Landlord and contractor team up to deliver a better service

A joint venture between the Acis Group housing association and the maintenance company Willmott Dixon has been created to deliver a better service to 5,500 properties in South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

The new Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) called Galatia will be responsible for planned works, gas inspections, repairs and voids maintenance. Willmott Dixon will be investing significantly in systems and technology to make sure that an efficient, high quality service is delivered for every one of Acis’ residents. The new company has a five year contract that can be extendable for another five years and is worth £25 million. By investing in staff training and systems, both Willmott Dixon Partnerships and Acis aim to enhance the satisfaction level among residents. The new contract will start next month with the focus on Acis properties that are protected with landlord insurance in the Sheffield and Gainsborough areas.

Acis Chief Executive, Valerie Waby, said: “We are excited about joining Willmott Dixon Partnerships as a partner in a joint venture model that will see us combine both skill sets to deliver quality and reliability for our residents. It will bring the focus and drive necessary to support our team in delivering a major programme of home improvement we’ll undertake alongside our on-going property care services. We will be investing time and resource into management processes and training to equip our team of engineers with the best possible means of delivering our high standards of service.”

Alongside this will be a community programme that includes an award winning ‘Opening Doors’ initiative that will provide much needed opportunities for local people to take part in work experience and training in areas such as plastering, plumbing, electrical, carpentry and engineering as well as office experience including administration, computer training and surveying properties.