Ex-colleagues sometimes ask me why I left a job I was very happy in (in a senior management position for a major player) to join a much smaller operation like Complete Utilities. I give my usual answer – that Complete Utilities is a highly successful, growing business, punching well above its weight, family-run and in charge of its own destiny. It’s a good, truthful answer and it seems to be met with approval.
But for me, the question isn’t why did I move, it’s why wouldn’t I move? When what I have in front of me here is a great opportunity to help shape the future of an amazing, innovative, entrepreneurial team.
My first encounter with Complete Utilities was back in 2003. I was working for a major player and we had projects across the South West and I needed a yard to store our machinery in. But as soon as I met Steve it immediately became apparent his team were capable of much more. I was immediately struck by his enthusiasm and determination to get the job done. With his own highly impressive fleet, own mechanics and workshops I knew that when he made a promise, he’d deliver on it. I jumped back in my car and headed for the M5. I’d already decided I wanted Complete Utilities on my side and I no longer needed the other two yards I’d used locally that had become expensive and unreliable.
16 years later, arriving in Complete Utilities’ new depot to discuss becoming Managing Director, I was met by the same, positive enthusiasm from Steve. Looking around I could see the new offices and training centre he’d told me about, that were now HQ to his team of over 300 people. I saw the two narrow trenching machines Steve had had built in Italy specifically for his client Gigaclear, to help deliver a new ultrafast fibre network to 70,000 homes and businesses in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Next to these was a horizontal directional drill, specifically a Vermeer drill, with 133kn pullback force that had to be imported especially for a pioneering project to lay cable under the River Severn. The end beneficiaries of the fibre being laid were just 861 homes. Everyone else in the industry had walked away from the challenge, but not Steve. Many months of planning and several engineering options had already been discounted during the process. (The River Severn has the second highest tidal range in the world, and a conventional dig through the river is impossible.) Drilling under a canal on the other side was too difficult due to the depth of the canal’s bank stabilisation. Overhead cables could not be installed because large ships use the canal. The only option to connect these previously abandoned communities was to directional drill 5 metres below the bed of the river.
I know from previous experience that in larger organisations the same job may never have been done. Does it fit with company policy or vision? Does it make a sufficient margin? Even then, the layers of bureaucracy and approvals to go through would have delayed the project massively. This unique project gave Complete Utilities the opportunity to demonstrate what’s possible when a can-do attitude is combined with the latest methodologies and technology and the positive impact it has on communities.
For me, delivering projects and making a difference is why I’m in this industry. Making sure nothing stands in the way of our clients’ networks, whether that’s installing, upgrading or maintaining fibre, telecoms, gas, electric or water, or connecting customers and turning the tap on revenue streams. But in making a difference it’s equally important we focus on the safety and wellbeing of our amazing team of people.
Now, six months into my new role I have a key focus on Health & Safety and Sustainability as well as helping us to achieve our ambitious plans for change and business growth. We’re reviewing our processes from top to bottom and have now appointed a brilliant Health, Safety, Environment, Quality and Training Manager. He’ll ensure we stay compliant, keep pace with legislation and make sure every colleague on the job is competent and has the latest training and tools they need to do their jobs safely and efficiently. (We never rely on sub-contractors so we can be sure there’s never any unexpected surprises on-site.)
And when it comes to sustainability we’re already leading the field. We’re certified to ISO 14001 and are committed to undertaking all our projects in the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly way. We’ve invested significantly in a bespoke washplant – the only one in Gloucestershire and the surrounding counties. It means we send no waste to landfill and, because we also treat the water on-site, we have no need to store slurry in a lagoon. Our Maisemore depot is equipped with a weighbridge and tipping facilities, so as well as treating our own spoil we also provide a convenient and cost-effective waste management/re-cycling solution for our clients.
The world is changing. The next generation of ultra-fast broadband, mobile networks and the electric vehicle boom demands a new level of connectivity. These are exciting times to be in this business, delivering a completely fresh approach to installing networks. Despite all the achievements of the past for me, and for Complete Utilities, the best years are still ahead.
Right now on my desk I have a proposal for a national utility provider, to work on projects across the UK. Can we deliver it? Of course we can, there’s nothing this team can’t do. We may have grown, but we’ll never lose the passion and innovation that has got us where we are today. Whether we’re replacing a 4” water main in a town centre, or delivering 5G to a remote community, we can go further and faster than anyone else in the business.
That’s something else I can confidently tell my ex-colleagues.