been taxing the grey matter, there has also been the issue of moving families out and into nearby accommodation, and then into the completed Phase One apartment complex,” said Alan Hannah.

“But we know we’ve got it right, firstly because the local residents were surveyed and asked what they wanted and needed in the area – a target we delivered against – but secondly because you don’t have to go far through the area to see how well-kept and looked-after the communal areas are.

“This is one of those incredibly complex but equally incredibly satisfying projects that’s clearly making a vast difference to life in Anderston. And with the Big Yin looking down on us, we wouldn’t dare get it wrong.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

UK EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS "RE-IMPORTED" MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

October 11, 2011.

UK EXPERTISE AND US PACE – BUILD BRITAIN OUT OF DOWNTURN, SAYS NEW MCBAINS COOPER DIRECTOR.

What happens in the USA today has to happen in the UK tomorrow – and nowhere is it more critical than in the property and construction sector.

That’s the considered but urgent view of Richard Fewings, newly-appointed director of London-based international property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, who joins the firm after nine years’ gathered scar tissue working in the fastest, toughest property market in the world – Manhattan, New York.

“My brief at McBains Cooper is cost management and quantity surveying on current and forthcoming major projects in the UK and internationally, and while I was ‘exported’ to the USA because they have immense respect for the expertise and experience of the British construction industry, I’ve ‘re-imported’ myself into the UK and realised just how devastatingly dominant we could be as an international design and construction power if we combined UK expertise with US-style pace and urgency,” said Richard.

“In fact, having been exposed to big projects on both sides of the Atlantic, I believe UK construction and property expertise combined with a bit of Manhattan-level pace could establish Britain as the absolutely dominant source of professional consultancy, worldwide, for generations.

“That may sound a little aloof or ambitious, but UK construction professionals are the best in the world. When you combine that with the aggressive accelerated delivery New York is noted for, it’s a very strong package.”

Richard, who has worked on blue chip office, residential, hotel, retail in the USA – sectors he’ll be focussing on in the UK and internationally - believes that one of the areas where pace and cost management can be improved is by being as demanding on behalf of UK project clients and investors as the most demanding investors in Manhattan - where he was involved in billions of dollars worth of construction projects.

“We have to take every opportunity to squeeze the procurement and delivery process, such as far more frequent progress and co-ordination meetings than is the UK norm, fully exploiting pre-ordering opportunities, and maximising use of overseas suppliers to drive competition,” he said.

“The upside: faster turnover and delivery of projects will further enhance the reputation of UK professionals abroad.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

QUOTES

September 13, 2011.

PLANNING LAWS “ALREADY IN FORCE” – PROPERTY CONSULTANCY MCBAINS COOPER COMMENTS.

Commenting on speculation that future planning laws and guidance are already in force, Mark Leeson, a director of property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper said:

“We should welcome any initiative that speeds up the planning process and encourages sustainable development designed to a high standard. The real problem here, and the one that is causing most concern, is the difference in the timing between the finalisation of the ‘local plans’ and the likely push by developers to secure consent before these are adopted.

“While the idea of creating a local plan in a wholly democratic and consultative way is noble aspiration, it is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. There is no real guidance to local authorities on how to undertake this process.

“The question is who instigates the local plans? Is it the private sector, the local authority – which may no longer have the resources and money to do so - or individuals and groups themselves? In the case of individuals it is difficult to see what would trigger their involvement. Individuals and sometimes groups have historically reacted to proposals and plans rather than created them themselves. If they are to create them themselves, what professional help is available to them to do so, and how would they procure it?

“Of particular concern in relation to achieving sustainable growth is the removal of targets relating to the re-use of brown field sites, and the lack of comment relating to intensification of land usage. The most sustainable developments build on existing infrastructure, reduce the need to travel and encourage internal investment back into existing communities, rather than creating new ones. The lack of focus on this will inevitably mean that some development will be allowed where it should not be, and opportunities to regenerate may be missed.

“In the meantime, the good news for developers is that the ‘presumption’ should mean that providing the criteria are met, and careful consultation at a local level takes place, consent should be easier to secure. In reality, the new policy will inevitably need to be tested through appeal before LAs really start to adopt it, and greater investment will be needed in the LAs planning teams to make this happen.

“I believe an element of ‘privatisation’ of the planning service - as with approved inspectors - should be introduced to allow the private sector to manage the consultation process and prepare and ‘self-validate’ applications to speed up this process, leaving officers to concentrate on the development, in partnership with the private sector, of strategic plans and to carry out the various needs surveys that have been suggested by the draft framework.”

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley

07788 978800 im@pressrelations.co.uk

www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Athens, Lima (Peru), Miami and Mexico, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

May 10, 2010.

NEW GOVERNMENT: RE-THINK “10% RENEWABLES” PLANNING RULES.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper says the next government should look carefully at its planning permission “renewables” policy to prove its true understanding of the issue - and drive down the cost of green energy.

Current planning permission regulations dictate that new-builds must include design and construction features that generate at least 10% of their energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment.

But Anthony Coumidis, Sustainability and Energy Director of McBains Cooper, says that in the vast majority of cases, moving the renewable energy generating equipment away from the building to which it is contributing power will generate even greater efficiencies.

“Investing, say, £250,000 in wind turbines that turn for 50% of the time on a city centre building will not yield as much power per unit of investment compared with an identically-costed development in an area where higher and more consistent wind speeds occur 75% of the time.

“Furthermore, unless the 10% renewables rule is enforced for the life of the building, commercially-challenged building owners will neglect energy generating equipment to the extent that after only a few years it may well have failed completely – but if the farm is centrally owned and maintained, then efficiencies will grow rather than fall.

“We live and learn, or, in our case, we design and help construct and we learn – and we’re learning that there are potentially better and more cost-efficient ways to generate renewable or green energy; and that’s not necessarily down to technology.

“We believe that instead of every new building having to generate 10% of its energy needs from on-site renewable energy equipment, each one should be assessed on its own merits.

“Some new buildings simply do not offer the highest possible return on investment in energy equipment, primarily because of their location.

“Wind speeds in city centres are, on average, far lower than on a coastline, so wind turbines will not run at their optimum, and low-rise buildings constructed in the shadow of bigger buildings may not benefit from efficient solar power generation.

“We would propose that developers take the proportion of budget they would have spent on renewables in a new-build and that it is contributed to a central fund which buys into much bigger and efficient wind, wave or solar power farms.

“This could be viewed as the green efficiency difference between 20 school-run cars and a school bus with its own bus lane. One has 20 build and design costs, and stops and starts – the other has one design cost, an economy-of-scale build cost and runs consistently and efficiently,” said Anthony Coumidis.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

McBains Cooper expands in Latin America

http://www.constructionnewsportal.com/construction_article7097.html

FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

MCBAINS COOPER

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE

March 31, 2010.

FIRST MULTI-MILLION POUND DUAL POLICE AUTHORITY PFI INITIATIVE CLOSED BY MCBAINS COOPER.

Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper, working with the Justice Support Services (JSS) consortium, has secured financial close on a £60m contract to provide six new Police Investigation Centres (PICs) for Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities.

This follows the approval of the final business case by the Home Office.

The JSS Consortium comprises Reliance Secure Task Management Ltd, Kier Project Investment Ltd and Lloyds Banking Group.  Funded largely by central government, the initiative will run for a 30-year term.

The PICs will be located at King’s Lynn, Aylsham, Wymondham, Great Yarmouth, Bury St. Edmunds and Ipswich where they will accommodate custody, detainee processing and administration functions.

Commenting on the complexities of reaching financial close on the first PFI project of its kind, Mark Leeson, director at McBains Cooper said: “This is the first PFI procurement in the police service to have been undertaken jointly by two Police Authorities together.

“It’s great to have secured financial close on such a complex project, especially as we had to liaise concurrently with six different local planning authorities, as well multiple stakeholders and interested parties for the six sites which are dispersed widely over two counties.

“While all the buildings have been designed around a common functional layout to encourage operational efficiency and familiarity for the two forces that will be using them, each building has been sympathetically adapted to meet the particular needs of its location. We have used a ‘kit of parts’ approach to the development of the design, where each site solution has used that kit in a different way to respond to aspects such as access, orientation, colour, existing landscape features, ecological concerns, as well relationships with neighbouring buildings. Each PIC will achieve BREEAM “Very Good” by using ground source heat pumps.”

Three of the developments will comprise 30 cells, two will include 24 cells and one of the buildings is an eight cell development.

Phil Townsend, a director of Justice Support Services said: “These centres will enhance Norfolk and Suffolk Police Authorities’ ability to deliver efficient and effective 21^st century policing to the public, improve the working conditions of the staff, and allow them to optimise operational practices and procedures.”

McBains Cooper is providing a full interdisciplinary service including architecture, structural and civil engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering services as well as CDM, sustainability and cost management to the scheme.

The Police Investigation Centres are due to become operational in 2011.

Ends

Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com

Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com

MCBAINS COOPER


PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANCY

PRESS RELEASE



February 11, 2010.



MCBAINS COOPER GROWS IN MEXICO.



Property and construction consultancy McBains Cooper has opened a third office in Mexico as the business continues to grow ahead of forecast.



London-based McBains Cooper is capitalising on Latin American demand for UK inter-disciplinary infrastructure and property consultancy expertise having been appointed, amongst other projects, as advisers to the Mexican Ministry of Security for the development under a PPP (Public Private Partnership) scheme of 12 prisons.



Monterrey joins Mexico City and Chihuahua as McBains Cooper offices in what is becoming one of the most important developing economies.



Santiago Klein, managing director of McBains Cooper International, says there’s a steady but growing flow of demand for UK construction consultancy expertise in Latin America for both public and private sector related projects with an especially positive forecast for Public Private Partnerships.

However, a growing niche of UK and Europe-based investors are switching interest to Latin America where McBains Cooper’s status as the gateway to the region is proving fruitful for developers and their European sponsors.



“Every region of the world has a different way of going about doing business, and Latin America’s way is a complex mix of who you know, what language you speak and the pedigree of professional expertise. Latin America is dominated by two languages and a deep-seated enthusiasm for UK professionals,” said Santiago Klein.



“We’re a long-established UK company, with on-the-ground presence and local business experience in several Latin American countries – and that makes us of great interest to the decision-makers.



“But crucial to the whole process is the who-you-know: in Latin America the deals are done between businesses and organisations who know and trust one-another, which is fundamental to protecting the integrity of the contract - and a general rule of thumb is that it’s necessary to have an in-depth understanding and business intelligence of the local markets to be successful in the region.



“We have vast experience across Latin America on both inward investment support and PPP bids and contracts – we have a compelling proposition to businesses and organisations inside and outside of Mexico.”



Ends



Further information:

Iain Macauley / Chris Fowler

07788 978800 / 07719 172225

im@pressrelations.co.uk / cf@pressrelations.co.uk www.mcbainscooper.com



Notes.

McBains Cooper

McBains Cooper is an inter-discipline consultancy, specialising in property, infrastructure and construction, offering a wide range of consulting and design services including architectural, aesthetic or technical design, problem solving, budget management, facilities management, health and safety, sustainability consultancy and on-the-ground civil engineering. Driving and supporting projects ranging from minor works to major contracts worth more than £100 million, McBains Cooper operates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK, Europe and Latin America. McBains Cooper is committed to environmental, social and economic sustainable development and their integrated approach means they deliver effective, award-winning solutions to their clients. The Group employs 150 people. McBains Cooper has regional headquarters in London (head office), Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Oxford, Windsor, Lima (Peru) and Mexico City, with associate offices in Belfast and Dublin. www.mcbainscooper.com