SparksCW Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Is anyone else in the construction industry? electrical contractors?? Anyone suffering or is there work out there hiding away somewhere? Things have picked up this week but I'm struggling to find enough work for one sparks let alone our 16 staff. No point to the thread just ranting and wondered if anyone is in the same boat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I'm not personally but a lot out our customers are.........I think it depends where you live and how hard the recession has bitten in that area. Aside from sparks I know a car 'Smart Repairer'.........one week he's got £500 of work - another he's literally home all week. Another bloke is a kitchen fitter but he's scratching round for work. Plumbers on the other hand still seem to be near to impossible to get hold of! Carla's mums fella is a tiler and he's busy all the time - turning work down in some instances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Tenders are coming in at much lower prices ... most Contractors are buying work just to cover costs ... it's obviously very competitive out there so try to hang on in and wait for good times ....... or go to Oz asap and get set up there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350 Russ Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I'm a plumbing contractor and have work at the moment but I don't know how much longer on this site as it's full of eastern Europeans who are s***, also tools are starting to be stolen from site so I might start looking around. the money is terrible, I'm earning what I was when I finished my apprenticeship 4 years ago just to stay in work, and there are w****** bosses like the groundworkers on site who refuse to employs English or Irish now because they are too expensive despite the fact he has just bought 10 brand new diggers and has a brand new Lexus 4x4 on his drive. prick! rant over but yes there is little out there and what there is, is for crap money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Work for man and dog in the wind industry, can't get enough service and support staff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparksCW Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Tenders are coming in at much lower prices ... most Contractors are buying work just to cover costs ... it's obviously very competitive out there so try to hang on in and wait for good times ....... or go to Oz asap and get set up there We recently lost a tender as one big name contractor came in £40k less than us somehow. And we're consistantly the cheapest/cheapest few yet the main contractors are making deals with other contractors to match our prices and because they do the mechanical as well they're winning the job over us, its ridiculous. Domestic market is rather quiet too, I think people are only spending on what they have to and for some reason electrics get ignored most the time! As there are few big projects out there the big names are now in our SME market and as you say they're buying the jobs which is a pain in the backside. We're going to stick it out I think we'll be okay overall provided the market does pick back up in the next year or so, but we're not making much money so often wonder why we bother! I might personaly lose my job as has been threatened this week (family company) but who knows. What made you say about Oz? Is the grass greener over there? I've often considered it but never had the balls to do it and not sure I can/would at the minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparksCW Posted May 6, 2011 Author Share Posted May 6, 2011 Work for man and dog in the wind industry, can't get enough service and support staff! As in renewable energies? We've looked into going into solar photovoltaic but it's so bloody expensive to get set up in and I can't convince someone to spend £15k on their house when, in their own words, "tesco/asda/b&Q will fit it for free and I get free electricity" most are oblivious to the fact they lose out on the FIT and only benefit from the free leccy if they're about during the days. I think renewables are a very important part and the way forward, but it just seems so hard to set up in if you haven't got loads of cash to flash on training and marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATTAK Z Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 We're going to stick it out I think we'll be okay overall provided the market does pick back up in the next year or so, but we're not making much money so often wonder why we bother! /quote] Stick to your guns on prices ... anyone can go in lower than cost and the next thing you know, they've gone bust What made you say about Oz? Is the grass greener over there? I've often considered it but never had the balls to do it and not sure I can/would at the minute. Australia seems to be doing better than the rest of the developed countries, USA, Europe, etc.; the Oz $ is running at about 1.5 at the moment ..... last year it was 1.75 and the year before that 2.0 to the £ . It's recently overtaken the USA $ which currently stands at 1.64 to the £. My son is in Oz working for Ford as a design engineer, and a few friends have sons/daughters working over there; all doing well after going over during the current recession. The country has lots of resources (uranium, metal ores etc.) and the Chinese want them, so I guess that's why they're doing better than most. If I was a young man again I would certainly look into it. Get your other half on a hairdressing course, they're in big demand too. (no offence to your other half if she doesn't fancy hairdressing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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