Testimonials

Building a strong membership of small companies

Testimonial By Steve Southern of Southern Projects

What is your company’s name and main business?

I am Steve Southern, Director of Southern Projects Ltd. We provide project management, cost consultancy and quantity surveying services to clients both within the construction industry and beyond. We are a small practice which offers a flexible and tailored service to our clients.

When did you join the JeCC?

I joined the JeCC when it was founded in 2004. I sit on the Main Board and on the Membership and Communications Committee.

Why did you join and what do you feel are the benefits of membership?

I joined because I felt that the principle behind the council was, and is, a good one. This is an ‘across the board’, pan-industry association and I do like the increased opportunities this creates to support our Industry rather than may be provided by a body that represents a sole element of the industry.

The council’s ability to represent a number of professions and trades means that it has a far greater reach and can bring broader benefits. As an organisation, this means that it can stand up and provide a stronger more representative front not only with the States but also outside of the Island.

It also offers all its members an extended networking opportunity that might not exist otherwise, especially for smaller companies.

As the owner of a small company, active membership gives me the ability to have a real impact on changes and put across the views of the small operator in a wider forum. It enables me to be in the front line of decisions that are made for the benefit of the industry.

Is membership relevant for small companies?

One of the things that I have been trying to put forward as a member of the Council’s committees is the importance of smaller companies to the industry and to the island economy as a whole. The Council gives the ability to ensure that their voice is heard and their value recognised.

We have been making great strides in this and we are definitely heading in the right direction. As well as representation to the States on many issues, the Jersey Construction Awards also increasingly recognises the efforts of small companies and individuals who have had an impact on the industry and the community.

Why is the JeCC an important organisation for the industry?

I think it is important for the Island industry to have a recognised and respected representative to allow it to stand up as an entity and have its voice heard. As an Industry we are trying to strive for excellence in the work we undertake and to this end the council is taking steps to achieve this through education, promotion of its many elements and not least by virtue of its fully accountable membership of professional organisations and individuals who are more than capable of meeting the challenges of its clients. The council has a key and pivotal role in promoting the Industry particularly with the current issues facing it both in respect of the Island economy and in regard to the Global pressures on it.

It is really important that small companies understand the benefit of joining and taking an active part in the running of the JeCC. If we are going to answer the needs of all sectors of the economy, provide a current and relevant service to meet our clients needs, we need to represent ourselves in all forums and to do that effectively we need people who are willing not just to join but to be involved.