Iron man steps in after fire and flood

Nov 26 2008 by Alistair Houghton, Liverpool Daily Post

Liam Hanlon, director of the Forshaw Group _320

LIAM HANLON is an “Ironman” specialist whose company is a superhero to homes and firms hit by fire and flood. Hanlon is director of the Les Forshaw Group, the Liverpool company that specialises in insurance-related repair work and in repairing properties hit by floods and fires.

But, in his spare time, Hanlon, 41, loves taking part in triathlons – gruelling endurance events including swimming, cycling and running. He has competed in a number of Ironman events, regarded as the toughest type of triathlon, where participants have to swim for 2.4 miles, cycle for 112 miles and run a marathon – all in one day.

That tough training will help Hanlon and his fellow directors as, like all business managers in late 2008, they knuckle down to get through the current downturn.

But he is confident the company’s partnerships in the insurance sector will allow it to keep growing at a time when general construction firms are feeling the pinch.

Forshaw’s flood recovery teams were called on last year to cope with the aftermath of the flooding that swept Yorkshire. His company mopped up Hull, Sheffield and Doncaster, towns where tens of thousands of people were forced out of their houses as rivers in the country burst their banks.

Once the water subsided, those people faced months of repair work.

More than a year later, Forshaw teams are still at work in Yorkshire, both finishing off repairs and mending damage which has only recently come to light.

Hanlon said: “We use intelligent drying systems and a scientific approach to drying out buildings. Rather than just bringing in a load of drying gear and fans, we measure specific relative humidity and air temperature and create an ideal drying chamber. We can work out how many machines we need and how long it’s going to take.”

Forshaw staff may formally be acting on behalf of the insurance companies – but they also have to respect the wishes of householders who may be living in or near the property while work is carried out.

The construction industry generally has improved its game in recent years when it comes to customer service – but great customer service is even more important for Forshaw staff who carry out complex repairs while working around people’s’ day-to-day lives.

Hanlon said: “Working in occupied property, inevitably you’re considering all the time the effect on the environment and people and keep changing your working practices.