CPA unveil strategic objectives and new logo

John Sinfield, the Construction Products Association (CPA) Chairman has revealed the CPA’s strategic objectives for 2016 and a new logo.

Speaking at the CPA’s annual Spring Lunch, which was attended by 500 senior industry leaders and government officials, Mr Sinfield, Managing Director of Knauf Insulation for Northern Europe, outlined three strategic objectives for 2016: increasing recognition for the Industry; growing the market; and reducing regulatory risk.

Mr Sinfield said that the first job of the CPA was to be the “voice” of the construction industry and had a “clear mandate” from its members and a responsibility to increase recognition for the sector and its businesses.

He described the CPA as the “first point of contact for politicians, civil servants and the media” looking for guidance about policies that impact construction companies and the wider construction supply chain.

He said: “While we may not be as sexy as the makers of F1 cars or the latest fighter jet, manufacturers of construction products are just as innovative and employ more people in the UK than automotive and aerospace manufacturers combined.

“To the government’s credit, they have been willing to listen to us and their support, for example, of the Construction Leadership Council bodes well for a productive working relationship with the construction supply chain.”

Mr Sinfield said that the CPA’s ambition to grow the market for its members’ construction companies had been met with scepticism in some quarters but he expressed confidence that the Association could achieve this target.

This could be achieved through raising awareness of the areas vital to the industry’s success. He said: “Probably the most obvious examples of this are the economic forecasts and surveys, for which the CPA is so highly regarded.  Our members tell us that this information is indispensable to business development and strategies, offering highly accurate insight into market data, growth opportunities and risks.”

In an effort to combat the skills shortage impacting the industry, the CPA has begun a pilot project in collaboration with the CITB and small number of CPA member companies to place “product-user training’ on a more formal standing with nationally recognised qualifications.

Mr Sinfield said that the digitalisation of the construction industry would also be a crucial area in determining growth in the sector, following on the from BIM Level 2 government mandate that came into force at the beginning of April. He said: “The CPA has been leading on behalf of manufacturers and distributors to prepare for this, and we are now working to develop the next steps to BIM Level 3.  We lobbied hard for government’s continued support to Level 3, and so were very pleased to see the recent Budget commitment; while the £15 million investment may seem slight in quantity the signal it sends to industry is in fact strong and appreciated.

“But more broadly, digitalisation, with its demand for collaboration and innovation, plays to our strengths as an industry.  As the year progresses, you will hear more about some potentially game-changing developments which the CPA is driving, including Project Data Templates and Digital Object Identifiers.”

The third major strategy highlighted at the CPA Spring Lunch by Mr Sinfield was reducing regulatory risk. He said: “Not long ago the CPA published a report which studied the factors underpinning investment in our industry.  Our research identified 132 current and pending UK and EU policies and regulations impacting our business, not even counting health and safety, human resources, finance or transportation.

“The sheer number and complexity of these policies and regulations is a risk in itself to business.  Added to this are the growing complications arising from the need to harmonise regulations both with the EU and the increasingly influential devolved regions in the UK.

“This is another area where, I believe, the CPA really delivers, though it is not always obvious.  Again, a tremendous amount of work is done behind the scenes, day in, day out.  Protecting our members’ interests.  Minimising barriers to doing business and seeking opportunities in the way new regulations are set out.  Most importantly though, we try to ensure policies are effective, clearly defined, consistent and have a long-term future.”

The CPA’s logo change is the first in over a decade and is seen as reflective of the realignment of the Association’s targets and approach. Mr Sinfield said: “The change is more than skin deep as there has been significant effort put in behind the scenes to rethink and refocus the CPA’s objectives and strategy.  More than ever these are clearly centred on responding to the needs of you, the members, and helping your business to succeed.”

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