News Categories | TwinFM Facilities Management News & Events

3rd July 2026

Welcome to this week’s Grapevine, the place to get your bitesize FM updates in one place, in a handy five-minute read.

Got a story for us? Please send news stories & press releases to: newsdesk@twinfm.com

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Excellerate Services UK & Ireland has announced that Nick Rastelli and Justin Moore are appointed Joint Chief Executives, effective 1 July 2026. This structure addresses the scale of the business across 7,000 sites; Nick will lead sales, client relationships, and operations, while Justin will oversee technology, finance, and the Service Centre.

Johan Venter, who led the business for three and a half years, transitions to a new role as Chairman for the UK, Ireland, and UAE. This follows the retirement of Harvey Soning, who served as Chairman for nine years and will remain a Board Member until December 2026.

Trevor Grote, Managing Director of BELL Lighting, has been appointed President of The Lighting Industry Association (The LIA), the UK's largest trade body for the lighting industry and its supply chain.

Representing more than 170 member organisations with a combined turnover of £1.6bn, The LIA champions compliance, sustainability, education and industry standards. Trevor's appointment recognises his longstanding leadership in the sector and places him at the forefront of shaping the future of UK lighting.

Social enterprise and security specialist Corps Security has promoted Eren Stirling to Sales & Marketing Director following his role in driving business growth since joining the company in 2019.

Stirling will lead the sales and marketing function, focusing on brand development, new client relationships and expanding into new market sectors. He will also help embed Corps' integrated security model, bringing together security guarding, remote monitoring, and intelligence, risk and consultancy services to deliver tailored, end-to-end security solutions.

Kier has appointed Dan Andrews as Director of Kier Places Workplace Solutions, strengthening its facilities management and technical services offer across the UK.

Andrews joins from CBRE’s Global Workplace Solutions division, where he was Executive Director leading multi-disciplinary FM operations, including hard and soft services, projects and ESG. He will focus on driving service excellence, investing in technology and people, and helping clients optimise the performance of their built environments.

Part of Kier Group, Kier Places manages more than 3,500 buildings and client assets across sectors including justice, government, healthcare, education and local authorities. Its services include hard and soft FM, mechanical and electrical engineering, planned and reactive maintenance, compliance, decarbonisation, fire and water safety, security, cleaning, grounds maintenance and 24/7 customer support.

Barclays and Canary Wharf Group announced that Barclays has acquired a long-term leasehold interest¹ in its global headquarters at One Churchill Place from CWG.

The transaction secures Barclays’ control of its global headquarters beyond the current lease term, which runs to 2039, while providing greater certainty over long-term occupancy costs. The transaction values the acquired leasehold interest at £750 million and is expected to be broadly neutral to Barclays Group’s CET1 ratio and earnings^.

The acquisition also supports Barclays’ ongoing investment in its workplace, enabling the creation of high-quality, flexible space for colleagues as working patterns and business needs continue to evolve. The building provides over 1 million sq ft of workspace and has served as Barclays’ global headquarters since 2005.

Hot on the heels of the Barclays news, PwC UK has selected Canary Wharf as the location for its new London office.

Starting in 2030, PwC will occupy 350,000 sq ft of office space at One Eden. This move serves as a major endorsement of Canary Wharf as one of Europe’s most connected and dynamic mixed-use districts.

It is also a significant vote of confidence in One Eden, a next-generation workplace providing over 580,000 sq ft of workspace designed with a focus on quality, flexibility, sustainability, and experience.

In life sciences, acquisitions are a routine path to innovation, but corporate real estate (CRE) is often overlooked.

Each biotech deal adds facilities, laboratories, leases, workplace services and operating systems that must be absorbed into the parent organisation. If left unmanaged, these assets can create disconnected sites, add complexity, reduce visibility and increase risk.

This article from CBRE argues that CRE should be treated as a strategic enabler of post-acquisition value creation, not just an operational support function. It presents a practical, repeatable integration playbook for serial life sciences acquirers that preserves scientific momentum while making acquired businesses governable, compliant and aligned with enterprise standards – read the article here

The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has published Pensions in a Warming World, warning that climate change is becoming a defining factor in pension outcomes, funding strategies and retirement security.

The report argues climate change is now a financial and governance issue that will affect investment returns, inflation, employer covenant strength, insurance markets and long-term pension savings. It says UK pension schemes, managing trillions of pounds in assets, cannot diversify away from climate risk.

Examining different climate scenarios across Defined Benefit, Defined Contribution, Collective Defined Contribution and public sector schemes, the report concludes that while climate risks remain uncertain, the cost of inaction is increasingly clear.

Key findings include the financial materiality of climate risk, greater exposure to market volatility and economic disruption from delayed action, growing physical impacts on insurance and infrastructure, and increasing governance challenges. The SPP says effective climate governance is now essential to prudent long-term pension management.

The guide is available to all, in full, for free, here: https://the-spp.co.uk/document-category/guides-and-reports/

Maintenance costs, as measured by the BCIS All-in Maintenance Cost Indices, are set to rise by 15.7% over the five years to 1Q2031, according to the latest forecast data from the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS).

Cleaning costs are expected to rise by 29.1% over the same period, driven primarily by labour costs, while energy costs are forecast to fall by around 10% between 2026 and 2031 - though the near-term outlook is considerably more volatile.

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: 'The facilities management sector is navigating one of the more complex cost environments we have seen in recent years. R&M output is growing, which reflects genuine underlying demand - regulatory pressures, ageing assets and sustainability requirements are all driving activity - but that growth is happening against a backdrop of costs that continue to rise faster than many organisations have budgeted for.'

R&M output is forecast to grow by 7.7% over the forecast period, with growth of 1.0% expected in 2026.

Dr Crosthwaite added: 'Labour is the dominant pressure. Wage growth combined with the National Insurance changes introduced in 2025 has pushed maintenance and cleaning costs higher, and while we expect some moderation, costs will remain on an upward trajectory throughout the forecast period.

'Energy is the most unpredictable element of the outlook. The overall forecast points downward, but the near-term volatility - driven largely by the situation in the Middle East - means organisations need to plan for uncertainty rather than assume a smooth path to lower costs.'

For more information about BCIS, please visit: www.bcis.co.uk

Churchill Group has welcomed, specialist commercial cleaning provider, Principle, into its business. Principle will merge with Churchill's Portfolio division, with the Principle brand retained while Portfolio transitions into it over the coming months.

The move brings together two employee-owned organisations with shared values around people, service quality and long-term client relationships, strengthening Churchill's specialist cleaning offering across London under a single brand.

The integration combines Principle's expertise in landmark buildings with Churchill's innovation, technology and social impact programmes, creating enhanced services for clients while expanding opportunities for employees.

Axis CLC, a national provider of essential property compliance and maintenance services, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Fieldway Group Limited, a specialist provider of fire safety and compliance services since 1999.

This acquisition strengthens the company’s fire risk assessment and active fire capabilities while expanding their presence in North West England, where Fieldway operates in the social housing, healthcare, and education sectors. Fieldway will continue to operate under its existing brand, with Managing Director Tony Carden and his management team remaining in place to drive future growth.

PTSG has launched a nationwide recruitment campaign to identify and develop the next generation of engineering and technical talent.

The group plans to recruit up to 50 apprentices annually across its UK operations, with the goal of having 150 apprentices enrolled within three years. This initiative represents the most ambitious investment in talent development in the Group's history and builds on PTSG’s established commitment to technical training.

Supported by the new PTSG Centre of Excellence launching this month, the programme will provide young people with the skills, qualifications, and practical experience necessary for careers in modern engineering, compliance, and specialist services.

PTSG is now encouraging schools, colleges, parents, careers advisers, customers, colleagues and community organisations to help identify candidates for the Class of 2026.

For more information visit www.ptsg.co.uk/build-your-future-here

Legrand UK & Ireland is offering free commissioning services to anyone purchasing CP Electronics lighting control systems for an education building this summer.

Available until the end of 2026, this initiative is designed to help facilities managers achieve compliance with CIBSE recommendations within limited budgets. According to CIBSE Guide M, comprehensive documentation and certification are essential to verify the suitability of a system's design.

Because commissioning can take several days depending on the facility size, this offer helps reduce overall project costs, allowing for budget allocation toward other necessary upgrades. Free commissioning applies to any CP Electronics lighting control system installed in education buildings, such as schools.

When providing a quote, Legrand will calculate the required commissioning days and apply them to the part code at no charge.

The entry deadline for the BESA Industry Awards is midnight on Friday, July 10th. Entry is free, and you are welcome to submit multiple entries across 19 categories.

The BESA Awards recognise individuals, teams, and companies that demonstrate excellence in building services engineering through innovative projects, products, and initiatives.

Winners will be announced at the BESA Industry Awards dinner on October 22nd at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London.

And finally, we look forward to welcoming our sponsors and guests to our popular Facilities Industry Annual Summer River Boat Party on Thursday, July 9th, 2026.

We expect 400 industry professionals to join us for an unforgettable evening of quality networking and hospitality on the River Thames.

Headline Sponsor: MS Webb & Co

Badges & Lanyard Sponsor: YorPower

Entertainment Sponsor: KGN Pillinger

Pre-Boarding Drinks Sponsor: GardenStyle

Supporting Sponsors: Ability Facilities Management, AccuGRIT, CBW Staffing Solutions, Core Facilities Services, Elecplumb, First Choice Drainage Solutions, Invida, OMGC, PTSG, Sunbelt Rentals UK, The Hire Partner, TÜV SÜD, Westbury FM, Workwave

Table Owners & Registered Guests: 3Way Cleaning, ABM UK, Acumen FM, Affinity FM, Apex Lifts, Aqua Protec, Avalon Pro, B&R BARS, BBGG, Capcon Engineering, Catch 22, Cheeky Panda, City Electrical Factors, Cleaner Direct, Cleanology, Collabit Software, CoSourced, Crazy Goat, CYS Security, Edmundson Electrical, Emerald Lifts, Envirotech Energy, Facilio, HMAC Ventilation, HOSS Engineering, HSBC, HSS ProService, HVAC Recruitment, IWFM Veterans, Jayserv Mechanical & Electrical, Jones FM, KEM Pumps, Leaksafe, LooLogIQ, Maintenance Supplies, Matrix Industries, MML, NGB Clean, NRF Solutions, Natinwide Door Services, OBS Lighting Consultants, Oracle Managed Services, Orion Eco Solutions, Orpen Design Solutions, Penguin FM, PFS Group, Precision Marketing Group, Prolec Solutions, Rexel, SEE Services, Senseco, SINGU, SLM Waste, Smart Source Savings, SmartSec Solutions, Stonebridge FM, Strata Services Group, TechniFire Solutions, TestUK, Unite Lift Services, Warm Spark Building Services, Yesss Electrical, Zerix Technologies

Will you be joining them?