Member Article

New deal for utility business

Utility infrastructure services provider Fastflow has secured an extension of its framework contract with Northumbrian Water (NWL) to March 2015.

The deal, worth an estimated £30 million, secures the jobs of 200 workers with the Pipeline Services division of the Washington based Fastflow Group.

Neil Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have secured a further two years of work with Northumbrian Water. This contract extension gives the business a much higher valued future order book and continuity of workload, which is extremely important to us in these challenging economic times.

“Fastflow has worked directly for Northumbrian Water for more than 20 years now and we are very pleased to continue that strong working relationship.”

Graham Neave, Operations Director with Northumbrian Water, added: “Fastflow has continued to win work with Northumbrian Water on the back of competitive pricing and reliable delivery. Our long partnership continues to bring additional benefits through innovation and Fastflow’s ability to respond quickly to peaks in workload.”

The work carried out by Fastflow under the extended contract includes mains rehabilitation and renewal, repairs and maintenance, new connections, metering reinstatement and incidentsupport.

Short cycle works are currently largely focused on meter installation through the peak spring period – a service for which Fastflow helped NWL to achieve its best ever results in 2012/13.

In terms of long cycle works there are plans to work on 73 kilometres of pipeline in 2013/4, including 25 kilometres of iron compliance works. In addition phase two of the railway bridge diversion works in Thompson Street Darlington, being carried out in conjunction with Birse Rail, are scheduled for completion and a diversion scheme for Sunderland City Council at St. Mary’s Boulevard is planned.

Throughout the goal will be to improve customer satisfaction and eliminate or minimise interruptions to supplies.

Originally established by Northumbrian Water in 1990, the business was acquired by Neil Armstrong in July 2005 and has now also diversified into the Gas sector. Fastflow Energy Services, based at Warrington, is an approved partner to the National Grid for gas diversion and installation works, carrying out projects costing up to £5 million each throughout the UK.

This year the combined turnover of Fastflow’s pipeline and energy divisions is expected to exceed £30 million.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .