Projects & News - WSP Group

Solutions JuneProjects & News2009CONTENTS02 Risk-free whisky04 World Cup Kick Off06 Placing a priceon your footprint08 Platform for improvement10 The Obama effect11 Scents of time11 Work starts on the Shard12 MilestonesFront Cover: Laurie Chetwood’s winninggarden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.Editor: Bridget Kennerley,WSP Group Communicationsbridget.kennerley@wspgroup.comAssociate Editor: Carrie Bridgwood,WSP Group Communicationscarrie.bridgwood@wspgroup.comDesigned and printed byrhc visual strategy www.rhc.uk.comIn these difficult timesit’s very pleasing to readabout the many positiveactivities going on in WSP,and in particular a numberof features that point to thebenefits of our long-termstrategy of diversification intomarkets, sectors and regions.Opposite you can read about two industrialprojects we are delivering to two whiskymanufacturers in Scotland and, believeit or not, Sweden! These illustrate our expandingand increasingly diverse global industrial sectorthat we have been successfully developinginto an important core division with activitiesin Scandinavia and South Africa, and morerecently complemented by the acquisitionof CEL International in 2007.We’re also increasing our presence in the railsector, building on the existing strong platformof WSP Sweden with significant recent progressin the UK. Here we’ve been appointed to somehigh profile station refurbishments, as describedin our special feature on P8, which also describesan award-winning station project in Australia.In addition, we hope to participate in the futuredevelopment of Crossrail.Regional diversity is also proving to be anadvantage, with strength in countries lessaffected by the downturn balancing the problemsexperienced in more difficult markets. For example,Andrew Mather, MD of WSP Africa, describeson P4 how his country has, to date, beenrelatively protected from the global downturn,as well as benefiting from investment in theregion’s infrastructure, stadiums and tourismin preparation for next year’s FIFA World Cup.This edition of Solutions also celebrates diversityon a very local scale, with two contrasting projects– the Shard of Glass, now under construction,and the small but technically demandingstructure for an award-winning garden forthe 2009 RHS Chelsea Flower show – showcasingthe wide-ranging skills of our London structuralengineers working on two very different schemes.I believe it is this diversification of skills,sectors and geographies, together with yourcommitted support, that will ensure we continueto be a successful company through therecession and well positioned for the upturn.Chris Cole CEO, WSP Group plcRisk-free02