An Exyte Group Company
Issue 1: Autumn 2023
The official magazine from Hargreaves
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
Cobotics:
Upgrade your Specialist HVAC
07
Features:
04 08
Manufacturing Investment
Go with the Co...
11 15
Defence Sector’s Best Kept Secret
Supporting the Shakers
The official magazine from Hargreaves
An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
NEWS IN BRIEF
James Bevis
Managing Director
Here’s a quick look at some of the recent news from Exyte Hargreaves.
Foreword
I’m pleased to be writing this introduction to 1872 magazine, a brand new publication from Exyte Hargreaves. Why 1872? Well, as you may know, Hargreaves is more than 150 years old. Our magazine title harks back to our roots in UK manufacturing. Back in 1872, Henry Hargreaves & Sons began building their reputation in the manufacture of bicycles. Over the centuries and decades since, we’ve grown into one of the largest and most experienced providers of specialist Ventilation systems in the world. Our history is very important to us, but this certainly won’t be a retrospective publication. We aim to release 1872 once per quarter. There’s a lot to talk about and we want to bring you an informative and interesting summary of all our activity – out on projects, in the factory and behind-the-scenes in our Bury Head Office. In Issue 1, our lead story is definitely Future Focussed. Cobotics (page 7) is a special feature which gives an insight into a programme of capital investment in our manufacturing facility. Speaking of Future Focus, you can read about that and our other Company Values on page 4.
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An ESH Moment
Dewi Watson is a Site Supervisor on one of our major Defence sector projects.
Our client recently highlighted Dewi’s commitment to safety on site via an ESH Observation Award. eObservations are critical on site and around the office and
Dewi’s proactive, quick thinking solved a potential trip hazard. It was one of around 100+ observations that his team submit on site each month to maintain our commitment to a Nuclear Safety Culture. Congratulations to Dewi and the team! It is a year since I came into role at Exyte Hargreaves. Working with our team and meeting our clients has been an absolute joy. There are many things we aspire to do and you can expect to read about all our new initiatives in the forthcoming issues of 1872 magazine. However, our overriding priority is to continue delivering our projects safely, on time and on budget. I hope you enjoy reading the first issue of 1872. Please send any feedback, suggestions or questions to 1872@exyte-hargreaves.net
Our magazine title harks back to our roots in UK manufacturing. Back in 1872, Henry Hargreaves & Sons began building their reputation in the manufacture of bicycles.
Dewi (left) presented with his award by Glen Nolan (Package Manager)
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An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
MANUFACTURING INVESTMENT
Engineering Young Talent
CLASS OF 2023
Social Networking Name: Ryan O’Neil Role: Package Manager Project: Hinkley Point C Talks about: #HPC #Leadership #Family Let’s Connect
The brand-new Laser Cutter, Press Brake and Robotic Welding Cell have accelerated a programme of capital investment, supported by our parent company Exyte Group. This investment will help to ensure Exyte Hargreaves remains at the forefront of UK Manufacturing. Clients can expect more efficiency and accuracy in the fabrication process. Read more about our Robotic Welding Cell in this month’s special feature. Our manufacturing investment will be covered in more detail in 1872 #2
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Name: Ryan O’Neil
#HVAC
Role: Project Manager
Project: Hinkley Point C
Talks about: #HPC #HVAC #Leadership #Family
Let’s Connect
NEWLY LAUNCHED
Our factory team have been getting to grips with three new fabrication machines, delivered to Lord Street recently.
SOCIAL NETWORKING
We recently welcomed a new crop of apprentices to Exyte Hargreaves. Our new recruits will be joining our Manufacturing, Marketing, Business Development, BIM and IT teams. We wish them all luck on their career journeys.
NEW WEBSITE
We’ve recently launched a brand new website. It’s an exciting upgrade for our digital channels and we have a programme of new developments coming to the website in the coming months. Please check it out!
exyte-hargreaves.net 4.
OUR VALUES An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
DEDICATION We take ownership of our actions, keep our commitments and go the extra mile to achieve successful results. Dedication in practice This is our Production Controller, Barry Collingwood. In his 49-year career with Exyte Hargreaves he’s worn many hats, but it’s down to Barry and the team to make sure that all our product is manufactured on time and to spec.
SAFETY
Integrity in practice:
Future Focus in practice:
Respecting and upholding these values will help us achieve future success together. 5.
Dalux SiteWalk is a brilliant innovation sponsored by our Digital Innovation team and in use on Hinkley Point C to digitise site inspections. It offers a bridge between our site and office operations.
COLLABORATION What it means to us: We are one team at Exyte Hargreaves, with a transparent environment built on mutual respect. We build solution-driven teams. Collaboration in practice: Our Apprenticeship Induction day brought together teams from around the business to introduce their departments and responsibilities. It was the perfect insight into life at Exyte Hargreaves for our new starters.
COLLABORATION
Our Exyte Code of Conduct is one of several core training courses assigned to incoming employees and delivered via our online platform – Success Factors.
FUTURE FOCUS We shape the future by driving innovation and approaching future requirements with creativity and a will to change.
INTEGRITY
We are trustworthy and reliable, building relationships with all stakeholders built on honesty and transparency.
A 12-month project to deliver a new Integrated Management System (IMS) has just been completed. A 360 degree digitisation of our project approach promises greater quality and consistency in future.
What it means to us:
INTEGRITY What it means to us:
We adhere to the highest standards of quality. Our knowledge and experience translates to efficient and pragmatic project delivery.
FUTURE FOCUS
Our Incident Free Workplace programme was pioneered by our parent company – Exyte Group. Regular toolbox talks are delivered to our teams discussing important safety tips.
SAFETY
Safety in practice:
What it means to us:
Excellence in practice:
What it means to us: We live “safety first” and want to make sure everyone comes to work and goes home safe at the end of each day.
EXCELLENCE
EXCELLENCE
Our company values are the guiding principles for our behaviour at Exyte Hargreaves, when dealing with our clients, other stakeholders and colleagues internally. Here’s what each of them means to us and how we’re demonstrating our values each day at work.
DEDICATION
What it means to us:
6.
CoBotics
UPGRADE YOUR SPECIALIST HVAC 7.
Special feature
Go with the Co… Visiting the Manufacturing facility at our Lord Street premises is an experience in and of itself. Sitting in the heart of Bury, mere minutes from the town centre, our factory is steeped in history. It has produced specialist ventilation systems for some of the most notable infrastructure projects both in the UK and globally. Wembley, Sellafield, the Channel Tunnel, Chernobyl – just the tip of an impressive legacy stretching back over a century.
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The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
Teamwork Dreamwork Supreme Work Apart from the obvious history, there is another factor that immediately identifies our Bury Factory: noise. A cacophonus blend of sounds which serves to describe the activities of the shop floor. Within the various production bays, a plethora of manual skills are on show at any given moment. From welds, to folds, to cuts and many more. It is UK manufacturing in its purest form. This is the application of knowledge used to transform steel into something much more. The team itself is diverse in experience. It mixes graduates and apprentices with people like Barry and Fred Brackley (with a collective timeserved in ductwork manufacture of almost 100 years). It is a department unlike any other, either in the company or the wider sector. This magazine would respectfully boast that they are the best and most experienced production team anywhere. Period.
Exyted to Invest After James became Managing Director in 2022, improvements to the factory became an important priority for the business. There was recognition and agreement amongst the leadership team that, in order to reap the full benefits of the manufacturing team’s skillset, the people needed the very best operating environment. A multimillion pound phased investment strategy was proposed to Exyte Group in Q4 2022. It has received wholehearted support and backing from our parent company. The upgrade work has now begun in earnest. Our jewel in the crown is delivery of the first Robotic Welding Cell in the company’s history. 9.
Arm in Arm
R and D too
The attraction of robotics in manufacturing is evident. In other sectors, such as motoring and logistics, the use of automation is already commonplace. So the overarching benefits of robotic welding – efficiency, ease-of-use, accuracy and portability – are obvious.
Installation of the robotic welding cell now kicks off a 12-month cycle of research and development for our manufacturing team. We have already commenced some test welds. The obvious end goal for Exyte Hargreaves is to gain client acceptance to use the technology for product delivery on an active project. Key to this process is demonstrating the capability of the new technology to our clients. We anticipate a full programme of events over the next year as activity with the robot ramps up. Keep watching our communications feeds for details. This will include a launch event live from the Manufacturing facility in the near future.
Explaining the most crucial benefit for Hargreaves and our clients requires a look at how the products are marketed. Our supply partner (Migatronic) describes the machines as ‘CoWelders’ or ‘welding assistants’. They are exactly that. Companions to our manufacturing team. An upgrade to unlock the art of the possible. In practice, the ‘cobots’ are full controlled by an operative using a tablet. The robotic arm has a working radius of 1300mm. With a programmable range of movement in excess of human capability, it can weld faster and more accurately in certain situations. The CoWelders are an additional tool in the arsenal of a skilled welder.
“It’s an exciting time for Hargreaves with the investment coming into the factory. Everything we’re doing from equipment upgrades, to training and process improvement is geared towards delivering our projects for clients on time, within budget and safely.” Steve Thomas, Head of Operations
Coming in 1872 #2 In the next issue we’ll look at other improvements made in the manufacturing facility. Specifically, delivery of our new Laser Cutting machine and Press Brake. We’ll examine the major benefits and impact upon product delivery onto site. 10.
An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
The Defence Sector’s Best Kept Secret
In a story of more than 150 years, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of stories we can shout about at Exyte Hargreaves. Projects like Chernobyl’s Safe Containment Arch are globally recognised; Hinkley Point C is a cornerstone of UK energy policy and is rightly celebrated; even HS2 creates its own headlines. And of course, we love talking about our manufacturing facility as you’ve read elsewhere in issue 1. Some aspects of our work are less well known, however. And if you’ll pardon the pun, the reasons they fly under the radar are very good ones. Designing. Delivering. Defending. As the pre-eminent specialist HVAC contractor in the sector, Exyte Hargreaves has or is currently working on most of the major Defence infrastructure projects in the UK. Often, in high security environments like those typical to Defence, it’s not simply a case of how a HVAC system moves air around the building. Our Engineering solutions provide safe environments within safety critical facilities. The process oftens begins in our Bury Head Office utilising our multidisciplinary teams led by our skilled project management teams. The project life cycle quite often begins with design then switching to Manufacturing, utilising DfMA and modularisation to minimise time on site. Finally delivery on site with experience and security-cleared operatives who possess decades of experience on Defence projects. An established UK SME, experienced in solving technical engineering challenges within safety critical environments, and renowned within the Defence sector. Seems like a secret worth sharing.
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Design
Services
Survey
Engineering
Procurement Manufacture
Off-Site Assembly
Key Benefits Safety
Installation
Programme
Testing Environmental & Sustainability Commissioning Digital Quality
Collaboration
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An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
Exyte Hargreaves are delighted to be involved with the IMechE’s Nuclear Ventilation 2023 conference.
Taking place every two years and bringing all engineers together face-to-face for the first time since 2019, the conference is a unique opportunity to collaborate, learn about the outcomes of recent projects and understand how to ensure safe and compliant ventilation across different nuclear sites. For the first time, we are proud to be contributing to the conference agenda for 2023:
1. 2. 3.
Presentation on DFMA & Modularisation in Nuclear HVAC Representatives will be on hand in the busy exhibition area and networking breaks Attendees can continue discussions and outline specific requirements on our stand
We are excited to share our expertise across the two-days; if you would like to join us and save 20%, simply contact the IMechE’s eventenquiries@imeche.org and mention code SPEAKER20.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
Supporting the Shakers We’re delighted to be sponsoring our local football club, Bury FC, ahead of the 2023/24 season. Back in 2019, this famous club was expelled from League Two and the town of Bury lost an important part of its heritage. Now, after several years in the wilderness, Bury FC is back under the management of a fan-owned leadership model. We spoke with Exyte Hargreaves’ Draughtsman (and Bury FC fan) Jurgen Johnson’, about why the club is so important to the local community.
Jurgen, why did Exyte Hargreaves decide to sponsor Bury FC? Both Exyte Hargreaves and Bury Football Club are closely linked to the DNA of our local area. Hargreaves was formed in 1872 and Bury FC not long afterwards in 1885. Both have supported the town of Bury – as an employer, as an income source and as a part of our identity as a community. It’s right that we play our part in bringing local football back to Bury.
How have the fans worked to keep the club alive? 300 fans came together to form Bury AFC, a phoenix club, after the league side went into administration. Membership grew over the next couple of years, withstanding the pressures of COVID, and reaching over 1,000 supporters who each made a small monthly donation to support running costs. This fan-led activity was vital in helping to keep football alive in Bury until the Gigg Lane ground could be saved. It’s a remarkable story. What have Exyte Hargreaves committed to in sponsorship? Exyte Hargreaves is a co-sponsor of the South Stand at Gigg Lane. But we don’t see our support in merely financial terms. We’re working together with the team at Bury FC to raise the exposure of the club and ultimately (hopefully) working with them as the club rises up the leagues. It’s a long-term project as far as we’re concerned. What’s it like seeing football again at Gigg Lane? There’s a really special atmosphere at the ground on match days. When the club went bankrupt, people were in tears. Everyone felt lost. Seeing everyone back... you can just tell how much it means to people. Nobody dared hope we’d be in this position again. And it’s down to the fans that we’re here today.
#BuryFC #ShakersTogether #PartOfIt
How did the sponsorship opportunity come about? The club has been really active on social media as the return to football edged nearer. I’d seen an advert seeking sponsors on LinkedIn and forwarded it to our Head of Marketing. John got in touch with the club and things happened very quickly after that. There was a willingness on both sides to work together. What makes the Bury FC project special? The club was effectively lost in 2019, following insurmountable financial problems. That it exists again today is down to the fans. Ordinary people have come together, volunteering their free time to bring their club back. Speak to the team down at Gigg Lane (the club’s ground) and they won’t describe it as a football project. There’s so much more to it. This is about community engagement and creating something which will help to revive a relatively deprived area.
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An Exyte Group Company
The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
Edition one
An Exyte Group Company
Meet our Leadership team The Exyte Hargreaves Magazine
The official magazine from Hargreaves
James Bevis
Ryan Gorman
Hilary Tew
Neil Taylor
Managing Director Joined: 1 October 2022 Let’s Connect
HR Director Joined: 25 October 2021 Let’s Connect
Neil Harrison
Finance & Commercial Director Joined: 6 July 2021 Let’s Connect
David Cree
Head of Quality & Governance Joined: 20 May 2019 Let’s Connect
Steve Thomas
Role: Head of Operations Joined: 8 January 2022
Business Development & Operations Director Joined: 11 March 2013 Let’s Connect
Head of ESH Joined: 6 February 2023 Let’s Connect
Nick Shepherd
Head of Commercial Joined: 22 August 2016 Let’s Connect
Mark Naylor
Head of Digital Innovation Joined: 22 March 2021
John Prydderch
Head of Marketing & Communications Joined: 22 August 2022 Let’s Connect