Member Article

New jobs with utilities specialist

A burgeoning utilities infrastructure specialist has taken on three new people following a huge growth in business.

North East based Service Connections Limited (SCL) – which project manages and delivers gas, water, electricity, telecommunications connections to commercial and residential developments throughout the UK – will turn over £2.25 million this year – seven times more than two years ago.

As a result, Simon Hunter, Gillian Warnock and Alex Thompson have all joined the firm, which operates from Corbridge in Northumberland and continued expansion will add further engineering and administrative support.

Said Keith Macaulay, who set up the company seven years ago: “The construction industry’s recovery from the recession has been far more rapid than anyone anticipated and so we have had to move quickly to recruit in order to meet the demand.

“I am delighted to have found three young people with the right mixture of skills and aptitude to take on what can be demanding roles. With support from more experienced members of the team they have all shown that they are capable of meeting the challenge.”

Simon, 34, from Bedlington, formerly worked in the Parks Development Team, Leisure and Community Services with North Tyneside Council, as the Rising Sun Country Park Manager. He has been appointed to the role of Project Co-ordinator.

Gillian, 23, originally from Northern Ireland but now living in Prudhoe and Alex, also 23, from Kirkwhelpington have taken on administrative roles which are vital to ensure multi-parties in a complex process work in partnership to deliver connections on time and on budget.

Having graduated from University of Ulster, Gillian’s background in is customer service while Alex has had experience of major construction projects – including the Hexham Hospital development.

One of the main reasons for SCL’s rapid growth is the company’s first £1million contract. This is on a £42million, 28 acre, mixed use town centre regeneration project for Yorkshire based Dransfield Properties at Stocksbridge, near Sheffield.

The company has another project with Dransfield in Hull and is also working on a number of high profile residential projects across the North East at Corbridge, Benton, Seaton Burn, Seaton Deleval and Stanley. These involve providing service to properties for clients including building developments owned by Arch, Derwentside Homes, Isos Housing Group and Northumberland County Council.

SCL is also involved in projects in Manchester and London.

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