M AI N F E A T U R E
d r ai n T R A D E R
t h e y ar e ess e nti al t o t h e c o nti n ui n g f u n cti o ni n g of t h e c o u ntr y. W e ar e k e e pi n g t o t h e s o ci al dist a n ci n g r ul es.”
O n C o vi d- 1 9, S 1 E h a v e h alf a d o z e n st a ff i n t h e b uil di n g, wit h ot h er s w or ki n g fr o m h o m e, s plit i nt o c at e g ori e s. It h a s b e e n c o stl y i n c o m p ut er s a n d p h o n e s b ut e s s e nti al t o c arr y o n t h e b u si n e s s.
c h a n g es i n t h e m ar k et, e x c h a n g e r at es, i ns e c uriti es i n s u p pl y, et c a n d w e’ v e tri e d t o st a y a h e a d of t h e c ur v e. I n f a ct t h er e ar e a f e w c ur v es, a n d w e’r e c o nst a ntl y tr yi n g t o pr e di ct t h e m a n d st a y a h e a d. C urr e ntl y, Br e xit pl a n ni n g h as b e e n c o m pl et el y o v er w h el m e d b y t his vir us.”
D a vi d J o h ns o n w as r eli e v e d t h at P u m p T e c h n ol o g y h a d j ust i nst all e d a n e w p h o n e s yst e m a n d t h e n e w t e c h n ol o g y l e nt its elf w ell f or s o m e of t h e st a ff t o w or k fr o m h o m e. H e s ai d it w as r e all y i m p ort a nt t o c ust o m ers s u c h as t h os e fr o m c ar e h o m es, h os pit als a n d f a ct ori es t o b e a bl e t o t al k dir e ct t o a p u m p e x p ert wit h o ut a n y d el a y a n d t h e y w er e o p er ati n g as n or m all y as t h e y c o ul d u n d er t h e cir c u mst a n c es. As a n o w n er- m a n a g e d c o m p a n y t h e y c o ul d m a k e d e cisi o ns s wiftl y a n d a d a pt q ui c kl y t o c h a n gi n g cir c u mst a n c es, s o w er e c o nti n ui n g t o pr o vi d e a r eli a bl e o n g oi n g s er vi c e. Stri n g e nt h e alt h pr o c e d ur es p ut i nt o pl a c e i n cl u d e d st a ff s p a ci n g, a n d c o uri ers r e m ai ni n g o utsi d e t h e b uil di n g, 1 0 0 y ar ds a w a y.
D e xt er W ats o n’s g e n er al m a n a g er St e v e L a wri e r e m ar k e d t h at h e g ot t h e f e eli n g o v er t h e p ast y e ar or s o ‘ pr e- vir us’ t h at s o m e i n t h e s u p pl y c h ai n, m ai nl y fr o m ot h er E U m e m b er st at es, h a d t a k e n a d v a nt a g e of t h e ‘ Br e xit crisis’ t o m a k e si g ni fi c a nt pri c e i n cr e as es w ell a b o v e R PI usi n g c urr e n c y fl u ct u ati o ns, m ar k et a n d p oliti c al u n c ert ai nti es as a n e x c us e; “ y es w e s a w St erli n g fl u ct u at e b ut n ot t o t h e e xt e nt t o j ustif y pri c e i n cr e as es o n a v er a g e of 8 p er c e nt a b o v e R PI.”
“ T h e C- 1 9 vir us o n t h e ot h er h a n d h as s e e n n ot o nl y i n d ustr y i n g e n er al b ut f a mili es b ei n g br o u g ht t o g et h er i n m or e w a ys t h a n o n e h a vi n g t o a d a pt a n d fi n d alt er n ati v e a n d i n n o v ati v e w a ys t o f u n cti o n d uri n g t h es e di ffi c ult ti m es;
8
t his is n o m or e e vi d e nt t h a n i n o ur o w n i n d ustr y. As a c o m p a n y w e’r e still v er y b us y r e c ei vi n g or d ers f or pl a c es li k e N e w Z e al a n d, D e n m ar k a n d G er m a n y, n ot t o m e nti o n o ur o w n d o m esti c m ar k ets. B ef or e t h e g o v er n m e nt’s g ui d eli n es w er e a n n o u n c e d o n s o ci al dist a n ci n g w e d e ci d e d, aft er p utti n g t h e t o ols i n pl a c e, t o all o w t h os e w h o c o ul d t o w or k fr o m h o m e, l e a vi n g ot h er ess e nti al st a ff o n t h e s h o p fl o or t o c arr y o n pr o d u cti o n w or k, o b vi o usl y at a s af e dist a n c e fr o m e a c h ot h er. T his d e cisi o n w as a g o o d o n e as I’ m pl e as e d t o s a y w e c a n’t pr o d u c e e q ui p m e nt f ast e n o u g h t o s atisf y d e m a n d, es p e ci all y fr o m o ur t a n k er a n d sl u d g e d e w at eri n g c ust o m ers w h o r e p ort b ei n g fl at o ut; w hi c h is u n d erst a n d a bl e as t h e w ast e i n d ustr y r e m ai ns a criti c al p art of t h e U K’s i nfr astr u ct ur e.”
St e v e w e nt o n t o s a y “I d o f e el s orr y f or p e o pl e s u c h as t a xi dri v ers, p e o pl e w or ki n g i n t h e h os pit alit y a n d r et ail s e ct ors t o m e nti o n b ut a f e w, w h o m ust b e r e all y s u ff eri n g at t his ti m e a n d m y t h o u g hts a n d b est wis h es ar e wit h t h e m. O n a p ers o n al n ot e I’ d li k e t o t a k e t h e o p p ort u nit y t o t h a n k all t h e u ns u n g h er o es o ut t h er e w h o ar e k e e pi n g t h e n ati o n i n m oti o n al b eit at a di ff er e nt p a c e; o n a p ositi v e n ot e, t h e air is cl e a n er i n o ur t o w ns a n d citi es a n d y o u c a n a ct u all y h e ar bir d s o n g.”
Vi v a x is a n A m eri c a n c o m p a n y a n d its o p er ati o ns m a n a g er J o h n P arsl o w s ai d t h e Br e xit n e g oti ati o ns h a d n ot y et h a d m u c h e ff e ct o n t h eir b usi n ess. “ W e o nl y s ell a n d d e al i n t h e U K, w e m a n uf a ct ur e i n C hi n a a n d h a v e w ar e h o us es i n G er m a n y a n d Fr a n c e t o d e al wit h E ur o p e a n c o u ntri es. W e ar e tr yi n g t o w or k as n or m all y as p ossi bl e. B e c a us e t h e i n d ustri es w e s er v e ar e w at er, dr ai n a g e a n d s e w er a g e utiliti es,
d r ai n T R A D E R | M ay 2 0 2 0 | w w w. dr ai ntr a d erlt d. c o m
S o ur c e O n e E n vir o n m e nt al ( S 1 E)’s M D Gl e n n C artl e d g e s ai d: “ Wit h r e g ar d t o Br e xit, w e ar e c o nti n ui n g o ur l o n g-t er m pl a ns t o s o ur c e U K m at eri als f or t h e n o- di g i n d ustr y – w hi c h is a c h all e n g e as G er m a n y h as tr a diti o n all y b e e n t h e cr a dl e f or t h e i n d ustr y – b ut w e ar e r ef usi n g t o t a k e a ‘ w o e is m e’ a p pr o a c h. I n t h e e v e nt of a ‘ n o n- a gr e e m e nt’ Br e xit t h e w orst t hi n g m a y b e t h e e x cis e c h a n g e w hi c h eit h er h as t o b e a d d e d t o t h e s elli n g pri c e or a bs or b e d wit h s a vi n gs m a d e els e w h er e, b ut w e will w or k t hr o u g h it. W e h a v e alr e a d y st art e d w or ki n g wit h s e v er al U K s u p pli ers a n d ar e st arti n g t o m a k e t h os e c h a n g es.
S 1 E h as alr e a d y t a k e n a p pr o pri at e s af et y m e as ur es i n t h e c urr e nt C o vi d- 1 9 sit u ati o n a n d Gl e n n s ai d alt h o u g h t h e c o m p a n y s u p pli e d k e y i nfr astr u ct ur e h e a nti ci p at e d a si g ni fi c a nt sl o w d o w n, wit h m ai nl y e m er g e n c y w or k b ei n g c arri e d o ut. “ O n C o vi d- 1 9, w e h a v e h alf a d o z e n st a ff i n t h e b uil di n g, wit h ot h ers w or ki n g fr o m h o m e, s plit i nt o c at e g ori es. Hi g h-ris k st a ff h a v e b e e n s e nt h o m e a ut o m ati c all y; it h as b e e n c ostl y i n c o m p ut ers a n d p h o n es b ut ess e nti al t o c arr y o n t h e b usi n ess. Ot h ers h a v e b e e n s e nt h o m e as b a c k- u ps s o w e s h o ul d b e c o v er e d if s o m e o n e b e c o m es u n a v ail a bl e. T h e o n es w or ki n g i n t h e b uil di n g ar e w or ki n g s af el y, t hr e e m etr es a p art a n d b ei n g c ar ef ul. At t h e m o m e nt t h e b usi n ess h as b e e n q uit e b us y wit h n o m assi v e f all o ut y et as w e ar e e ff e cti v el y k e y w or k ers, b ut I k n o w t hi n gs ar e g etti n g q ui et er as d a y-t o- d a y w or k is g etti n g s h el v e d i n f a v o ur of e m er g e n ci es o nl y.”
Gl e n n f elt t his w as t ur ni n g i nt o a ps y c h ol o gi c al t hi n g as m u c h as a n yt hi n g els e a n d m e nti o n e d M at es i n Mi n d t h at pr o vi d es m e nt al h e alt h s u p p ort f or t h os e a n xi o us a b o ut t h e c urr e nt sit u ati o n a n d t h e f ut ur e. H e s ai d it w as i n c u m b e nt o n us all t o m a k e t h e b est of t his sit u ati o n w e fi n d o urs el v es i n.
T h er e’s als o a n i nt er esti n g F a c e b o o k p a g e f or t h os e i n t his i n d ustr y: S e w er M e n a n d Pr o u d. L o o k it u p. It pr o vi d es a n i nt er esti n g s n a ps h ot of t h e i n d ustr y fr o m t h e dr ai n a g e e n gi n e er’s p ers p e cti v e.
J o n B arr y, M D a n d o w n er of S c a n pr o b e T e c h ni q u es, s ai d: “ O ur st a n c e h as n’t c h a n g e d si n c e t h e l ast ti m e w e s p o k e, w h e n I st at e d t h at “ W e w a nt t o b e as b est pr e p ar e d as p ossi bl e.” Si n c e t h e n, S c a n pr o b e h a v e p us h e d o n wit h o ur pl a ns t o hit t h e gr o u n d r u n ni n g p ost- Br e xit, a n d m ost i m p ort a ntl y w e k n o w w h er e w e w a nt t o b e g oi n g. I nt er n all y w e h a v e b e e n sitti n g d o w n a n d i d e ntif yi n g m ar k ets t o a p pr o a c h, b ot h i nt er n ati o n all y a n d d o m esti c, a n d fr o m h er e d et er mi ni n g e x a ctl y h o w t o a p pr o a c h t h e m. It’s
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84