BCSA celebrates a century in style

The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) has celebrated its centenary with a banquet at Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of the Churchill family.

Held on the evening of Friday 16 June, 500 representatives from BCSA member companies attended the event organised to celebrate 100 successful years.

In his address to the assembled guests, Donal McCormack, BCSA President said: “Over the past 100 years our industry has successfully transformed the built environment in not only the UK, but in virtually every country around the world.”

Mr McCormack stressed it has been a “century of success” especially the last decade when steel has experienced a lengthy period of growth and record levels of output and market share.

Meanwhile, Joe Locke MBE, BCSA Vice President reminded guests of the proud historical lineage that the Association can boast. “Smeaton, Rennie, Brunel, Telford, Stephenson, Arrol – are our predecessors,” he said.

“We have built on the legacy of their structures and continued the industry onwards with structures such as the outstanding new Terminal 5,” he added.

Mr Locke said over the past 25 years the steel industry has been a leading example of how a traditional industry has transformed itself with CADCAM, just-in-time deliveries, robotic manufacture, new products, composite construction and fire engineering. “This has resulted in steel’s market share of multi-storey buildings growing from 30% to 70%,” Mr Locke said.

To sum up, Mr Locke commented “The BCSA is you – the member companies – and it’s you that now carries the responsibility and privilege of moving our proud industry and the Association forward for the next 100 years.”