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08/09/2010
GLOBETROTTING OIL RIGGER TAKES UP DRAIN DOCTORING
Former shipbuilder, oil rigger and world traveller Simon Tait (34) is putting down roots and has now started his own plumbing and drainage business.
Steel fabricator Simon has taken on a franchise business of Drain Doctor Plumbing and Drainage (www.draindoctor.co.uk) offering emergency plumbing and drain repairs to commercial and domestic customers in South Manchester covering Stockport, Macclesfield and the surrounding towns and villages.
Simon began his career as an apprentice steel fabricator in the Tyne shipyards where, among other things, he worked on ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. He has also worked in shipyards in France and Holland providing maintenance for ferries.
More recently Simon has worked on North Sea oil rigs maintaining the steel support structures and also plumbing maintenance within the accommodation area.
Spending increasing amounts of time away from home prompted Simon to think about more settled opportunities. Realising that he had the skills to run his own business he started looking for an opportunity. Despite the recession Simon felt that the time was right to start a business by sticking to an opportunity based on a tried and tested formula.
Simon said: “My partner Stacey and I went on an 12 month trip around the world. We started in China and travelled to Hong Kong, then down from Thailand, overland through Malaysia to Singapore then to Australia.
“We bought a camper van in Cairns and drove down the East coast of Australia to Sydney. We sold the van and bought a car which we took to Melbourne where we sold it. Then we flew to New Zealand and then travelled in South America before returning home.”
On their return Simon and Stacey decided to settle in Manchester where Stacey lives. Simon said: “I wanted to be my own boss and I was looking for an opportunity in Manchester. I looked at the Drain Doctor business and realised it is a great opportunity to develop.
“The business is not about sitting in the office waiting for the phone to ring. It is important to market properly. By working hard – and by following the Drain Doctor system that is there to help – success will follow, but it doesn’t happen over night. This was made clear right from the start.”
Simon will start with one fully equipped van and hopes to add another van with a technician within six months. Initially, Stacey, who works part time at Manchester Airport, will help with the administrative work.
“Stacey is going to start training as a nurse soon and when she gets her nursing degree I will have to employ a full-time member of staff. She has said that she is going to tell all her student nurse friends that she is dating a doctor – albeit a Drain Doctor!”
Outlining his plans for the business Simon added: “I aim to give businesses and householders in South Manchester and the surrounding area the same ‘dazzling’ level of service in plumbing and drainage which Drain Doctor provides across the rest of the country.
“My customers get fixed-price, no obligation quotes, a complete guarantee on all our work, and a full 24 hour per day seven day per week service with no call out charges – so people pay the same price for work at any time of day or night. What’s more, I turn up at the agreed time!”
Launched in the United Kingdom in 1993, Drain Doctor Plumbing quickly grew to become the country's largest emergency plumbing and drain repair service. It now provides a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service across the country with each franchise area such as Manchester South run as an independent business.
•Drain Doctor Plumbing - 0800 70 71 72.
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07/09/2010
LARKFLEET HOMES SPONSORS LOCAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION AWARDS
Bourne-based house builder and developer Larkfleet Homes (www.larkfleethomes.co.uk) is sponsoring Peterborough City Council’s Design and Construction Awards (http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/planning_and_building/design_and_construction_awards.aspx) to help promote new technology in the city’s buildings.
The awards, organised for the first time this year, are intended to recognise the efforts made by owners, designers and builders to improve the standard of design and construction.
There are ten categories in total and the winners of the ‘technical innovation and sustainable construction’ category will be handed their prize by a Larkfleet representative.
The winning development in this category will be judged to be the most sustainable development in relation to energy efficiency, water consumption, waste management and renewable energy provision.
This particular award presentation is especially relevant to Larkfleet Homes as the company is leading the way in reducing the ‘carbon footprint’ of homes, building houses that are more energy-efficient than those of any other builder operating in this area as well as retrofitting existing homes with energy-saving technologies.
Larkfleet’s energy-efficient focus is also part of its business practices. Recently 10 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed at the company’s head office to reduce its carbon emissions.
Karl Hick, managing director of Larkfleet Homes, commented: “The company is very pleased to be sponsoring these awards, especially as they are running for the first time this year.
“Larkfleet Homes is committed to supporting local businesses and these awards will celebrate achievements in the local design and construction industry.”
The award ceremony, which includes a drinks reception and a buffet lunch, is due to take place on Friday 19 November at the Town Hall in Peterborough.
Larkfleet Homes is part of the Larkfleet Group (www.larkfleetgroup.co.uk).
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07/09/2010
PETAINER VINNER NY VERKSAMHET MED KICKUP
Petainer (www.petainer.com), plastföretaget som specialiserar sig på förpackningsteknologi, har vunnit ett kontrakt för att förse Winnington, företaget bakom KickUp-dryckerna (http://kickup.se/sv/products), med återvinningsbara PET-flaskor.
Petainers fabrik i Lidköping ska tillverka 33-centilitersflaskor – frostat vita för KickUps energidrycker och genomskinligt gröna för KickUps ”funktionsvatten”. Flaskorna levereras till fyllningsfabriken i Borås, där de sedan fylls.
Petainer fokuserar på hållbar teknologi. Företaget har som målsättning att stödja sina kunder i deras strävan att minska sina koldioxidutsläpp genom att erbjuda konsumenter ett ekologiskt förpackningsalternativ, samtidigt som man ger stöd åt sina kunder med förpackningar som ökar försäljningen.
PET-förpackningar har avsevärt mindre miljöpåverkan än motsvarande glasförpackningar eftersom upp till 77 procent mindre växthusgaser genereras och upp till 58 procent mindre energi används. För drycker som KickUp, som kan intas utanför hemmet, till exempel på gymmet eller medan man löptränar eller cyklar, är PET-flaskor också fördelaktiga eftersom de väger mindre och är mer slagtåliga.
Formgivare och utvecklingstekniker på Petainer har haft ett nära samarbete med Winnington för att förfina KickUp-flaskornas design. Genom detta samarbete har man utvecklat en behållare som är enklare att framställa än företagets tidigare flaska, men som samtidigt ser attraktiv ut på butikshyllan för att marknadsföra varumärket i återförsäljarnas butiker.
Richard Svensson, Operations Manager på Winnington, säger: ”Petainer lyckades återskapa flaskans design för att se till att vi har en genomgående hög kvalitet på våra återvinningsbara behållare, något som återspeglar varumärkets identitet.”
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