Residents of Venice protected by expertise from Kenilworth
The residents of Venice have plenty going for them. Living in that beautiful city they can enjoy the glories of St Mark's Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs, Doge's Palace, the famous canals.
And they also benefit from going to sleep every night content in the knowledge that they are safely protected by expertise and innovation skills from Warwickshire.
For where there are waterways, there are flooding risks and, with 26 miles of canals and other waterways, the risks in Venice are high. That makes flood defences of paramount importance - and the flood defences which protect the city day and night are supported by a foundation system conceived and manufactured in the heart of land-locked Warwickshire, in the centre of Kenilworth.
Proserve Marine Construction, now based in Princes Drive in the town, this year received a Queen's Award for Enterprise for their foundation work on the Venice Flood Barrage. The accolade, presented at Buckingham Palace in July, was due recognition for the groundbreaking technical skills and innovation of Proserve's engineers.
They devised the unique underwater grouting systems for the concrete foundations of the vast marine project, which was completed bang on time due also to some crucial and timely input from Warwickshire County Council.
Proserve's managing director Martin Hawkswood explains: "We were absolutely delighted to win the contract after we went over to pitch to the Ministry D'Aqua. But then we had to find premises big enough for us to fabricate the 24-metre long forms.
"We knew that, at the time, the county council had some land which was not being used off Warwick Road, where Halls Builders used to be, so took a punt and put a call into the estates office. They were ever so helpful and allowed us to use the space without paying rent. We just paid the rates.
"It was a huge help to us because there was nowhere else in Kenilworth where we could find the required space and we would have had to look elsewhere like Coventry, perhaps, which would have been much less convenient.
"We were on the site off Warwick Road from July 2012 to November 2013 which covered the majority of the manufacturing period for the Venice project. The foundation units were wholly manufactured there then shipped off to Italy by road.
"It was the perfect solution for us so we were really grateful to the county council. They then asked us to move out again but that was understandable – room had to be made for the new railway station.”
The Venice Barrage is certainly an eye-catching project - but far from the first such scheme on the books of a company which has long thrived in Kenilworth. Proserve was founded half-a-century ago by Ernie Cannon, who pioneered the system used in Venice, and since 1996 has continued to prosper under Martin Hawkswood.
The company's work underpins mighty structures worldwide including the eight-mile Confederation Bridge (the world's longest bridge over ice-covered waters) in Canada, the Second Severn Crossing (taking the M4 over the River Severn) in the west of England and the Big Dig in Boston, the most complex and technologically challenging highway project in the history of the United States.
Proserve is one small Warwickshire business truly punching above its weight in the global market. Little wonder, then, that recognition came in the form of a Queens Award, the kudos from which, says Martin, is shared by all who work at the company.
“It was an honour to be recognised by Her Majesty the Queen for the work we have done over the last five years," he said. "The award highlights the work of all members of staff who have dedicated themselves relentlessly to the pursuit of excellence for which I am glad they received recognition they truly deserve.”