Chris Heminway, Exec-Chair at Time To ACT, explains why now is the right time for the Group to IPO. Watch the video here.
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In new hosting technology, in response to increased demand!
https://www.castletonplc.com/news/major-investment-by-castleton-in-a-new-purpose-built-hosting-environment/
Things are moving apace.
They've pulled all the recent technology together under Castleton Maintain, making it the first and only end to end solution in their market. And ahead of the Repairs and Maintenance Conference and Exhibition on 22nd. May.
https://www.castletonplc.com/news/castleton-rolls-out-first-end-to-end-integrated-maintenance-solution/
As thought, transfer of shares between parties outside the market and notified. Ongoing 109 buy, 105 sell.
That is another step forward by Dean Dickinson, tweaking Castleton's offering to enable customers to purchase yet more of their requirements from one supplier, ensuring one responsibility for effective integration and one service contact point, making life easier for Castleton customers. It is part of the continuing one stop shop narrative, and as a 'public service', associations will want to make savings whilst improving their KPIs in relation to their own service levels. You can be sure those last two sets traded are not resting with the market makers. They have been taken one way or another.
Finished up with a couple of large delayeds there, shown at sell price. Possibly 'private' trades notified to market, maybe brokered by FinnCap. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Excerpt from Housing Technology Magazine March 2019:-
"On my way”
It’s vital to look at leaders in other sectors who are providing the services that customers are getting used to. This is where other providers are going to be benchmarked. British Gas has developed its customer experience platform and is seeing dramatic improvements to its first-time access rates. It's ‘on my way’ communication platform advises customers of their engineer’s live ETA, enabling them to track their approach on a real-time map and interact directly with their engineer when needed. Customers are more informed and therefore aren’t contacting call centres to chase their engineer’s arrival.
British Gas has seen no-access, failed appointments fall by 20 per cent. Sending notifications reminding customers of their appointment enables cancellations to be made if needed, allowing others to take that appointment slot. It also gives customers the freedom to get on with their day; if they can see that their engineer is due to arrive in, say, 55 minutes, they can leave the house, pop to the shops and avoid missing and having to reschedule an appointment.
Translating this use-case to social housing would mean significant annual savings. With a typical inbound call costing around £5 and a no-access, failed appointment costing £60, RSLs could each save hundreds of thousands of pounds per year. Enabling real-time tracking via a smartphone will reduce inbound calls because tenants will know when to expect their service operative and also increase first-time access to properties. As well as the cost savings, customers would also benefit from better experiences, leading to higher satisfaction ratings and an improved image of RSLs as innovators.
announced as new software partner. This will complement Castleton Repairs solution. CIH Repairs and Maintenance conference is on 22nd. May at Hilton, Burton on Trent.
https://www.castletonplc.com/news/restoring-your-tenants-confidence-with-find-my-engineer-technology/
Good volume today, and a 3p hike on the offer. Nothing on the bid though. Maybe something trade-wise in the pipeline.
Day 2. Revised last financial year yesterday, and changes. All about strengthening relationships between departments/products, getting rid of any silo mentality to enhance cross-selling success.
today at DoubleTree Milton Keynes. Held similar event last year. It's being run by Mr. Dickinson, with the object of instilling the 'One Castleton' ethos, and fine tuning strategy aimed at increased sales. About 90 staff in attendance.
Well put. I've always been hoping private equity, maybe those at Civica or whoever, might see it that way at the end of the road. In the meantime, we keep plodding steadily on.
Castleton's market is healthy. Common sense dictates it will remain so. Social housing is a necessity, and with it the requirement to administer it efficiently through evolving technology. Demand for that technology is not predicated on the vagaries of discretionary consumer spend. The company has built an enviable position in the market from nothing, despite the existing competition, and developed a large customer base. It has progressed over the years to within touching distance of becoming dividend paying and debt free. Bearing in mind the almost impossible barriers to new entrants, it is a reasonable conclusion that with its improving integrated suite of solutions and due attention to its customers it's position is secure and the company will continue to steadily grow market share as a 'one stop shop.'
now moving into social housing. As before, Castleton as a premier supplier will compete with others, but their market is increasingly viewed as a very healthy one to be in.
Banking giant Wells Fargo plans move into UK social housing
NEWS
03 May 2019
BY LUKE CROSS
The biggest commercial real estate lender in the US is looking to make its entrance into the UK affordable housing sector.
Banking giant Wells Fargo plans move into UK social housing #ukhousing #socialhousingfinance
Wells Fargo entered the UK property market with a multibillion-pound deal five years ago and now sees expansion into UK social housing as a “natural progression”, according to Stacey Flor, managing director of UK commercial real estate at the bank.
Ms Flor told Social Housing that the team has spent “a lot of time establishing relationships with some of the larger housing associations”.
She said the bank brings a strong balance sheet and one of the best credit ratings in the real estate sector, which can potentially unlock “quite a bit of capacity that the sector is in need of right now”.
The bank – one of the biggest private placement providers globally – will also look to arrange bonds and private placements for housing associations.
“As a lender we’re always keen to strengthen our business and balance sheet, and where possible, complement our service offering with what we do in the States,” she said.
News of the San Francisco-based bank’s prospective move into the market comes after a flurry of new global entrants, including from Australia and Japan.
today.
Event Details
Exclusive event for our existing customers who use Castleton Maintain. Open to both Contractors and Housing Associations, learn about our new integrated and complementary solutions designed to enhance your existing repairs and maintenance software.
Event location
Doubletree Hilton, Stadium Way W, Bletchley, Milton Keynes MK1 1ST
9:30 am - 5:00 am
There is no need for any change of strategy. So far it is paying dividends. Management do not notify the smaller successes, though I had hoped for/anticipated something on a larger managed services contract. There are long processes in this market and all being well, with relatively new referenceability, that will come.
Yes. Operationally it's summed up rather blandly with the trading update.
"The market opportunity remains large and given the Group's established position serving the social housing sector and the cross-selling opportunities, the Board continues to be optimistic about the Group's growth prospects."
A question of plugging away in a healthy market, as they've done, and adding to cumulative repeat revenue with a view to becoming debt free at year end.
Cloud take up is increasing across the board. Although the company seeks new customers and exhibiting products is helpful, there will be migration to Castleton cloud by existing 'captive customers.' The price seems ( hopefully ) to have settled out, as we wait for full year results in accordance with the trading update, review by Fincap, and dividend announcement to be ratified at AGM.
London Business Design Cente today.
https://www.castletonplc.com/events/business-transformation-in-housing-2019/
Will be pushing managed services/cloud in particular.
Somebody picked up 2 blocks of 69900 shares today ( large deferred )
Dean Dickinson is taking positive action to grow the share price, which will be financially rewarding for him and senior management through share ownership and options, and the broader the investor base the better. It is good that our best interests and theirs are aligned.
Previous posts highlighted investment from America and elsewhere coming into social housing. Today there is news of Australian investment. It's quite a long article, but the headline gives the gist of it, as before going not to Castleton but the strength of the social housing marketplace in which Castleton operates with its competitors. The G15 mentioned is a grouping of large London associations.
Australia’s biggest business bank launches into UK social housing with more than £250m of deals
NEWS
18 Apr 2019BY LUKE CROSS
National Australia Bank (NAB) has launched into the UK social housing market with more than £250m of bank deals, including facilities for two London G15 members.
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A typical Mello Event will offer access to 50+ high quality growth companies usually from AiM or fully listed small and mid-cap companies. We pair this with engaging outstanding keynote investment industry speakers, to educate and inspire with the latest market insights. Our events appeal to both private investors who can enjoy a day or two of immersive investment and also to proactive listed companies that want to meet and engage with their existing and potential shareholder base."
So selling the company to investors, rather than its products to customers.
Castleton on the exhibitors list. Unusual one for them, with no particular link to the housing sector.
Castleton are exhibiting at Mello2019 which may be worth attending hTTps://melloevents.com/event/
ShareSoc have a special discount for our full members to the Mello2019 show! So, if you are planning on going to the Mello event it may be worth joining us as a full member too here: hTTps://www.sharesoc.org/membership/full-membership/
You can save up to £60 on the £149 ticket if you join ShareSoc!
I thought we might get some indication. But on more sensible reflection, it's pretty obvious it'll properly come along with final results figures. Got ahead of myself. Maybe some contract news before then.