Wates FM Grows Higher Education Portfolio With University Of Leeds Appointment

Three Wates FM staff in front of a company van Wates Facilities Management (FM) is expanding its service delivery in higher education having secured a new contract with the University of Leeds.

Building on its ten-year relationship with the university, Wates FM’s new contract will see the team provide building maintenance at the university’s Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) farm and National Pig Centre near Tadcaster.

Work will include planned preventative maintenance, remedial repair work, planned refurbishment and an emergency call out service as part of the reactive maintenance package. The contract will run for an initial year with an optional annual renewal for four years.

The appointment adds to Wates FM’s current portfolio with Leeds University, which also includes a contract at Selside Outdoor Centre and an extensive range of FM services at the Clinical Sciences Building and Brenner Building at St James’ University Hospital.

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Wates FM’s presence in the higher education sector also includes its recent contract renewal with The London School of Economics to deliver planned and responsive maintenance across the university’s 30 campus buildings, seven halls of residence and a 9.5 hectare sports complex.

James Gregg, Managing Director of Wates FM, commented: “Higher education buildings can be highly specialised due their respective field of study and understanding their specific needs is vital to ensuring we deliver a high-quality service. The breadth of our experience with the University of Leeds has enabled us to build trust and create a collaborative relationship, which has been fundamental to the team achieving consistently high standards and we look forward to continuing our relationship with them.”

James Wright, Maintenance Manager, University of Leeds, added: “Following formal commencement of the new University Farm contract in September I have been extremely impressed with the communication and diligence from Wates. The weekly mobilisation update is an excellent way to keep the client informed of progress. I have received nothing but praise from my team regarding the onsite engineers and client support coordinator over the first month of the contract. I hope this contract continues to perform in the same way as the Healthcare Contract.”