COINS wins Queen's Award for International Trade and strengthens construction expertise in the Middle East

- Innovative construction industry software company recognized by HM Elizabeth II for contribution to global industry and local social infrastructure
- COINS celebrates support for more than 20 GCC construction companies in only two years, and the establishment of the Widad Center in Dubai, an alternative education programme based on inclusion

Dubai, UAE, Monday 21st April 2014: Construction industry software specialist Construction Industry Solutions (COINS) has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in recognition of their substantial growth in overseas earnings and commercial success in the construction sector, with the Middle East providing an impressive 26% of overseas growth in the past three years.

In 2012, COINS established their first office in Sharjah to cover the GCC region, providing business systems and consultancy services designed for the construction, contracting, real estate and allied industries.  Since then, COINS’ permanent GCC team has continued to establish a solid presence in the region, with offices in
Dubai, supporting key projects in Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijan, Dubai, Qatar and KSA.
Larry Sullivan, Group Chairman & Co Founder of COINS said,
“We are delighted to have won the Queen’s Award, one of the UK’s highest business accolades. The success of our organisation is down to our people, drawing on over 5,000 person years of construction industry experience, with every team member focusing single-mindedly on helping our local and global clients achieve their own business goals. Bringing this award winning experience to Dubai and the Gulf has allowed us to work with global leaders, such as Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Leighton and Vinci, on exciting projects and we look forward to more success as the regional construction industry continues to demand global standards based on best practice.”

COINS is the first UK construction software company to be given this award, made annually by HM Elizabeth II. Between 2011 and 2013, COINS’ direct overseas turnover increased by 65% and group net profit increased by 144%.    Rapid growth of business in the Middle East contributed 26% towards total overseas sales (i.e., non-UK) during this period; the United States contributed 60% with the remainder split between, Australia, Far East and Europe.
Commenting from Dubai on this regional success and the award, Nigel Cope, Director & Co Founder, stated,
“COINS has undertaken extensive market research to fully understand not only the business drivers in the GCC but to also better comprehend the cultural and social nuances of the region, as it undergoes rapid growth. Using this insight, we further developed the COINS offering in order to encompass localisations needed to support the construction industry in the Middle East.   In every market, this approach is helping us support the local economy and grow our own business.”

As a core tenet of its success, COINS also supports social infrastructure development across all its global markets.  Established for over a decade, the COINS Foundation works towards an inclusive global society and has supported many projects worldwide, including rebuilding projects in Haiti, school and community projects in sub-Saharan Africa and a micro-financing network in Uganda.  In Dubai, COINS Middle East supported the establishment and running of the Widad Center, an alternative education programme, based on inclusion for neuro-typical children as well as those with mild to moderate learning disabilities.  COINS also supports The Lighthouse Club global construction charity in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Australia and Hong Kong, and ‘CSR Initiative of the Year’ at the ‘Construction Week Awards’ in Qatar.

Over the past 30 years, COINS has established itself in the UK with a strong customer base, which includes contractors such as Laing O’Rourke, Balfour Beatty, Kier Group, and Morgan Sindall and home builders Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Developments and Persimmon.  In the UK, COINS enjoys a leading market share of the major companies in the construction and house building sectors, with 3 out of 5 of the top construction companies and the top 3 home builders using COINS software solutions.
COINS invests time and resources in making sure their product meets the legislative compliances in each of its new markets, in particular with respect to various taxation regimes. COINS has been praised for minimising environmental impact, particularly through the use of technology within the construction sector, such as COINS Electronic Trading Community (ETC) where over one million transactions are carried out a year, eliminating paper delivery notes and invoices.