Constructing Excellence to merge with BRE

Constructing Excellence has merged with the BRE.

The board of the not-for-profit construction improvement organisation has agreed to the deal but an official announcement is not expected until September.

As part of the deal, the Constructing Excellence (CE) brand will remain but the organisation will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the BRE.

The existing managing structure will also stay the same, with CE’s Don Ward remaining as chief executive.

The merger will also enable CE to establish a Constructing Excellence Foundation under the BRE Trust, which will see profit channelled into research and education for its member companies.

Speaking to Building as the merger was awaiting confirmation, Ward said Constructing Excellence would have more influence as a result of being part of the BRE.

He said: “We can pack a much bigger punch on how to improve the industry. With the horsepower the BRE can bring in, we can get a lot of information more readily available out there.

“There’s a massive case for contractors and developers to change the way they do things. They can be 30% more efficient and make 50% more money, but they’re not prepared to put these things into practice.”

CE itself was the result of the convergence of several related industry initiatives set up to drive improvements in construction in the wake of the 1997 Egan report Rethinking Construction. Its main aim is to help clients and contractors get better value for money through collaboration.

An announcement on the merger had been expected this week but Ward said this had been delayed due to legal reasons.