News News Clips


ISO accreditations won Switch2 Energy, the district heat- ing specialist, has been awarded the ISO 14001:2015 environmental and OHSAS 18001: 2007 health and safety accreditations. http://ow.ly/7cdz3082ZX1


Viessmann helps out Viessmann and installer STL Heat-


ing & Energy have helped a Bristol family in need by installing a new boiler.


http://ow.ly/lgMR3082ZIj


Dehumidifer sales up North East manufacturer Ebac is celebrating after seeing year-on- year UK sales of its dehumidifiers almost double during 2016. http://ow.ly/nPJR30830pj


Partnership announced A new partnership has been


struck between Giacomini, one of Europe’s largest producers of plumbing brassware and radiator valves, and Sovini Trade Supplies (STS), a leading product distributor in the North West, to offer a series of Giacomini’s premium, Italian designed radiator valves to STS’s customers. http://ow.ly/VUrX30831Cp


Skill up, says Riello With significant regulatory chan-


ges relating to oil-fired burners on the way, Riello is encouraging installers to take advantage of available training opportunities to ensure they are up to speed with the latest requirements. http://ow.ly/pWhJ308322K


Apprentice wins award An apprentice at Nortek, Amelia


Flavell, was recently awarded apprentice of the year at a McDon- alds supplier event in Birmingham. http://ow.ly/nfFD30832ne


EOGB adds a course EOGB Energy Products Ltd, the


burner manufacturer and distribu- tor, has introduced the new OFTEC 201 commercial assessment course at its training facility in St Neots, Cambridgeshire. http://ow.ly/eBCp30832DV


Chilean experts visit Ziehl-Abegg recently welcomed a


party of experts from the Chilean government to its factory in Künzelsau in southern Germany. http://ow.ly/L9Bn30833Tv


6 February 2017


A1 Flue Systems directors TJ Duncan-Moir and John Hamnett


A


1 Flue Systems has reported turnover of £1m and has cre- ated five new jobs in the second half of 2016 as it enjoys what it de- scribes as a ‘Brexit boost’. A number of contract wins and the fall in the value of the pound since the UK voted to leave the European Union last summer have led to the increase, the company says. Contract wins include projects for an airport, a football stadium and a couple of university campus buildings, as well as many offices, hotels and supermarkets nationwide. The figure doesn’t include an export deal that A1 has just secured for a skyscraper project in downtown Dubai close to the site of the Burj Khalifa – the tallest building in the world at 830m high. As the company manufactures everything at its factory in Notting- hamshire, it has not been hit by the same 20% overnight price hikes that UK competitors have faced because they import flues from Europe. A1 Flues campaigned to leave the EU ahead of the UK referendum last June because the company was keen to see the reestablishment of the UK manufacturing prowess across the world and director TJ Duncan-Moir said that trading figures since the vote bear out the company’s optimism. She said: “Our business is benefit-


ting from a Brexit boost, and the last six months have arguably been the best period in our 40-year history. We’re well known for high-profile projects such as The Shard and the redevelopment of the iconic Batter- sea Power Station in London, which we’re currently involved in, but it’s actually the increase in the amount of bread and butter contracts for ho- tels, schools, office blocks and public buildings that is really propelling our business forward.” She continued: “The drop in the value of the pound has been one factor, but we also know that UK con- tractors and construction companies are telling us that we are seen as a safe pair of hands in the current cli- mate.” The company is predicting the trend


to continue in 2017, boosted by its ex- port drive and an increase in offering added-value services.


Brexit boost for A1 Flues


BSRIA chief responds to PM’s Brexit speech


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SRIA has issued a response to Prime Minister


Theresa May’s speech on Brexit on 17th Jan- uary.


Chief executive Julia Evans said: “Today the Prime Minister, The- resa May, altered the political and economic landscape. It is fair to say that BSRIA mem- bers and the industry at large will welcome the greater clarity


and the aspiration to create a more affluent, flourishing, open and global Britain, with the freest possible trade between the UK and the EU. Indeed, May said Britain wants to trade with the EU ‘as freely as possible’ but will not be ‘half-in, half-out’.”


Ms Evans continued: “But ruling out membership of the Single Market has reduced opportunities for continuing a barrier-free trading relationship between the UK and the EU. There- fore, government must now deliver these aims and achieve a smooth and systematic exit.


“As previously stated – Brexit must not become all-consuming, and we must ensure that industry has em- ployees with the right skills to be able


to create the right infra- structure and business en- vironment across the UK.” Ms Evans added: “On immigration, May said the government would seek to guarantee the rights of EU citizens living and working in Britain.


“However, if citizens of the EU-27 are subject to future restrictions, a straightforward and light- touch system is crucial. Bringing EU nationals into the costly and bureaucratic Home Office work permit system can be an immense regulatory burden for many members, especially when their immediate skills shortages continue to be critical.”


Separately, BSRIA has hailed the release of a new Ladybird book on the challenges and possible solutions to climate change, which will be pub- lished on 26th January.


The book is part of a series for adults written in the style of the well- known children’s books that aim to explain clearly complicated subjects. The 52-page guide has been co-authored by HRH Prince Charles, former Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper and climate scientist Emily Shuckburgh.


Apprenticeships increasing in popularity, reports adi Group


W


ith university fees on the increase, young people are considering the costs and benefits more than ever and more middle-class teenagers are opting for the apprenticeship route as an equally valid option.


Engineering solutions firm adi Group currently has 14 students en- rolled on its post-16 apprenticeship scheme and a dozen 14-16 year olds undertaking an adi pre-apprenticeship in partnership with a local school, which the company says is the first programme of its kind in the UK. Ceo of adi Group, Alan Lusty, said: ‘We are now seeing a generation of young people weighing up their ca- reer and training options differently, whether because of university fees, economic forecasts or reduced gradu- ate employment.”


He continued: “As a result, more young people are seriously consider- ing apprenticeships, however, more needs to be done to meet this de- mand for work-based learning with


real value.


“adi Group’s long term aim is to support the engineering and manufac- turing industries by providing a con- stant stream of young talented people who are well prepared for specialist roles. Our pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programmes are clear demonstrations of that intent.” adi Group’s pre-apprenticeship scheme launched last September and involves 12 secondary school stu- dents – male and female – attending adi Group’s workshop for half a day each week.


The two-year course, with a second group of 12 students joining later this year, runs for 32 weeks for the first year followed by a further 26 weeks the following year. This will occupy 10% of the students’ overall curric- ulum time as they continue to work on their GCSEs alongside the course. It provides a stepping stone to a full- time apprenticeship.


For further information, visit http:// adiltd.co.uk/careers/


www.heatingandventilating.net


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