With the foundations of a successful business well and truly laid, Milton Keynes-based Plumbing and Gas Solutions is currently implementing strategic changes that will drive the firm to the next level.
Founded by Carl Yeomanson as what he describes as ‘one man and a van’ – the firm now has a team of 20 covering not only plumbing and gas services, but a growing facilities management offering that meets a wide range of clients’ building maintenance needs.
Serving the commercial and industrial sectors in Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, the plumbing and heating specialist lists organisations large and small, from Center Parcs and Cranfield University to local SMEs, among its clients. Years of steady, organic growth in the commercial sector has led to a focus this year on building in a greater level of efficiency and communication across the firm.
Plumbing and Gas Solutions offers a comprehensive range of services including commercial gas servicing, boiler installations, repairs and maintenance; pipe work installation, chemical power flushing; plant room installations and repairs; hot water solutions and legionella testing and water treatment.
Carl said:
“We’ve built a team that allows us so much more capacity to react when we’re needed most, but it’s not just about growth, I knew we needed to put processes in place that make the company more efficient so that as we grow, we continually improve the service we offer to our customers. Clients keep coming back to us because they trust us and know we’re reliable, we can’t lose sight of that by getting bigger but not having the efficiencies in place.”
Key personnel changes have seen the introduction of Darryl Taylor as Operations Director of Plumbing and Gas Solutions, and the promotion of Operations Manager Dan Cole to Operations Director of Facilities Management Solutions.
New digital marketing executive Dion Plosky will ensure that the company’s profile is optimised on social media channels, while the implementation of new software will deliver a paperless booking, documentation and certification system that will streamline processes for engineers and clients.
“We’ve invested in people and technology to make sure that we have the systems in place to improve the service we offer,”
said Carl.
“As we deal with an increasing number of large organisations like hospitals and universities, we’re out on massive sites where it’s almost impossible to liaise directly with the person who’s booked the visit or is responsible for the facilities. With the system we have in place now, clients can book through the portal and once the work is done they are notified and any documentation they need is immediately available in their own bespoke portal.
“It’s even more important that we have these processes in place, with the growth of Facilities Management Solutions. That side of the business came about because clients who know us and trust us started asking if we could do other things – electricals, building repairs, signage and such like – and so we expanded our range. That has taken off so well that I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t end up even bigger than the plumbing and heating side within the next couple of years.
“As well as Dan taking charge of that, we’ve appointed a new administrator, Harry Creamer, to work with him to build on what we’ve got and continue to deliver customer service levels that our clients expect.”
As part of building its team of engineers, Plumbing and Gas Solutions has embraced the apprenticeship route into the business, doubling its intake from two to four during the pandemic when apprenticeships generally took a severe knock. Two apprentices are about to finish their training and will be out in the Plumbing and Gas Solutions fleet as soon as possible, with more new apprentices coming in to replace them.
“Organic growth is the way forward,”
said Carl.
“We are currently surveying all our clients to find out what they like and don’t like about the way we do things. I don’t just want to grow, in terms of the team or customers, if we can’t continue to provide the level of service we pride ourselves on.
“That’s why these are very exciting times for us. It’s very busy, we’re implementing all these things at once but we know that at the end of it all, we will be able to say that we’ve got the right people and processes in place to drive the company forward.”
Find out more about Plumbing and Gas Solutions or give them a call on 01908 103200.
