James Bevis Managing Director
Foreword
Welcome readers to the fourth issue of our 1872 magazine. A summer issue, and the time of year which heralds an opportunity to get away for a break and to recharge the batteries. I’m sure many of our clients are looking forward to some summer sunshine, but at Exyte Hargreaves we’re also focused on delivering both for our major projects and on a number of exciting campaigns.
In this issue of 1872, we include an extended feature on our apprentices, both current and future. Our previous magazine described some of the challenges we’ve all experienced in navigating the talent market. We continue the story in 1872 issue 4
with a summary of the overwhelming success seen by our Engineering Young Talent (EYT) 2024 apprentice recruitment (pages 4 to 9).
Our main article looks at Hinkley Point C – currently our largest nuclear sector project. The Exyte Hargreaves HPC project team has built a reputation for quality delivery down in the South West. We’ll show you some of the fantastic work being delivered on the UK’s first new nuclear facility in three decades (pages 12 to 13).
Product innovation has always been at the cornerstone of the Hargreaves business, for the simple fact that
nobody else does specialist HVAC at the scale and quality we can deliver. We also include a diary of our recent successful fire duct tests in Madrid, Spain (pages 10 to 11).
By the time you’re reading this the Euro 2024 football tournament will have begun. As an Englandbased business with a German parent company, there is a lot of interest in its outcome. We have employees supporting not just England, but Scotland, Poland, Italy, Spain and other teams. I hope our readers enjoy this latest summer of sport, the election campaign and any other activities this summer. Is it coming home?
NEWS IN BRIEF
Here’s a quick look at some of the recent news from Exyte Hargreaves.
Glaston-Bury Headliners
We are delighted to be announced as the Headline Sponsors of this year’s Glaston-Bury festival. Since 2008, this annual local music festival has raised more than £300,000 for Bury Hospice and other local charities. We’re looking forward to a bank holiday weekend of music and memories on 26 August.
Our recruitment team was delighted to be invited as an exhibitor to the recent Ex-Forces Recruitment event by Morson Talent. Held at the AJ Bell stadium in Manchester, we had the opportunity to meet a number of service veterans who were looking to change careers since leaving the armed forces. Our Head of EHS, Neil Taylor (himself an ex-serviceman), joined our recruitment team to offer his insight.
How are we performing on your project?
Look out in your inbox for a short client feedback survey. We’re asking clients on all our projects to score Exyte Hargreaves on our project performance in a number of key indicators. We’d be grateful for any comments you can make which will help us continue improving and delivering on our projects.
Ex-Forces Recruitment
Engineering Young Talent
Special Feature: Introduction / About EYT
Engineering Young Talent
The Engineering Young Talent (EYT) programme is the Exyte Hargreaves apprenticeship scheme. In an industry where talent is scarce, the existing workforce is ageing and career paths are often ill-planned, our EYT programme aims to build skills for life.
The EYT programme was introduced not only to address the skills shortage and establish a pipeline of high quality skilled employees within the industry but also to provide a diverse local community youth employment opportunities, whilst keeping our 150 year+ brand heritage local.
EYT is not just about engineering apprenticeships. It is open to the whole business and has facilitated learning for young professionals across a variety of disciplines. This has included Bids & Proposals, Quality, Health & Safety, Manufacturing, IT, Digital Innovation and Marketing.
EYT has its roots in the 1970s’. Several of our ‘Class of the 1970s’ former apprentices are now involved with our 2023 apprenticeship cohort as mentors and providing pastoral care. This ensures a legacy of learning and support as experienced is passed through the generations to facilitate consistency of product and service at Exyte Hargreaves.
Since the launch of EYT there have been 53 young people recruited. Former apprentices have now progressed into management roles. Others have remained with the business over the long term (the longest being almost 50 years). Some have since left the business, but have been retained by the wider industry and are making an impact within other companies.
Learning and Development is a passion for us. We make a commitment to support our apprentices academically as well as personally through our established pastoral teams. Shaping the next generation is a privilege we all share.
Jane Gregory, Learning & Development Coordinator
Engineering Young Talent
Special Feature:
Engineering Young Talent
Finding our Class of 2024
“On 7 February this year we held our EYT Party. This event had a dual purpose. It allowed us firstly to celebrate the achievements of all our current and past apprentices. But we also used the party to build our 2024 marketing campaign material with a photo shoot and video interviews.”
“Before we could advertise our vacancies there was a lot of preparatory work going on behindthe-scenes at Hargreaves. Line managers and department heads were asked about their apprenticeship requirements and then person specs were built in cooperation with the HR team.”
“The level of interest meant that it was necessary to arrange some assessment centres to help us whittle down the applicants. Our young professionals had an initial screening interview, took part in a fun team activity, did some peer-to-peer interviews and attempted our Hargreaves quiz. We were very impressed by the standard of our applicants – some fantastic young prospects!”
Since appointing our apprentice Class of 2023 in August last year, we got straight onto planning for our 2024 campaign. This is the story so far…
“Once the apprenticeship vacancies were confirmed, Exyte Hargreaves advertised them on the Government’s Apprenticeship Portal. They also work closely with local education providers (like Rochdale Training) who can advertise the vacancies to students directly.”
“In May, we launched our dedicated apprenticeship hub on the Exyte Hargreaves website. Our external marketing channels, including social media and an earlier issue of 1872, all helped to advertise our vacancies to young professionals and students. The response was overwhelming with more than 200 applications received!”
The next step for successful applicants will be a face-to-face interview with their prospective line manager. We hope to finalise our apprenticeship Class of 2024 by August.
Oli Muscat, Marketing Apprentice (Class of 2023)
Nathan Finn, Rochdale Training
Hilary Tew, HR Director
Jane Gregory, Learning & Development Coordinator
John Prydderch, Head of Marketing & Communications
Special Feature:
Focusing on the Future Engineering Young Talent
We’re actively in the search for our next group of apprentices for the Engineering Young Talent cohort of 2024. But how are our 2023 apprentices progressing? We spoke to their line managers to find out more…
Wes Kennedy & Zain Shahzad - Digital Innovation Apprentices
“Wes and Zain have quickly progressed into a key role within the digital team. Having mastered some of our key software and supported many of our users, they have now progressed onto important roles in the company’s Digital Projects and began incorporating some of our more complex software such as Fuzor 4D and ESTmep Databases.”
Rob Davies, Digital Innovation Manager
Oli Muscat - Marketing Apprentice
“Oli started quietly, but has quickly grown in confidence. His ability to take initiative and drive tasks forward is impressive and he’s fearless when taking responsibility. The connections that his family have to the business really helped him to settle and build relationships. I’m pleased too with the feedback I hear from his course tutors - he’s progressing well!”
John Prydderch, Head of Marketing & Communications
‘It’s so rewarding to see how all of our apprentices are growing in confidence and developing new skills that will help them achieve their personal career goals and will help EHL to deliver its business obligations.”
Hilary Tew, HR Director
Taylor Keenan-Garrod, Niall Birkitt and Donald Whitehead - Fabrication & Welding Apprentices
“Donald is a quick learner and is clearly capable. His college tutor says his college work is to a very good standard. He is likeable and popular. Has completed a welding coding. Currently working on HPC Nuclear island.”
“Taylor has learnt a lot of different tasks (Mark & Cut, Assembly, Tacking, Cutting and Drilling) and has got his first coding. He’s started tacking up flanges on HPC NI. He’s a likeable guy.”
“Niall has been working in the Folded section on HPC Nuclear Island. He helped manufacture and assemble the recent test ducting for Barcelona. Niall is a nice guy and funny. He’s completed his first coding.”
Lewis Hamilton, Production Supervisor
Oli Hurley - IT Apprentice
“Oliver has learned from both the IT and Digital team gaining valuable skills and knowledge in various areas of IT, such as software development, network administration, cybersecurity, data analysis, and cloud computing.
Beth Richards Business Development Apprentice
“Beth’s career at Exyte Hargreaves has got off to an incredible start. She has already made a significant impact and is a crucial member of the team. Through determination, dedication and hard work she has supported and delivered some of the organisation’s most complex bids including Sizewell C. Recently, Beth supported a presentation to Rolls Royce, something which is the very start of a 20+ year legacy for Hargreaves. Beth is an amazing asset to the organisation and will have a rewarding career within her chosen field.”
Ryan Gorman, Operations & Business Development Director
He has supported with industry-recognised certifications and credentials that can boost his development and career prospects. Oliver’s development has been great to see and extremely beneficial for him to advance in the IT field.
Oliver’s training will provide him with the practical experience, guidance, and opportunities for growth and learning.”
Mark Naylor, Head of Digital Innovation
“Watching the confidence grow in our apprentices, within their roles and with their peers over the past 9 months has been a pleasure. In such a short time in their apprenticeship journey they have all grown their knowledge and skills. I know they will all continue to achieve their learning and career goals over the coming months and years ahead. They are a great example for those who will follow in their footsteps this September.”
Jane Gregory, Learning & Development Coordinator
Engineering Young Talent
Product Testing Diaries:
Fire Duct
Have you ever wondered about the stringent process we go through to bring a new product to market? Recently, our fire duct products have been undergoing a successful series of tests in Barcelona, Spain. In this article we share with you some excerpts from the diary of our test representative:
The diary:
Wednesday 8 May, 2024
“Arrived at the test centre approximately 8.30am. Work has commenced on the installation process of the 1000 x 500 ductwork. Uni-strut frames have been erected within the furnace to secure the ductwork. Fire stopping has also been completed for the wall penetration with three layers of 12mm, 60min fire rated plasterboard around the duct work inside and outside of the furnace. I’m anticipating that the ductwork will be ready to test on Thursday.
Thursday 9 May, 2024
“The test started at approximately 3.00pm and was witnessed by me and Andrew Hodgson (Exyte Hargreaves Design Manager). The test’s objective was to see if the ductwork would stay structurally sound for over 2hrs in fire conditions. The ductwork was subjected to temperatures of over 1,000 degrees. Time was called on the test at 2hrs 10secs. The test was successful and the ductwork was certified.”
Monday 27 May, 2024
“Arrived at the test centre at approximately 8.30am. I was informed that all the ductwork had arrived on-site for test two. Having inspected the delivery and confirmed it was free from damage, I gave the go ahead to start the installation process.”
Tuesday 28 May, 2024
“I went straight onto the shop floor to check on the progress of the installation. The install has been completed with the ductwork suspended within the furnace as per the conditions of test one. The ductwork is in its final position and the firestopping of the wall penetration has started this morning.”
Thursday 30 May, 2024
“I was informed that the fire stopping had been completed. All uni-strut supports have been wrapped and the flame deflectors have been installed. The test will take place approximately Friday 10am here, 9am UK time.”
Friday 31 May, 2024
“The test is set to start at 10.20am. I had one last check of the ductwork and supports inside the furnace to double check everything. Everything seemed ok. The duct was exposed to temperatures of over 1,040 degrees. Video footage was taken at regular intervals. The test was successful, the ductwork was tested for 2hrs 10sec and had an air leakage rate of 7. The air leakage limit was 10.”
Main Feature Visiting Hinkley Point C
“I travelled to Bridgwater, Somerset from Lancaster taking nearly 6 hours. After arriving I stayed for the night at Cannington Court. In the morning taking the coach to Hinkley Point C I was definitely anticipating the size of the site as the main thing I’ve heard from others is the scale. The size of HPC is a two unit, 3,200 Mwe EPR. Expecting to generate electricity for up to six million homes in the UK.
I used the SiteWalk camera in the Conventional Island HF building. This software allows for digital site inspections to take place at HPC (using software called Dalux). We then had a safety briefing before climbing the HM building with the building and roof under construction. We definitely got our steps in on this visit!
Exyte Hargreaves is part of the project team on some truly transformational projects. Allowing our young professionals to experience the scale of these endeavours is vital to their development. It also shows them our HVAC systems in situ performing their intended functions.
This feature records the thoughts of our Marketing Apprentice, Oli Muscat, on his first visit to Hinkley Point C.
My first major site visited is HPC which is quite a feat knowing it’s the UK’s first new nuclear site in the last few decades. As an apprentice I’m grateful to have had this opportunity. It was great to meet our team over at HPC, touring us round the site, visiting all four buildings we are currently working in (including the brand new HYX building).
I appreciate Maisie Kendall (Project Engineer), Kathryn Murphy (EHS Advisor) and the rest of our project team taking time out their day to introduce me to the site and learning more about what Hargreaves do on this project.
The main reason for my visit was spending time with our site team, learning from them what Hargreaves has done so far in collaboration with the rest of Team Hinkley. We’ll use this in our future marketing campaigns as well as gathering site photography and product imagery to support those campaigns.
It was great to see our Site Operatives in action and discussing their work and the site itself. Filming them was easy going and they were very generous with their time. There was so much to take in on this site that it was difficult to just look around take it all in. Thank you to the Hinkley Point C team for this opportunity.”
Health
& Wellbeing
Joe Bamber: My Story
“An ambulance arrived after 7 minutes; I could just tell straight away that the paramedics knew there was something not right.”
It’s often easy to forget your health as we get caught up in the daily challenges that life brings. One of our Package Managers, Joe Bamber, shares his story.
“Pre-Christmas I was having funny turns where I collapsed in work. The paramedics on site checked my blood pressure, which was fine and put it down to a possible panic attack. Even my GP put it down to anxiety and stress and 9 out of 10 times that’s probably what it would have been. But we now know I was actually experiencing a mini stroke, which led to a bigger stroke in January this year
My Dad passed away a couple of years ago. The feelings I was getting in my head I put down to grief and anxiety, following the advice of my GP. Hargreaves helped me and arranged 10 sessions with a counsellor (this is available for all staff members). I’ve been seeing a counsellor regarding grief and anxiety since October last year. My stroke consultants have since explained that the apparent stress was a red herring. When I was lying on the couch at home with the pain in my head it wasn`t that I was “stressed” it was in fact me having restricted blood flow to my brain causing mini strokes.
Unfortunately for me I’ve got a narrow blood vessel behind my right eye which caused the stroke. I’d also crashed my car in the December, where I’d driven into a parked car. That incident they now believe was due to a stroke as well. So, I know there’s been at least two.
Then on 25th January I didn’t feel great. I went into work with the lads, and when I was walking across the car park, my legs went funny. I felt a hot rush coming inside of me, so I held onto the fence and told the lads I needed go back to the digs. A colleague drove me back. Getting out of the car I dropped my phone a couple of times, so I was thinking, “What’s going on here?” I got into bed, had a couple of hours sleep and then Steve Thomas (Head of Operations) rangme.Irememberhimsoundingconcernedandheasked another colleague (Gary South) to come round to check on me. I told him I was going to get ready and get back to work, but when I tried to move and put my shoes on, I lost my balance and collapsed. Gary asked if everything was okay and I asked him to give me a hand up, which he refused and said he was going to ring 999! At the time I wasn’t too happy but now I feel so grateful for Gary`s forward thinking and I genuinely believe I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for him.
An ambulance arrived after 7 minutes; I could just tell straight away that the paramedics knew there was something not right. They put me on a stretcher, and I was back in hospital in about 10 minutes. I was crying pretty much all the way. Gary was trying to reassure me, but I had no idea what was going on.
We got to hospital, and I was taken straight into resuscitation. They were doing all sorts of tests on me. I ended up on the Acute Stroke Unit ward in Royal Berkshire Hospital. James came to see me in the afternoon, but I was out of it at that stage. I wasn’t moving and my left arm wouldn’t move properly. I didn’t know that I couldn’t walk at that stage. It was only after I’d asked whether I’d be going home that night that they told me I’d be admitted for a couple of days at least. Two days passed and nothing really changed or improved. The physios came round to try and get me out of the bed and that’s when I discovered I couldn’t walk.
I couldn’t put one leg in front of the other. So, I was on a Zimmer frame with two physios holding me under each arm. I had to walk to the gym twice a day to try and get my legs going. After a couple more days I started managing to do it by myself. I was in hospital for two weeks and then got discharged to Liverpool. After that, I was having physio at home for three weeks every day. I finally got up and was discharged from physio after that. Once I was feeling better, I’ve returned to work slowly in Bury office.
What I’d like to say to everyone is that if you don’t feel right, go and get yourself checked out. We’ve got a company here that support us, and I want to thank the management team at Hargreaves for that. And on the other hand, if you are dealing with issues, we’ve got the counselling support available as well. It’s nothing to be afraid of or ashamed. I reached out to somebody, and they helped me. It was really good.
I received many positive messages, presents and support from my team mates while I was recuperating. And since I’ve come back, the support I’m getting from the company - I can’t fault it. I’m feeling positive now and I’m in a good frame of mind.”
INTERVIEW SHANE CROSBY
“I’m
Shane Crosby and I’m the new Head of Commercial at Exyte Hargreaves. I oversee the commercial department, implementing commercial strategy and processes with the wider team.”
What attracted you to join Exyte Hargreaves as Head of Commercial?
When I looked at the history of Exyte Hargreaves, one thing that brought me toward the company was the 150+ years of productivity within the market. We’ve got a fantastic set of clients and projects. I can only see the business going onwards and upwards in the future.
How have your first few months gone?
My first few months at Exyte Hargreaves have been fantastic. Lots of projects to get involved in, lots of strategic and implementation planning. We’ve got a fantastic commercial team, all engaged and wanting the same success for the delivery of the projects and working with the clients. It’s a great set of people working at Exyte Hargreaves. I can only see a bright future here.
What do you feel you bring to the Head of Commercial role which will benefit the business?
I bring a lot of commercial and contractual experience that can really raise the level of consistency across the board. I’ve got lots of experience in the nuclear industry working with large commercial teams, supporting the commercial delivery of the major projects. My first priority is implementation of commercial strategy and processes. I’ll also be working with the team to upskill them and ensure each individual has a personal environment which allows them to succeed.
Why is a strong Commercial function so important for an HVAC and engineering business like ours?
The commercial department is vital across every business. We’re predominantly looking at making sure everything is being correctly commercially managed financially and contractually. We’re also heavily involved in change management as a manufacturing business.
Have you been welcomed by your colleagues? What do you make of the existing team at Hargreaves?
I’ve had a very warm welcome from the leadership and executive teams and the wider delivery team across the business. There’s lots to learn, as well as bringing on new ideas and new strategies. It’s a fantastic environment. We have a unique manufacturing facility in Bury where everything is built in-house. The team is working incredibly hard to fulfil our client’s needs. I’ve also had a great experience visiting the live projects like HPC.
What would your message be to anyone looking for a new role and who are interested in joining Exyte Hargreaves?
We’re really working very well in a collaborative way and the client’s satisfaction is really high. As a new team member, I would say it’s a fantastic company to work for with lots projects to get involved in. Come and join Exyte Hargreaves!
Shane Crosby Head of Commercial
SNEAK PEEK: OUR 2025 OFFICE REFURB
We’re really proud of our Bury home, but that’s not to say we couldn’t improve it. We’re really excited to have received the concept designs for our forthcoming office refurbishment. With special thanks to Penketh Group who are collaborating with us on the design.
We look forward to showing our clients and stakeholders round once it completes next year.
Here are some of our latest images capturing some of our favourite moments across the team. Follow @ExyteHargreaves on LinkedIn for the latest updates from #DuctWorld
