It is a pleasure to share with you all some good news, and which I do hope you will recognise as another step forward on our post-pandemic road to recovery and in ensuring the longevity of Jenner.
From 1st August 2023 Reina Group has officially joined Jenner Group as a subsidiary business to further strengthen our newly collective group of companies. This decision represents an unrelenting determination to safeguard our business by ensuring we are well-positioned and armed with the innovative mindset and essential skills needed to create a more sustainable future.
As most of you will know, our trusted working relationship with Reina spans over 20 years as one of our most prominent, longstanding supply-chain partners delivering the vast majority of plumbing and heating contracts. The strategic decision was taken to further bond these already strong links between the businesses, and to ensure we continue to build effectively and efficiently whilst optimising the opportunities created by significant industry changes to regulation and compliance.
The joining of companies was sealed with a firm handshake between Ricky and myself outside Shoreline Crescent Folkestone – positioned in front of one our most iconic builds, representing another monumental milestone in the history of Jenner.
Some of the longer-serving members of the team might remember how relations first commenced back in 2003, when Nick Barnes and I awarded Reina their first-ever contract to deliver new sanitaryware and rainwater goods to a residential project named East and West Close in Margate. Both our businesses have certainly grown since, strengthened and diversified, together delivering a myriad of projects across Kent and Sussex and all to the highest standards of quality and service.
The incredibly difficult trading conditions experienced over recent years and that continue to blight us and the entire construction industry, compelled us to think differently and adapt to overcome such volatility and prompted essential change, which was the catalyst behind the acquisition. In engaging with such a highly reputable Mechanical contractor, it is the unequivocal belief that together we are stronger. The enhanced knowledge and expertise this now brings to the business, and that we can share with our clients, will continue to strengthen the Jenner brand and drive efficiency into the way we design and build.
Whilst Reina Group will continue to operate as a separate business entity run by the current Board of Directors Ricky Reina, Chris Smith and Louise Moon, they will now be joined by myself, Geoff Crouch and Matt Weston to help steer the business forwards. Whilst Reina will benefit from the immediate support and guidance that our Jenner team can offer, in turn, Reina will allow us to build efficiently, with decarbonisation firmly embedded in our service offering and sustainability at the heart of our business ethos.
With the latest changes to Building Regulations now in full force, most prominently to ‘Part L’ to ensure better energy performance and a substantial reduction in carbon emissions by 31% the joining of businesses is incredibly well-timed to ensure ongoing compliance and a proactive approach. The Reina Group are at the forefront of renewable heat pump design and installations and having achieved MCS approved installer status for heat pump installations are now considered one of the leading installers of heat pumps in Kent and across the South East.
With further changes to building regulations looming in coming years, demanding a considerable 75-80% reduction as part of the drive towards the Future Homes Standard in 2025, and the necessity to ensure an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating at ‘C’ as a minimal standard on all homes by 2030, it was vital that we were prepared and ready to respond.
It is the intention that Reina will continue to deliver the majority of our mechanical requirements for our main contracts, whilst securing new external clients to further boost their workload pipeline. Alongside this we envisage that they will work particularly closely with Park Farm Construction to deliver domestic and smaller commercial projects and capitalise on the growing retrofit market too.
I absolutely believe this is the right decision as we continue to explore business efficiencies and ways to enhance and strengthen Jenner for the future. I do hope you will join me in warmly welcoming Ricky and his team (who will be based above Park Farm Joinery) to the Jenner family. Rickey’s positivity, enthusiasm and absolute zest for life combined with his immense knowledge and expertise will undoubtedly have a hugely positive impact upon us all and I am personally very excited to be working directly with him to move both our business forwards, and overturn the immense obstacles that have been placed before us in recent years.
If you do have any questions that you wish to address, please do not hesitate to speak with myself or one of my Co-Directors.
Martin Sandall