NEC Group awards new facilities management contract
THE NEC Group has selected one of the world’s leading service providers to deliver major facilities management services across its venues.
The appointment of OCS Group UK to deliver the ‘soft services’ contracts follows a review of the group’s facility management requirements.
The services include security and event stewarding, traffic and car park management, portering, cleaning, waste management, and helpdesk services.
The group said the selection of OCS would ensure the delivery of soft services facilities management remained cost effective across the group’s various sites, which also include the ICC and National Indoor Arena.
As part of previous partnerships, some NEC Group staff members transferred from the group to facility management companies. With the new contract, around 670 staff have been transferred under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations) to OCS.
The group said the transfer had been subject to a consultation process. The casual workforce has also been given the opportunity to register their interest in continuing on a similar basis with OCS.
John Hornby, COO of the NEC Group, said: “This major new soft services contract will greatly assist the NEC Group in retaining its position as a leading venue management company in what is a highly competitive market, both in the UK and internationally.
“OCS operates globally and understands the services and the people at every level of our industry. The bid process has demonstrated that OCS can deliver an innovative and efficient approach to the delivery of soft services across the NEC Group and we look forward to our alliance with them.”
Martin Gammon, Managing Director for OCS Group UK Ltd, added: “This contract award demonstrates our capability as a service provider to major exhibition, conferencing, leisure and sporting venues. As well as delivering our services to meet the aspirations of the NEC Group, we will be implementing over 130 innovations during the life of the contract.”
This includes a dedicated OCS Academy that is aimed at attracting, recruiting, training and retaining more than 2,000 OCS employees. Another key initiative is the proposal to deliver zero waste-to-landfill from day one.
