Connect 18

T C E N N CO E N I Z A G A M Our Expansion Continues P age 1 2

DIY SOS The Big Build P ag

6 1 0 2

New Year, New Uniform P age 2 2

e s 16 & 17

CREAM OF THE CROP

Our apprentices are some of the best in the business Pages 8 & 9

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

HELLO & WELCOME

FROM STEVE EVANS, MANAGING DIRECTOR

Welcome to the very latest edition of Connect – I hope you like the new look as much as we do.

We don’t stand still for long and it’s been another eventful year.

We’re particularly proud of our commitment to training and on pages 8 - 9 we feature our latest award-winning apprentices. But talented people like these don’t just come knocking on our door and, as you can see on page 6, we work hard to ensure that we attract the best talent around.

We’re also proud of our ongoing commitment to quality and

2

innovation. The number of NHBC award-winning sites that we’ve worked on this year hopefully speaks for itself (pages 4 - 5) and page 24 tells the story of how we’ve designed and produced a time-saving plastic noggin that will also improve quality.

As we grow we continue to invest. We’ve added 90 new VW Transporter vans to the fleet this year (page 13) and we’ve also kitted out all our site-based staff in new uniforms to make sure that they are comfortable all year round as well as looking smart and professional (page 22).

Our staff work hard but page 30 shows how they play hard too and the annual day out to Cheltenham Races was as eventful as ever.

They’re also a charitable lot and pages 20 - 21 highlight just some of the year’s fundraising activities.

I’ll finish by saying thank you to all our customers for entrusting us with your business for another year and thank you to all our staff for your loyalty, support and hard work.

Managing Director

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

THE HOUSE THAT WE’VE

With solid foundations established 35 years ago, we’ve gone from strength to strength in 2015. The future’s looking bright with a substantial order book already secured for 2016.

B U I LT ONE in

TEN new homes in England & Wales are wired by Clarkson Evans

That’s over 16,000 new homes every year

2015

re

a

NATIONAL FINALIST

16

a branche

s

LARGE EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR

FLEET OF ALMOST

400

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

700

S TA FF

E M P LOY E D

35 YEARS

experience working alongside the UK’s major housebuilders

AWARD WINNING

in-house

training provider

3

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

Regional Winner

PRIDE IN THE

JOB

Producing quality work is the cornerstone of our business. That’s why we consistently win repeat contracts from the UK’s top house builders year after year.

Our electricians are drilled to achieve the best quality finish, at first and second fix stage, on all the homes they wire each year.

We’re proud to have helped our customers achieve recognition in the NHBC “Pride in the Job” awards. The prestigious awards programme is a real pat on the back to everyone involved in achieving the highest standards in house-building.

Our internal quality audit programme has helped to maintain our own exacting standards – with regular audits being conducted each month by area managers across our branch network.

The audit programme allows us to recognise those staff who are consistently turning out top quality work.

Thanks to the expertise of our teams out on site we have helped to secure 47 NHBC “Pride in the Job” Quality Awards for site managers working for ten different builders. Nine of the Quality Award sites were then deemed to have been worthy of Seals of Excellence.

We were excited to then discover that three of the nine were crowned Regional Award winners.

4

ds r a Aw

lity uilders) a u Q nt b

47r 10 differe (fo

ce

n e l l e xc

E f o als

9 Se

l

3R

a n o i eg

ds r a Aw

www.clarksonevans.co.uk idlands & Sam Underwo od, ey M Cla mp i rks W r on lo y a Ev T a w,

am Te ns der Lea

An dy Sh a

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

n Da id W Dav pervisor & Kirk Raine,

Be ard ,

Le ad er

es

,

Eva ns S ite S u

om nH li so

tin ar M

M

erc

ia

th or dw Bu

Cl ar ks on

am Te Ba or i rra n tt B Se risto ans l & Jam n Ev o s k r a l ie Clarke, C

THE THREE REGIONAL AWARD WINNERS Andy Shaw, Taylor Wimpey Midlands pictured with Clarkson Evans Team Leader Sam Underwood (Top) Kirk Raine, David Wilson Homes Mercia pictured with Clarkson Evans Site Supervisor Dan Budworth (Left) Martin Beard, Barratt Bristol pictured with Clarkson Evans Senior Team Leader Jamie Clarke (Right)

Now we will wait with bated breath to see whether one of them will win a Supreme Award, a career highlight for any site manager.

5

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

SPARKING INTEREST IN APPRENTICESHIPS It’s hugely competitive in the apprenticeship recruitment market and attracting the best of the bunch takes time and creativity.

In our Gloucestershire heartland we’re a household name but in other parts of the country we work tirelessly to ensure would-be electrical apprentices see us as their employer of choice.

This has resulted in a number of fresh marketing campaigns being rolled out during 2015 to ensure Clarkson Evans is the name everyone associates with first-class apprenticeship training.

To coincide with National Apprenticeship Week we got on board with bus advertising in a bid to recruit more apprentices in Oxford. Throughout March the rear of 25 Oxford buses carried an eye-catching apprenticeship recruitment advert for the company – in a bid to drive would-be recruits to our door.

Like other electrical contractors, attracting women to join the industry is an ongoing issue. By becoming the kit sponsor of highly successful Gloucester City Ladies’ Football Club we have got our name in front of scores of sportswomen and their supporters across the South West.

Our HR and marketing teams have travelled the length and breadth of England and Wales to talk to young people about our apprenticeship opportunities.

Our recently introduced quiz and word search have proved to be an instant hit with students winning a free breakfast when they answer questions about our apprenticeship training.

We won the “Best in Show” stand award at the Skills South West event in Plymouth in March and had an eye-catching and highly interactive presence at the Big Bang Fair in Exeter in June.

6

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

YOU’RE HIRED! Newly-appointed Apprentice Manager Andy Wilson is making his mark at Clarkson Evans since he joined the company in July.

Former RAF firefighter and publican Andy is no stranger to working with young people having spent time working as a school house manager for teenagers with behavioural issues.

His new role at Clarkson Evans sees him support and encourage staff through their electrical apprenticeship, travelling across the firm’s branch network to meet apprentices on site.

W dy

ilso

Ap n,

As we go to press we’re putting the finishing touches to a new recruitment video, produced by Bafta Awardnominated Lex Beckett and his team. This will knock the spots off other recruitment videos and has been designed to show the tough, but rewarding aspects of working on site.

“Andy is the latest addition to our formidable team dedicated to supporting and motivating our apprentices,” said Lindsey Young, HR & Training Director.

So far this year we have recruited an additional 100 apprentices.

“I have made a

commitment to each of the apprentices that I have met and have told them that if they are willing to give 110% to Clarkson Evans, I will give 110% support to them.

“

An

This then resulted in us p re being invited to talk to a ntice Ma nag convention of South West tices er (cen tre) with appren careers advisers in Plymouth about the opportunities available throughout the company.

Working closely with Managing Director Steve Evans, Andy is involved in recruiting future apprentices and ensuring that those already employed by the company receive regular feedback on their performance so they keep on top of their NVQ work and practical sitebased tasks.

Andy Wilson, Apprentice Manager

7

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

CREAM OF It’s always satisfying when our apprentices are recognised as being some of the best in the industry.

That’s what happened when Sam Slater, Alex Exeter, Bradley Grainger, Luke Mullan and Ryan Jones (pictured leftright with Steve Evans) were shortlisted for a series of national and regional apprenticeship awards.

Luke Mullan beat off stiff competition from across the UK to be named “Electrical Apprentice of the Year” at the prestigious Electrical Industry Awards. Judges were impressed by the way in which Luke had embraced his role as an apprenticeship ambassador in Oxfordshire, inspiring other young people to follow in his footsteps.

Former chef Ryan Jones also reached the final of the Bristol Apprenticeship Awards. Ryan caught the attention of the judges because of the way he had used teamwork skills learnt while working as a chef to become one of our most prized apprentices.

8

“It’s only by employing apprentices and training them in-house that we’ve been able to develop a dedicated workforce with the right skills.”

Steve Evans, Managing Director.

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

THE C ROP

“It is testament to the quality of our apprenticeship programme that we’ve produced these five talented electricians and I’m confident they all have a bright future ahead of them.”

Steve Evans, Managing Director.

Alex Exeter was named South West winner of the ECA Edmundson Adult Trainee Award 2015 after beating off intense competition from across the region. Alex was subject to a rigorous assessment overseen by an independent panel of judges before being named regional winner.

Sam Slater and Bradley Grainger were shortlisted for the Construction Apprentice of the Year at the prestigious Gloucestershire Apprenticeship Awards because of the commitment and natural ability they had demonstrated during their apprenticeship. Both are now qualified and have already become team leaders, mentoring the next generation of apprentices.

9

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

TRANSFORMING CAREERS AND LIVES

, Group Chief Ex dfern ecu e R e ti v e Pet ,T ay lo

rW

im pe yp

lc

Our apprentices work hard during their training so it’s only right and proper to allow them to have their five minutes of fame when they qualify as electricians.

That’s why we celebrate their qualification during a glittering awards evening. Twenty-three of our former apprentices came along with their proud families and it was not long before parents soon appreciated, if they didn’t already know, the exceptional talents of their children.

It was a real honour to welcome our special guest Pete Redfern, Group Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey plc, to hand out our “graduation” awards at this year’s ceremony.

Pete urged our electricians to continue their learning journey to become even better at their roles as they embarked upon the next stage of their career.

Our graduating apprentices have done well to be accepted on our training programme – we process more than 5,000 applications from would-be apprentices each year.

Of our 200+ team leaders, 166 of them started with us as apprentices and many of the “Class of 2015” have already gone on to become team leaders themselves.

10

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

Back row left-right: Kevin Giguere, Steve McAllister, Lee Pascoe, Jamie Ford, Sam Slater, Ryan Stacey, Nathan Trott, Matthew Lloyd, Tommy Rowe, Alex Glasby, Daniel Woodcock, Chris Wheeler, Chris Bartle.

Front row left-right: Elliot Parkinson, Luis Fournillier, Dominic Adanah, Matthew Wilkins, Jack Grigg, Ryan Jones, Sam Iddles, Joshua Oliver, Ryan Johns, Adam Gerrard.

For many, qualifying as an electrician has been a positive, life-changing experience. Team Leader Steve McAllister set the date for his wedding to girlfriend Phillippa Knights as soon as he completed his training.

Exeter Team Leader Jamie Ford has now been able to fly the nest and rent his own home, whilst Gloucester Team Leader Adam Gerrard has bought the car of his dreams!

All of the images from the night are available to view on our facebook page - facebook.com/ClarksonEvans 11

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

OUR EXPANSION CONTINUES We’ve had a storming 12 months with work projections significantly exceeding our expectations. That’s down to the continued repeat business we have won from our longstanding customers, many of whom have relied upon our services for 35 years.

New branches for 2015

Proposed branches for 2016

12

Our ongoing success also goes some way to explaining why we were recently named as one of the 25 fastest-growing companies in Gloucestershire by South West Business. We’ve also been named the first ever winner of Linden Homes’ quarterly national sub-contractor award.

We have responded to our customers’ needs by opening two further branches in Stafford and Barnstaple and plans are afoot for our first East Midlands branches in Nottingham and Leicester, a branch in Telford, one in Ashford, and our new Welsh branch in Cardiff.

Exciting times ahead in 2016!

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

DRIVING IMPROVEMENTS IN FLEET MANAGEMENT

Move over Eddie Stobart! With an impressive fleet of nearly 400 commercial vehicles, our vans are a common sight on the UK’s roads.

One thing that sets us apart from other electrical In 2015 we’ve taken delivery of 90 new vehicles, contractors is the significant investment we continue including a number of VW T6 transporter vans to make in maintaining our commercial fleet. which have a new modern interior, built-in bluetooth, rear parking sensors, remodelled Our state-of-the-art vehicle workshop in Gloucester, bodywork and offer fuel reduction benefits as well. open from 6.30am – 5.00pm each day to meet the needs of our site-based staff, is where the majority We now have nearly 400 commercial vehicles at of our vehicles are serviced and maintained. our disposal. Our customer care electricians have all been allocated new vehicles and the rest have been Over the past 12 months we have significantly allocated to staff with a reputation for looking after reduced the average age of our vehicles and are their vans. working towards a situation where no van is more than five years old.

DID YOU KNOW? OUR VANS TRAVEL 5.5 MILLION MILES EACH YEAR WE HAVE 18 ECO VANS WITH A FURTHER 58 ON ORDER WE PURCHASE 260 TYRES PER MONTH

Left-right: Julian Walker, Finance Director & Darren

Turley, Operations Director of Clarkson Evans WE CARRY with staff from Volkswagen Van Centre OUT UP TO 100 (Cheltenham) SERVICES AND MOTS EACH MONTH IN OUR VEHICLE WORKSHOP

13

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

We’ve tuned into video to keep our staff in touch with essential news and developments at the company.

Site-based staff are now more informed than ever before thanks to our investment in a weekly video viewed by staff at all branches every Friday morning.

The video is used to recognise the efforts of staff producing quality work on site, highlight internal promotions and celebrate our new site wins. Technical updates are also included to remind everyone of hot topics and changes to procedures.

Internal communication has also been improved with the introduction of a new online discussion forum. Staff are encouraged to share information about working practices, social events and other issues they think their colleagues would be interested to find out more about.

“ As the company continues to grow it’s more important than ever before to invest in our internal communication so that everyone understands how they can play their part in ensuring we continue to be a marketleading electrical contractor.

“

Lindsey Young, HR & Training Director.

14

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

AWARD WINNING HEALTH & SAFETY d (now

Barratt Bristol MD)

with Tim Bisp ,C om m erc ia son lark r, C cto ire lD

Our reputation for taking health & safety seriously was recognised ell Glimstea ss earlier in the year when our Commercial Director Tim Bisp was Ru presented with a health and safety award by Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter.

s Evan

Their Managing Director Paul Moran and Operations Director Russell Glimstead (now MD at Barratt Bristol) praised us for our considerable efforts in achieving “outstanding performance” in health and safety.

We’ve been working with BDW Exeter on numerous prestigious sites over the past six years.

“We take our health and safety responsibilities on site very seriously indeed and it is very satisfying that such an important and longstanding customer has recognised our commitment in this way,” said Tim. “This award was completely out of the blue and our site staff are pleased that the efforts they make to reduce accidents at work are valued by our customers,” he added.

TOOL BOX TALK REINVENTED

M

at

tG

,H ank ilb

& ealth

Safety Manager,

Clar kso n

Ev an

s

We’re thinking outside the box when delivering important toolbox talks on health and safety.

Gone are the days of dreary presentations. We’ve gone all high-tech and are using videos, often filmed on site, to hammer home important safety messages.

Our Health and Safety Manager Matt Gilbank (pictured) has become a confident presenter in front of the camera and feedback from our electricians is that they’re enjoying the revised format.

We’ve been awarded a Gold Award from RoSPA, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, for the past eight years – further evidence that we’re maintaining the high standards of health and safety management that is so important in the construction industry.

15

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

ANSWERING THE CALL OF

Electricians from Clarkson Evans have helped to transform the home of 17-year-old Paralympic hopeful Scott Jones when they joined the crew of DIY SOS: The Big Build.

Clarkson Evans’ team on location with the DIY SOS team

16

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

We were one of the first contractors to approach the show’s producers when a request went out for experienced electricians to join the team.

has suffered several strokes and in 2013 became paralysed from the sternum down – has regained much of the independence he lost aged 12.

Senior Team Leader Andy Gill, Specialist Electrician Nigel Mather and even our Technical Manager Sheridan Russell and Production Director Nathan Evans pulled out all the stops by joining the team on site.

Scott and his family only found out what had been done when they returned to their family home in Cheltenham.

Details of the build cannot be revealed until the show airs in early 2016 but it means Scott – who

Our team bonded so well with DIY SOS Electrician Billy Byrne that they joined him for a game of golf and invited him to visit our head office in Gloucester to meet some of our backroom staff.

Billy Byrne

been a fan of the programme for some time and “I’d so jumped at the chance of getting involved. They were long days on site but there was such a good atmosphere among all the trades and everyone had a smile on their face.

guys from Clarkson Evans have been brilliant and “The it’s been great to have Andy Gill at the helm of the electricians.

I’ve kept in touch with a number of the lads and we plan to get together over a beer when the programme is eventually aired!

If I had to give Clarkson Evans a mark out of 10 I’d give them 30. There’s been no waiting around for materials and everything’s been here when we’ve needed it.

Andy Gill, Clarkson Evans, Senior Team Leader

Billy Byrne, Electrician, DIY SOS

“

17

“

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

@ClarksonEvans

TEEING OFF THE WELSH WAY Celtic Manor Resort was the perfect venue for this year’s Clarkson Evans Golf Day

18

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

The new venue pulled in the players with an impressive 36 teams joining us for a glorious autumn day of golf on the championship Montgomerie course.

With bacon rolls for breakfast and a well-stocked halfway house to help keep everyone energised our teams representing Barratt, Bovis, Bloor, David Wilson, Galliford Try, Linden, Persimmon, Redrow and Taylor Wimpey soon got into the swing of the day.

As always we tried not to take the golf too seriously. Despite this there were some impressive performances.

At the nineteenth hole Royal Variety Show comedian Rod Woodward entertained us with his own brand of Welsh humour and soulful singers Grace & Marvin topped off the evening with a few mellow tunes.

After this year’s success we’re pencilled in to make an autumn return to Celtic Manor on 23 September – taking exclusive use of both the Montgomerie and Roman Road courses to accommodate the extra interest.

A full album of photos from the day is available on our facebook page - facebook.com/ClarksonEvans 19

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

WE ARE THE (CHARITY)

CHAMPIONS Our caring staff helped to boost the coffers of a number of local and national charities with a series of fundraising antics this year.

Bakers have baked, footballers have scored and the crazy chaps in the commercial team shaved their heads - all in the name of charity!

Comic Relief kicked off our fundraising year with staff donning red noses and tucking into tasty treats baked by their colleagues.

With a fleet of nearly 400 vehicles, we armed a number of our vans with red noses and pledged to donate an additional ÂŁ5 for staff who followed our example and purchased noses for their company vehicles. Our team effort resulted in a fantastic donation being made to Comic Relief.

20

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

In August, Sam Mason, Federico Hale-Perez, Jarrod du Val, Joe Wakeman, Dan Long, Luke Todd, Leigh Dangerfield, Carl Gough, Charlie Gellert, Alex Shirra from the commercial teams, along with electrician Bradley Grainger, assessor Brian Johnston and senior stores assistant Dan Strange “Braved the Shave” for Macmillan Cancer Care.

By losing their luscious locks the commercial team smashed their original target of £1,000, raising an eventual £2,192.43.

Quantity Surveyor Sam Mason was the inspiration for getting involved in this fundraising initiative.

The 27-year-old had to undergo extensive treatment and surgery for throat cancer but is now thankfully completely free of the disease.

Other notable fundraising highlights for 2015 include our sponsorship of the Rowcroft Hospice Colour Road Rush in Devon, Quantity Surveyor Dan Rasdale’s tough 13k Spartan South Wales Sprint in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Electrician Lee Pascoe’s London Marathon efforts in aid of Whizz-Kidz.

We ended on a high with a repeat of our Children in Need efforts of last year. HR Administrator Jo Drinkwater and Purchase Ledger Assistant Becky Wood were crowned “Bake Off Champions” and staff got into the spirit of the day by dressing up as their favourite super hero. A total of £2,000 was raised for the children’s charity.

Watch this space for further fundraising antics in 2016!

21

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

E W N , U R NIF A E Y OR W M E N After 15 years we felt it was time to modernise and improve the performance features of the uniform worn by our site-based staff.

To make sure our staff stand out from the crowd on site, we’re introducing a new blue hard hat.

All t-shirts and polo shirts are now being produced using the same lightweight, high performance, breathable and quick-drying fabric similar to high quality sports shirts.

Staff also have the choice of a lightweight soft-shell gilet, or a jacket with sleeves. They’re warm and showerproof, without being heavy.

We’ve also introduced a warm fleece hoody as well as our traditional round neck sweatshirt, printed front and back with our new logo.

We’ve updated our high-visibility workwear with refreshed branding front and back.

“Feedback from staff about the new uniform has

been extremely positive. We’re proud of our team and how they look on site speaks volumes about us as a company.

“

Darren Turley, Operations Director.

22

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

TOP OF THE COCO POPS

We know that our staff work hard on site and that much of what they do is physically demanding.

That’s why, for as long as we can remember, we’ve offered our staff the opportunity to tuck into a healthy bowl of cereal, toast and fruit juice before they start work.

Working on housing development sites can be physically demanding and we think it’s the least we can do to provide our staff with a healthy meal before they start work.

We’re convinced our breakfast perk sets staff up for the day and means our electricians and apprentices are better placed to work effectively on site.

We always mention our free breakfasts during our apprenticeship recruitment days and it is certainly a staff benefit that people seem to value.

“

“ Our breakfast policy helps to build team spirit and

camaraderie, with electricians and apprentices having chance to chat together and agree plans for the day ahead.

Nathan Evans, Production Director.

In a typical week our staff consume:

120 VES LOA

OF

D A E R B

366

LITRES OF

MILK

1 4 1 103 LITRES OF PLE

POTS PORR

OF

IDGE

AP E RANG

E C I U J 23

@ClarksonEvans

ok,

Steve C o

We now own the registered design for the noggin and 30,000 have already been manufactured for use by our site-based staff.

had a genuinely positive “We’ve reaction to the noggin from our electricians, as the new product is easier to fit and more accurate than its timber counterpart. Staff are already saying they couldn’t do without them now.

“

Leigh Mason, Technical Director.

24

Using the latest 3D printer technology a prototype of the noggin was produced and samples road-tested on site.

Local Gloucester company Injection Moulding Ltd was then commissioned to produce an injection moulding tool.

hnic al

Dir e

cto r, C lar k

s

Technical Director Leigh Mason and Technical Manager Sheridan Russell are always looking to streamline processes and introduce new systems to provide a better quality finish for our customers.

Following feedback from our electricians, the technical team spent three months designing and commissioning the production of a plastic noggin, which will complement the current timber noggins, used to fix socket back boxes into stud walls.

with Leigh Mason, Tec

an Ev

A new plastic noggin, designed by our in-house technical team, is improving the process for fitting socket back boxes into stud walls.

Ltd ing

n

Ma nag ing

, or

n tio ec j n I

uld Mo

so

USE YOUR NOGGIN!

Di re ct

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2015

G N I N I TRA

It was back in the first ever edition of Connect magazine in 1999 that we announced the official opening of our new training facility.

At the time we had only 112 staff and had just opened our Newport branch. Now our staff numbers have reached 700 and the need for our in-house training is greater than ever before.

We have invested heavily in our training facilities during 2015, completely revamping our main workshop and creating an extra IT suite in Gloucester.

We have also introduced a new outdoor core drilling facility to teach apprentices how to carry out this essential task with care and precision.

With our branch network expansion we have created new ‘learning hubs’ at our Bracknell and Exeter premises and our Birmingham centre is now being used on a weekly basis for apprenticeship training.

2016 is set to see a complete revamp of our practical training centre and the doubling in size of our AM2 test facilities.

Main training centre Learning hubs

25

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

CARDTASTIC CHRISTMAS CREATIONS NER

WIN

WINNER

Daisy Walker, age 7

WIN

NER

Isabelle Lewarne-Shortman, age 3

WINN

ER

Joshua Mulholland, age 2

Harry Young, age 7

26

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

We had such a positive response to last year’s hand-designed Christmas cards, we decided to let the kids in on the action again.

We were blown away by the standard of the 53 entries we received and so chose six eventual winners. Well done to Daisy Walker, Harry Young, Georgia Godwin, Isla Hayward, Joshua Mulholland and Isabelle Lewarne-Shortman. All of them share the great honour of having their designs used for our company Christmas cards, sent to all staff and customers.

ER

NN

WI

Isla Hayward, age 2

WIN

NER

Georgia Godwin, age 12

All of the entries received are now on our facebook to page to view - facebook.com/ClarksonEvans 27

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

@ClarksonEvans

UNSUNG HEROES

There are a number of unsung heroes that quietly get on with their jobs but who make a significant contribution to our business. Here we celebrate a handful of those individuals and share with you why we think they are at the top of their game…

Hannah Sparrow

Our Senior HR Administrator, has a reputation for being the “go-to person” who everyone likes to deal with and who knows the answer to any staff queries. She has an encyclopaedic memory and a knack for putting a face to a name with every member of our workforce.

Mike Mumford

Mike has stepped into the breach this year taking over the running of Staverton Electrical Supplies when Director Richard Evans was away from work due to ill-health. A longstanding member of the SES team, Mike can be relied upon to pull out all the stops to make things happen for our site-based teams.

28

Gemma Martin

Our Payroll and Accounts Administrator processes the wages of 580 site-based staff every Tuesday.

With most of them paid on price instead of a set wage, this is no mean feat. She also handles a whopping 145 expense and mileage claims each week so it has to be a smooth operation.

Lee Chivers

Lee heads up our customer care team ensuring that we provide a first-class service to homeowners booking aftercare and alarm maintenance visits.

Work doesn’t stop for Lee just because it’s the evening or weekend – he’s always on hand to monitor calls received and make sure we respond.

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

SITE SUPERVISORS

OFFER ADDITIONAL SUPPORT We’ve introduced a new role of site supervisor into our career structure to give our senior team leaders the opportunity to step up and take more responsibility whilst remaining predominantly ‘on the tools’.

The new positions give us the chance to reward our most experienced electricians but also provide an additional level of support to our customers.

Our 20 newly appointed site supervisors are already proving their worth and easing some of the burden from their area managers. They’re also developing strong working relationships with our customers.

Feedback has been extremely positive and we’re looking to appoint further site supervisors during 2016.

Birmingham-based Liam Hynes was the very first senior team leader to be promoted to site supervisor earlier this year. Liam was chosen to pioneer the new role because of his productivity, his track record of turning out top quality work and his willingness to take full responsibility for his sites.

He now runs a number of sites throughout the West Midlands, managing one sub-team and attending all production meetings on his dedicated sites.

A former award-winning apprentice with us, Liam has worked his way from the bottom to the top in just six years and is a great example to other apprentices of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication.

“Liam never makes a song and dance about things – he and his

teams turn out top quality work week in, week out, and lots of it. He’s an all-round top bloke and I wish we had more like him.

“

Steve Evans, Managing Director.

29

@ClarksonEvans

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

A DAY AT THE RACES We’re a sociable bunch here at Clarkson Evans and live by the saying

“work hard, play hard!”

More than 260 staff from across the company descended on Cheltenham Racecourse in November for our biggest ever annual trip to The Paddy Power Gold Cup Day.

Champagne corks were popping, the Guinness was flowing and (thankfully!) most people managed to hold onto their hats.

All pictures from the day are available on our facebook page - facebook.com/ClarksonEvans 30

There was plenty of horsing around in Cheltenham long after the last race and lots of opportunity to share stories about the day.

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

www.clarksonevans.co.uk

NEW BRAND CEMENTS FAMILY HERITAGE

1981

It’s thirty five years since current MD Steve Evans founded the company in 1981. Throughout the 1980s Steve traded as Evans Electrical until teaming up with former apprentice Steve Clarkson in the early 90s.

Several years have now passed since ‘Steve C’ left the company for pastures new so we decided the time was right to refresh our brand.

The new logo is being rolled out across the branch network, with a fresher, more contemporary look. The Evans name also features more prominently, reflecting the roots of the business and the strong family feel that continues today.

The new brand has been well-received by customers and staff alike and will help to support our ongoing expansion plans in 2016 and beyond.

2016

STRIKING A SPONSORSHIP DEAL FOR CLARKSON EVANS Teamwork developed through sport has helped many of our apprentices and electricians fit in well as part of our site-based set up.

For that reason sport is a firm fixture at Clarkson Evans with a number of staff participating in sports teams throughout our branch network.

With our new brand hot off the press we responded to Customer Care Manager Lee Chivers’ request to sponsor kit for the football team he helps to manage, Hardwicke AFC in Gloucester.

It seemed fitting to get involved with the club, especially considering employees Dan Rasdale, Russell Smith and Scott Hayward are key players within the team.

Our distinctive logo now features prominently on the club’s historic blue and white strip.

Our successful brand has clearly helped to support the club’s improving fortunes with the team retaining a respectable mid-table position in the Gloucestershire County League this season after securing promotion through an impressive seven divisions.

31

Clarkson Evans | Connect 2016

w

ns.co.uk

rksoneva a l c . w w w

vans

onE @Clarks

@

o.uk

hq@

evans.c clarkson