KOREC Group recruits software industry expert to lead large-scale expansion of its K-MATIC operations

The full release can be found here

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Gabriel Hradilek in the new position of Chief Operating Office of K-MATIC, our in-house software development division.

K-MATIC provides customisable solutions for the collection, analysis and processing of geospatial data through a combination of its K-CAPTURE field data capture software, its K-PORTAL and Trimble hardware solutions. Gabriel will manage the next stage in the expansion of these areas.

In this new role, Gabriel will be working alongside KOREC Group CEO Alan Browne, and K-MATIC Software Lead Paul Brodin, to manage an ambitious investment program that will see K-MATIC triple in size by the end of 2022. Specialising in deep industry-focused product and services software development, Gabriel brings experience from high profile previous roles working with global brands such as IBM.

KOREC Group CEO, Alan Browne said: “With a particular interest in helping companies absorb, apply and profit from disruptive digital technologies, Gabriel’s experience is a perfect fit for the ambitious plans we have for K-MATIC as we expand both the breadth and geographical potential of the software we develop.”

Gabriel Hradilek said: “I’m delighted to be taking up the role of Chief Operating Officer of K-MATIC. During my professional career I`ve worked with a number of deep industry-focused product and services software development organisations across the globe, big and small. However, very few of them were actually focused on creating their own market like K-MATIC does in the geospatial, engineering and construction sectors. Its innovative approach to solving the specific problems of a client or vertical market provide tremendous scope for a successful future.”

ENDS

A trio of news stories celebrating the support that both KOREC and Trimble are providing to the education sector across the UK

There isn’t much that’s more important than ensuring the next generation are informed, enthused and inspired to join us in the exciting world of engineering, construction and the built environment.

In how many other industries can you make such a direct and positive change in how we design, build and maintain the spaces in which we live, work and play?

That’s why we’re delighted to highlight 3 recent stories that do just that;

KOREC & National Highways make a Big impact

Our team were delighted to support National Highways at the recent Big Bang Fair in Birmingham.

The 3-day event saw tens of thousands of children aged 11-14 descend on the NEC to get involved in all things STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths).

Ikra, Sam and Darrell joined the National Highways team at the Big Bang Fair

The KOREC team were on hand to showcase the very cool technologies that are being utilised to made the collection, sharing and understanding of spatial data easier and more intuitive. The star of the show was most certainly the Trimble XR10 headset. The team loaded various digital models including dinosaurs, robots and an airplane into the device, which the kids could then view and explore!

Check out more photos of the event and the team, here!

Trimble Technology lab expands in Edinburgh

Trimble and Edinburgh Napier University are celebrating the expansion of the Trimble Technology lab – the first of its kind in the UK.

Click here or the link below to read the complete story over on the North Edinburgh News site.

https://nen.press/2022/06/17/trimble-and-edinburgh-napier-celebrate-expansion-of-state-of-the-art-facilities

SMB College Group invest in Trimble Technology

Leicestershire-based SMB College Group has recently invested over £80,000 in Trimble technology, supplied by KOREC Group.

The college is a leader in Construction T level courses – preparing its students for work in the construction and engineering sectors including quantity surveying, civil engineering, project management and architecture.

The equipment includes some of Trimble’s most cutting-edge digital construction solutions, including the X7 laser scanner, the XR10 mixed reality headset, and the S5 robotic total station.

Read the full press release on the SMB College Group site

Next Generation is KOREC’s higher education strand – it’s how we inspire, support and train the institutions and the students who are the future workforce of our industry.

If you’d like to know more about Next Generation, or how we can help you, why not get in touch?

Get in touch
The Shaun the Sheep jubilee themed maze design at Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm

It’s taken permission from the Palace and the loan of one of the most advanced handheld GPS mapping systems available for Mark Edwards, Managing Director of Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm, Ormskirk, Lancashire, to create this year’s jubilee themed maze attraction.

The maze was designed by Mark who enlisted the help of Liverpool based positioning and survey equipment specialists, KOREC Group. KOREC was delighted to loan him a handheld Trimble Catalyst GPS solution and also helped him turn the design into coordinates that could be loaded into the GPS to recreate the design in the maize field.

The Trimble Catalyst GPS connects to a smartphone that clearly shows the maze design. It is then taken onto the 14 acre maze site where Mark is able to navigate, using his position on the screen, to plot out the design amongst the tiny maize plants. A cultivator follows his trail cutting out the design.

Left:The KOREC supplied Trimble Catalyst GPS is capable of centimetre accuracy! This picture shows part of the design on a smartphone/logger

This year’s design comes with a royal seal of approval. Working closely with Aardman, the award winning animation studio and the creators of Shaun the Sheep, Mark contacted the Lord Chamberlain’s Office at Buckingham Palace and was granted permission to use the Queens official Platinum Jubilee logo to celebrate this great occasion!

Mark says, “the KOREC supplied Trimble GPS really is an ‘amaizing’ piece of equipment and so easy to use. We were able to create this exciting jubilee design in just 2 days!”

Farmer Ted’s is the UK’s largest Shaun the Sheep farm attraction. It opens daily until mid-September with the Maize Maze opening on 23rd July. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.farmerteds.com 

About Shaun the Sheep

Shaun the Sheep, Aardman’s family favourite TV series, is recognised the world over for its slapstick humour, distinctive look and strong, quirky characters and enjoyed across multiple media platforms. First appearing in Nick Park’s 1995 Academy Award® winning Wallace & Gromit ‘A Close Shave’, Shaun then went on to star in his own series, created by Richard Starzak which launched on BBC One in 2007.  Shaun the Sheep is currently broadcast in 170 territories around the world and is an internationally celebrated icon with over 5.6 million fans on Facebook.  In 2015 the first Shaun the Sheep Movie with feature film partner Studiocanal was released around the world to critical acclaim and the first half hour TV special aired as part of many broadcaster’s festive season., The feature film sequel Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon was released in October 2019 and nominated for an Academy Award® and was closely followed by a sixth season of the series in 2020.  A new festive special Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas was released in December 2021.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago really brought home to us the importance of maintaining and improving our health – both inside and out.

Maintaining our physical health could mean the difference between a mild or a severe case of covid, and the impact of multiple lockdowns, separation from our loved ones, and working from home, all took their toll on our mental health, too.

Combined with the distressing and upsetting news coming out of Ukraine on an almost daily basis, it does seem a challenge to keep ourselves upbeat and positive.

As a responsible employer, KOREC understands the importance of ensuring a happy, healthy and supported workforce – and takes action to ensure it.

To mark this International Day of Happiness, here’s just some of the initiatives we’re undertaking to bolster the health, happiness and prosperity of our people;

Perks of the Job

The company now proudly boasts 5 physical first aiders, including Steven Sreeves who just completed his Emergency First Aid at Work training, provided by St John Ambulance

Meet the KOREC mental health first aiders! Rachel Caddick and Stuart Guthrie-Cadge

On this International Day of Happiness, why not take a few moments out of your day to do something that makes you feel good?

Wishing you health, happiness and prosperity – from the whole KOREC team!

Christmas in March? We’re never one to miss a party, even if it is a few months later than planned!

1st February 2022 marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. Three days later, on Friday 4th, the Beijing Winter Olympics begin.

To mark these two occasions, and because we are mad for a group fitness challenge (or just plain mad?) the KOREC team are committing to undertake a mammoth journey.

In February 2021, our UK and Irish teams undertook their ‘Fit4Feb’ challenges – traversing Europe and America (virtually, of course…), and totting up an impressive 6,200km between them.

This year, in the spirit of the Chinese New Year – the year of the Tiger – we’ve committed ourselves to an even bigger challenge.

We are going to walk, run, swim, cycle and hop our way back from Beijing to London – a distance of a whopping 10,681km!

The well-known quote ‘a journey of a thousand miles’ is attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, and seems particularly apt for the challenge that lies ahead – at first, a journey of over 6,000 miles seems impossible – but all we can do is take that vital first step and begin our journey – and crucially – we’re not alone!

The Year of the Tiger

Since 2022 marks the year of the tiger, we’ve taken some inspiration from our furry friend. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the tiger is the ‘king of all beasts’, and is a symbol of Bravery, Competitiveness, Unpredictability and Confidence – some familiar traits we can see in ourselves!

So we’ve set some mini challenges based on these qualities, with some awesome (tiger-themed) prizes up for grabs!

BRAVE

  • Who is brave enough to join our challenge?
  • Who will brave dark and dismal early mornings for an invigorating run?
  • And most importantly, who is brave enough to share their most embarrassing workout outfit?!

COMPETITIVE

  • Who will get the most miles under their belt?
  • Who can most accurately guess where we’ll end up come 28th February?

UNPREDICTABLE

  • What will we discover en route?
  • Who will come up with the most wacky method of exercise?

CONFIDENT

  • Who actually thinks we can go the distance?
  • Who’s willing to give it a go anyway?

We hit the ground running on February 1st, and we’ll be providing regular weekly updates on our progress throughout the month via our social channels.

Wish us luck, or as the Chinese say – Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn!

30 new KOREC positions across all departments

KOREC is delighted to announce that group expansion means we are now seeking to fill 30 new positions, in a range of departments, across the UK and Ireland. These new roles include openings in our offices in Cambridgeshire, Dublin and Liverpool.

World beating technology for curious minds

KOREC specialises in bringing world leading geospatial technology to the UK and Irish markets, all backed up by in-house software development, training, technical support and servicing.

Through partnerships with companies such as Trimble, Esri and Parrot, KOREC aims to provide its customers with a wide range of ground-breaking geospatial technology. This offering includes everything from high accuracy GPS, 3D Laser Scanners, drones and robots to AI, Mixed Reality and Mobile Mapping solutions.

High profile customers

KOREC customers include some of the biggest names in the UK and Ireland including National Highways, United Utilities, Irish Rail, Network Rail, F1, Ordnance Survey, National Trust, Costain and Balfour Beatty; some of the smallest from sole ownership survey companies and drone operators to environmentalists and soil scientists; and let’s not forget some of the more unusual – Munro baggers, and mapping professionals involved in tropical disease vaccination projects or landmine clearing.

We have openings available for those in the industry and for those with no previous geospatial experience but looking to work in a fast-moving, technology led company. These roles include positions in sales, software development, recruitment, administration, technical support, training, marketing and servicing.

Alan Browne – KOREC CEO said “We may be a fast-growing company in a technology led industry but our 50 years in the business mean that we’ve had time to build and define our company culture and that means we’ve also created a great workplace and a world-class ethos. Our staff tell us that KOREC is a rewarding and exciting place to work and that’s something we’re really proud to have achieved.”

For further information, please visit https://www.korecgroup.com/careers-at-korec/

We are adding these new roles to the website regularly.

ENDS

Peterborough based KOREC customer, Sky Revolutions, is a company that certainly knows its way around the aerial mapping sector and as one of the very earliest UK surveying businesses to realise the benefits of drone surveying, it also has an extensive knowledge of the technology involved.

That’s why we are delighted to announce that it has become the first company in the UK to take delivery of senseFly’s newly released fixed wing drone, the eBee GEO.

Designed to deliver senseFly’s superior build quality and extensive functionality at a fraction of the price of similar drones, the eBee GEO is all about user ROI and is especially suitable for the many varied projects that Sky Revolutions undertake.

For company Director, Ben Gorham, the eBee GEO is a perfect choice for Sky Revolutions which has seen an upsurge in demand for aerial survey work following the restrictions imposed by COVID.

Ben rates the eBee GEO for four particular reasons:

Ben concludes, “There’s no doubt that the eBee GEO makes good sense for us financially and with its impressive accuracy it is the perfect addition to our fixed wing offering. KOREC’s been great at meeting our requirements and understands that we are a company valued by our customers for our specialist surveying skills and consequently have high expectations of every investment we make.”

Sky Revolutions has just successfully completed a first mission with the eBee GEO carrying out a coastal survey on behalf of Suffolk County Council.

https://skyrevolutions.co.uk

Sky Revolutions pick up their new eBee GEO from KOREC’s Huntingdon base. From left to right, James Tindall (KOREC Geospatial Technical Support), Lloyd Wilkinson (KOREC Geospatial Sales Consultant), Ben Gorham (Director, Sky Revolutions), Madison Gorham (Apprentice, Sky Revolutions), Anna Carter (Office Manager, Sky Revolutions)

Madison Gorham (Apprentice, Sky Revolutions) and Anna Carter (Office Manager, Sky Revolutions)

KOREC is delighted to announce that following extensive behind the scenes work demonstrating our ongoing commitment to support the Esri user community, we have been recognised officially as an Esri Silver Tier Business Partner.

This new status will further strengthen the KOREC/Esri relationship allowing KOREC to offer Esri’s ArcGIS software as part of its mapping portfolio to new and existing KOREC customers.

Silver Tier status will also provide Esri UK’s customers with access to KOREC’s in-house software development team and its specialist knowledge on the integration of Trimble GNSS into Esri mobile data capture software.

Potential development for Esri clients will include everything from small tweaks to bespoke workflows based on the ArcGIS system, bringing all the power of their existing software but with customisation options for specific data capture workflows.

The Trimble Catalyst solution with a TDC600

The KOREC mapping team will also be available to assist Esri users with the integration of GNSS into their workflows with up to centimetre positional accuracy. Esri users will now have access to the most cost-effective method possible for cm accuracy by means of Trimble’s subscription based, low cost Catalyst solution.

To discuss all development requirements please contact KOREC Business Area Manager – Mapping & GIS, Richard Gauchwin on 07786 118436 or at richard.gauchwin@korecgroup.com

Or visit www.korecgroup.com/mapping

KOREC is delighted to announce the launch of KOREC Mapping in a move to consolidate and expand the KOREC offering of field to office data collection and handling solutions available across the UK and Ireland.

This development will see new partnerships announced as well as an expanded team of KOREC development, technical and consultancy professionals. This team will be on hand to deliver and support a full range of AgEagle and Parrot drones, mobile mapping systems and services, Trimble hardware and software and KOREC’s own in-house KOREC Capture range of field-based solutions.

KOREC is unique in offering all of these services as a one stop shop.

Bringing together over 50 years of combined mapping experience, backed up by specialist industry sector knowledge, this larger team will operate countrywide  via a local network and will have strong links to both new partners (to be announced) and existing partners such as The Drone Pilot Academy, Ordnance Survey and Trimble.

KOREC Business Area Manager – Mapping & GIS, Richard Gauchwin said,  “KOREC Mapping is offering a unique combination of hardware, software, industry specific knowledge and nationwide support, all from a one stop source. Our aim is to provide KOREC customers with a simple, easy to implement way in which to achieve their data capture and handling aims whether they be the digitisation of paper forms and automation of processes for greater efficiency, assistance with a new productive workflow or just a simple field data capture exercise.”

Find Out More

ENDS

Stay tuned to find out more or for information on any of our products, please  contact us.

There are seven days in a week, seven colours of the rainbow, seven seas, seven continents and now Survey Solutions has seven Trimble X7’s!

Following Survey Solutions’ recent acquisition of three further survey companies, Survey Systems, Locate Surveys and Kempston Surveys,  it is now the UK’s largest engineering survey company and one that prides itself on offering ‘more than a survey’.  Survey Solutions sees investment in the latest technology as an integral part of that process and has an extensive survey fleet that reflects this forward thinking approach. Most recently this has included expanding and updating its range of 3D Laser Scanners.

With nine offices – from Scotland to Somerset – company CEO James Cooper was particularly keen to ensure that his regional teams had access to a 3D Laser Scanner that would meet their demands for high quality data, ease of use and excellent productivity in the field.  In upgrading the fleet’s older laser scanners, he was also keen to replace them with an instrument that all the surveyors and engineers would engage with. Their choice was the Trimble X7.

Seven scanners later, we caught up with Survey Solutions South East Director, Dave Bredin, who kindly shared his views on why the X7 has been such a popular addition to their survey fleet.

Top of Dave’s list was onsite registration. With seven X7’s in constant use, the increased efficiency on site and time saved in the office is considerable and a vital part in helping their clients meet important project deadlines. Dave estimates that on every job, office time is reduced by at least one third with the registered point cloud going straight in to drawing up.

The onsite registration also ensures that the Survey Solutions surveyors have total confidence in the data they have captured with the ability to check there and then that there are no gaps or missed areas. This reduces rework as well as time spent travelling back to a site if additional information is required. Tellingly, Dave says that it would be counter-productive to highlight a specific example of this function earning its keep because ‘… it’s every time on every job’!

Second on the list as a requirement for any laser scanner to be used nationwide was ease of use. With a large number of surveyors having access to the instruments it was vital that they could pick up the workflow quickly, with minimal training and have total confidence in their ability to collect high quality data from the off.

Dave reports that aside from the sensible pricing of the X7, there are many features that make it a perfect fit for the Survey Solutions’ fleet. These include it being easily carried in a backpack (many jobs in his SE area are undertaken in central London), the auto-calibration and self-levelling functions that ensure greater productivity on site and the Trimble RealWorks processing and analysis software that handles and combines data from different sensors. However, the real proof of an instrument’s contribution to a fleet is how it’s perceived by those who use it every day. Dave concludes, “The mark of a good piece of kit is the feedback from the surveyors who actually use it and every one of our surveyors loves it! Clearly the advancements in the Trimble X7 represent the next step in laser scanning technology and the X7’s easy to use and productive workflow is highly beneficial to both ourselves and our clients. It certainly ticks all the boxes for Survey Solutions.”