Alex - Ground Control Ltd

I lived out there a few years back, and they made the usual demands when entering the country. However, they didnt bother checking my available funds when i got there. That said, its better to have it in your account and not need it than to get to the security gates and be sent back again!

I've lived in Australia and New Zealand but neither of them captured my heart like Canada did. Where abouts were you looking at in each country?

Meeting our clients' contractual requirements and exceeding their expectations is our number one driver. To help us deliver our award winning service, we are always looking for Small Enterprises to become part of our 'Commonwealth'. If you are a nursery, horticultural material supplier, hire company or professional enterprise, with drive, ambition and capability, we want to hear from you. Although a national company with regional management, we still require the ability to rapidly deliver on a local level. If you would like to work in partnership with us, find out more. Send in details about your organisation to [email protected]. Together, we can make a 'World of difference'. With our combined skills, knowledge and resource, we can all look to a bright sustainable future. Opportunities exist in all divisions - Grounds Maintenance, Soft & Hard Landscaping, Construction, Fencing, Tree Surgery and Gritting/Winter Maintenance.

Location: Southern Region and Central Region Position: Landscape Construction Supervisor Salary: Competitive Salary plus bi-annual bonuses and other benefits Background We have an exciting opportunity for two highly motivated, driven, Site Supervisors, in the Southern and Central Regions. We are offering a competitive salary, semi-annual bonuses, company pension, company stock options and other benefits. The Site Supervisor is a key role reporting into the Construction Manager. The purpose of the role is to coordinate and supervise direct and subcontracted labour to ensure that landscape construction projects are completed on time, within budget and to a high quality standard. Roles and Responsibilities •Day to day co-ordination and supervision of direct and sub-contracted staff. •Management and allocation of resources including plant, equipment, vehicles and materials. •Supporting the contract manager/s on a wide range of landscape projects in line with our Health and Safety, Quality and Environmental standards. •Undertake safety and quality inspections and audits. •Client communication and relationship building. •Pricing work. •Completing site inspections and maintaining site records. •Driving outputs and motivating teams. •Ensuring a high standard of work. •Mentoring and coaching of staff. •Produce programmes and schedules of work. •Identify and act on business development opportunities and drive additional works. Requirements The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following: •Practical experience within the landscape construction industry •Supervisory experience •Appropriate CSCS/CPCS competency qualifications •A formal qualification in horticulture (preferred) •Full current driving licence •Understanding of working around and with electricity in accordance to health and safety precautions •Experience of leading teams and or coordinating the work of others •Excellent customer service skills •Results Driven •Excellent organisational, communication and planning skills Interested applicants should apply by sending their CV via the email address in my signature or directly to [email protected]

Location: Reading, East Anglia, Manchester Position: Railway Site Supervisor Salary: Competitive Salary Background We have an exciting opportunity for a Railway Site Supervisor to join a dynamic and fast growing company. We are offering a competitive salary, semi-annual bonuses, company pension, company stock options and other benefits. Roles and Responsibilities The Railway site supervisor will work with the Contract Manager to deliver our vegetation management contracts for Network Rail; supervising and ensuring quality and timely work is completed. This will include the survey of sites to evaluate vegetation clearance work required and managing safe systems of work and resource requirements to ensure work is completed in a safe, cost effective and timely manner. The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following; • Hold or have held Personal Track Safety qualification. • Hold or have held Individual Working Alone qualification. • Hold or have held Controller of Site Safety qualification. • Hold a full, clean UK driving license • Maths and English qualifications at GCSE level or equivalent. • Experience of arboriculture or vegetation management. • Experience of working safely within guidance and legislation. • Experience of leading teams and coordinating the work of others. • Excellent customer service skills • Results Driven • Excellent organisational, communication and planning skills. Any interested candidates should apply by sending their CV to the email address in my signature, or directly to [email protected]

Location: London Position: Regional Contracts Manager Salary: Competitive Salary Background We have an exciting opportunity for a Regional Contracts Manager to join our fast paced Operations Team based within a 5 minute walk of Billericay Station. We are offering a competitive salary, semi-annual bonuses, company pension, company stock options and other benefits. Further advancement within the organisation is expected for the right candidate. Roles and Responsibilities The Contract Manager is at the heart of Ground Control’s business. The role is divided into two key components: delivering consistent maintenance service and acquiring and managing additional business. A Contract Manager’s management of his Field Teams and directly employed staff will be a critical success factor to delivering maintenance work on-time to the specified standard. The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following; • Training Field Teams in "Ways of Working" and expected quality standards. • Daily quality monitoring of Field Teams' work • Performance Management • Recruiting new Field Teams • Direct Management of Directly Employed Staff • Effective customer and client relationships • Providing Management Reports The second key component of the role is ability to price, sell, and manage landscaping work. These works may either be additional work required on sites currently maintained by Ground Control or large landscaping projects implemented as part of a construction project. In order to sell these works, the Contract Manager will have to develop successful working relationships with local client decision-makers: The candidate will ideally have had some, but not necessarily all, of the following experiences before joining: • Two to three years' practical work experience ("on the tools") in landscaping • Two to three years' management experience in a service business (Aboriculture, landscaping, retail, service engineering, etc.) • Further education, ideally in Horticulture • Entrepreneurial experience running his/her own business Interested applicants should apply by sending their CV to the email address in my signature, or directly to [email protected]

Location: South East Position: Utility Arborist Project Manager Salary: Competitive Salary plus bi-annual bonuses and other benefits Background Ground Control have an exciting opportunity for Utility Arborists, Project Managers South East area. We are offering a competitive salary, semi-annual bonuses, company pension, company stock options and other benefits. Roles and Responsibilities The Utility Arborist Project Manager will work in liaison with the Operations Manager to ensure overhead power line arboricultural work is completed within a geographical area utilising a team of operational staff. To ensure work is completed to the highest possible standards in terms of safety, environment, quality, customer service and profitability. The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following; •NPTC Utility Arboriculture Units 1, 2.1, 5.1 and 5.2 •Holds a full, valid driving license •LANTRA Basic or Professional Tree Inspectors Qualification •3-5 years experience in similar job role •Practised and strong negotiation and influencing skills •Ability to prioritise workload and balance demands from numerous sources to ensure that all stakeholder needs are met •Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships •Understanding of working around and with electricity in accordance to health and safety precautions •Experience of leading teams and or coordinating the work of others •Excellent customer service skills •Results Driven •Excellent organisational, communication and planning skills Any potential candidates should send a copy of their current CV to the email in my signature, or directly to [email protected]

Location: Billericay, Essex Position: Operational/Maintenance Director Salary: Competitive Salary + bonuses, stock options and company car Background Ground Control require a dynamic and highly commercial Director to join and lead our Grounds Maintenance Division. Focused on delivering outstanding customer service, this is an exciting customer facing role leading and developing a significant growth area within a £70 million forward-thinking company with excellent career prospects, including equity participation. This position benefits from an attractive basic salary plus flexible benefits including semi-annual bonuses, stock options, pension scheme and company car. There is the opportunity for significant career progression within the company. Roles and Responsibilities Reporting to the Managing Director, the Director contributes to the growth of our Grounds Maintenance business and ensures that we exceed our client’s expectations on safety, quality and operational delivery and act as a standard bearer and ambassador for the Ground Control brand. The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal skills and be capable of working to tight deadlines. With strong organisational skills and the ability to follow through multiple client and internal actions, the candidate will thrive on pressure and problem solving and ensuring that Ground Control consistently exceeds its customer’s expectations. Most importantly, the candidate will be a strong listener, ensuring that customer concerns are resolved in a timely and satisfactory manner. The candidate will ideally have some, but not necessarily all, of the following; •5 years’ experience in operational leadership in a directly customer facing role •Previous experience in the Facility Management (FM) or Utility industries (Electric, Gas, Water, Telecoms) •Experienced in effectively leading diverse teams through others •Experience of running accounts with a minimum annual value of £20 million •Experience of managing profit and loss account(s) •Degree educated or relevant experience in lieu •Experience in engaging and motivating colleagues at all levels •Ability and desire to lead this business to market dominance to a minimum of £60 million of turnover within five years Any interested applicants should send their CV to the email address in my signature, or directly to [email protected]

Hi Dan, Welcome aboard... I'd like to offer some tips and tricks for getting by here, but i'm still wet behind the ears myself!

We've got a bunch at work getting involved; Movember United Kingdom - Team

BBC News - Attempts to save old giant oak tree in Southgate Tree surgeons are working to save one of London's oldest trees from dying. The giant oak in Southgate was already 300 years old when when Henry VIII was King of England but now the tree has begun to subside and decay internally.

NO!

Well it didnt disappoint, did it?!

Well, you were coming at him from a funny angle!

I saw the snips of Crutchlow out on his new ride. They should keep it matt black!

Correct. Though, its a little misleading. I've got BT broadband but i can only watch BT Sport online through the app or website. To watch it through my TV i would still have to subscribe (or via AppleTV).

WIth BT Sports buying up rights to everything, i wouldnt be surprised to see it on there soon. They've got some ambitious plans, but seem to be breaking down Sky Sports' monopoly slowly but surely!

Lorenzo won more races than Marquez did, and closed a 26 point gap to just 4 points despite riding with a broken collarbone for 2 months! His riding abilities are second-to-none. Aprilia will be back in 2016 as a factory ride, too. I'm going to stick my neck out and say that Crutchlow will do ok on the Ducati. Brits and Aussies tend to do ok on their bikes, for some reason.

Whats the Er6-f like? What year is it? I really like my GPZ500s, but its a bit dated now. Was looking at getting the er6-n as a replacement, but since i've started riding bigger bikes i'm not sure i can go back!

The colour is irrelevant. It's still a Fiat 500!

So what do you do for work now? Own business?

Thats exactly how i feel here at Ground Control. Even though i'm in the office rather than in the field, i can see that every employee is genuinely appreciated. I've worked for MASSIVE international companies ($1.1 billion net assets globally) where people dont even know you exist unless you screw up, and for small family-run companies where i was expected to work well into the night for little to no recognition. GC seems to be the balancing point where you're recognised and rewarded for hard work, and theres plenty of avenues to progress my career, too. God, i sound like such a brown-nose.

I've got some Scorpion cans on it at the moment, but that may well change. The exhaust system was damaged when the woman hit me, so i might have to revert to stock; or upgrade to some really noisy high-pipes! Yeah this one has been treated really well by the previous guy - apart from some botched job on the front fairing. The fool put on some high handlebars and had to cut the edges around the windscreen to get any sort of clearance!

Exactly. Why charge more for a non-hazard? Next thing you'll have your guys demanding more money for domestic driveways in case they get run over!

I've got a couple of bikes. An old Kawasaki GPZ500s which has probably spent more time on its side than upright, and a '98 Honda Firestorm. Though someone went into me on a roundabout recently (and drove off!) so I'm on a courtesy bike for the moment - a 1250 Bandit!