🗞️ April 2025 Monthly Update
Monthly Update | April 2025
As part of our new communications strategy, in addition to the Quarterly BGEN groupwide edition, as promised, please see our new monthly release, providing you with the latest updates on the integration, projects, office changes and opening etc. So, without further ado:
Meet Z-Tech and IDS
We are delighted to announce that, as part of our acquisition by M Group, two renowned businesses—Z-Tech and IDS—will officially join BGEN from April 2025.
This integration marks a significant step in enhancing our MEICA (Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Control, and Automation) capabilities and aligning our combined expertise to serve mission-critical and highly regulated environments.
IDS is a leading provider of integrated mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, automation, and telemetry (MEICAT) services. Established in 2002, IDS serves the UK with over 100 employees, offering design, project management, commissioning, repair, and maintenance services. Their expertise spans water infrastructure, wastewater treatment, and pumping stations, providing turnkey solutions and bespoke systems.
Z-Tech, founded in 2000, is an electrical, control, and instrumentation (EC&I) specialist with over 240 employees. They operate across the UK, primarily serving the water, energy, and rail industries. Z-Tech delivers 24/7 services, offering project management, commissioning, repair, and day-to-day maintenance.
A warm welcome from us all!
Health & Safety
At the start of the year, we faced a concerning number of incidents, with 10 events recorded in both January and February. In response, we held an ‘All Hands Call’ to address the issues and outline steps to improve.
Since then, there’s been a significant positive shift. Engagement has increased through leadership tours and inspections, with the number of events dropping to just 3 in March—clear evidence of our collective efforts.
Looking ahead, we must sustain this focus and commitment, especially with Easter approaching. Let’s embed our golden rules in everything we do and avoid complacency during de-mobilisation and re-mobilisation periods.
The Health & Safety and Senior Leadership Teams thank you for your dedication to keeping our people safe. Let’s keep the momentum going!
🔗 Visit the MGroup website to discover more about the recent re-brand:
M Group | Leading infrastructure services provider
IT
New Print, Plot, and Scan Devices
Nearly 50 new devices have been deployed in just 7 working days!
We appreciate your patience as we resolved initial scanning and plot speed issues—these have now been fixed. The old devices are being phased out, with scheduled pickups underway.
SharePoint and Office 365 Migration
We’re preparing for the migration of our SharePoint and Office 365 environments into M Group systems over the coming months.
We’ll share updates closer to the time about any specific changes required from your side.
Oracle Solutions Implementation
Work is underway to define and plan Oracle solutions in collaboration with M Group and teams across BGEN, BES, BFP, and Norwood.
Initial changes to HR and Payroll systems will begin in June, with consultations ongoing. The transition to new financial and procurement systems, replacing Sage, is targeted for November. This change aligns with pre-acquisition plans as Sage has reached its end of life.
Design
The team continues to support Electrical Safety Rules and the Centre of Excellence.
🆕 New orders include:
- BAE DDH LEV System Deconstruction Support
- A22 Substation Design
Technology
Project Updates – Roundhill / Hagley Compensation
Progress continues, with commissioning ongoing and handover still to be completed.
- Roundhill: We’ve replaced the flowmeter, upgraded a fixed-speed drive to a variable-speed drive starter, and installed a new PLC.
- Hagley: We installed a new flowmeter, level sensor, and PO4 instrument in a kiosk, along with replacing a redundant PLC.
Despite challenges with the Roundhill flowmeter, we replaced the unit and met the MCERTS testing deadline.
At Hagley, we successfully installed a V-notch weir flowmeter—a first for the team—requiring custom-designed stainless steel plates to flood the outlet chamber.
🛠️ The project began in September 2024 and is on track for completion by March 2025.
Special Thanks to the Team:
Stuart Candlin, Craig Paling, Gavin Lorenz, Chris Spence, Kris Walters, Paul Plenty, Rob Kent, Joel Collins, and Steve Cox.
New Bid Wins
- Cleobury Mortimer MCC (JN Bentley): £255k, starts Feb 2025, 7 months
- Chem Line 1 & 2 Upgrade (Babcock): £80k, starting Feb 2025, 10 months
- Carron Valley SR21 (ESD): £126k, starts Feb 2025, 9 months
New Starters
We’re pleased to welcome Bhavik Panchal, who joined in February!
Training & Development
Several project managers—Emma King, George Shelton, Joe Kelly, Martin Caldwell, and Michael O’Brien—are taking the APM Project Fundamentals Course.
🎉 Congratulations to Dougie Nelson on completing his apprenticeship!
A huge thank you to Jenny Jackson and the team for organising a successful Early Careers Event for all of our fantastic apprentices.
Quality and Environment
The Technology SBU successfully completed another round of ISO 9001 audits, with the Grangemouth Technology office now added to the certificate.
Business Development
We’ve aligned with M Group’s Work Winning Governance (WWG) process, and the BGEN pipeline is growing steadily.
🗺️ A 5-year strategic plan is also in the works.
BES Joins Forces to Transform Sudden Brook Greenspace
Making a Difference Through Community Collaboration
Recently, a group of BES employees joined forces with Rochdale Borough Council’s Green Volunteers and local residents for a clean-up initiative at Sudden Brook Greenspace.
The project focused on addressing persistent flooding issues along a key footpath, a long-standing challenge for locals who rely on it for daily walks. Our team was instrumental in clearing debris, improving drainage, and helping to restore the area for safe use by the community.
This initiative reflects BES’s commitment to sustainability and community partnership, underscoring how collaborative efforts can create meaningful change. A huge thank you to our team members who participated—you’ve made a lasting impact on this vital green space!
Sustainability
ESG Committee
The inaugural ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Committee meeting took place in March 2025, marking a significant step in aligning organisational strategy with sustainability goals.
Double Materiality Assessment
A double materiality assessment was conducted to identify the most important ESG issues for stakeholders. This process engaged employees, sub-contractors, suppliers and customers, ensuring we captured everyone’s views.
📝 Key outcomes include:
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- Identification of our priority areas
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- Action points to enhance our sustainability performance and strategy
Simpler Recycling Requirements
In compliance with new regulations, we must now segregate and separately collect:
- Dry recyclable materials
- Food waste
- Black bin (residual) waste
We are collaborating with our waste provider Envirovue, to ensure compliance and implementation of new requirements.
📬 Please ensure that waste streams are segregated correctly using bins provided.
For additional details or support regarding the recycling changes, please contact Amy Twist.
Retirements
We bid a fond farewell to:
- Martin Woollacott
- Pat McLaughlin
- Colin Aspinall
All three retired on 28th March, after a combined service of nearly 120 years.
Another huge figure to the success of the business, Mark Stanley, will also be retiring.
💬 What a fantastic testament to the business—seeing so many people spending their entire working career to help BGEN grow to the size we are today.
🙏 A huge thank you from everyone at BGEN for leaving such a great environment for us and our future kids to flourish.
New Offices
📍 Exciting news! We’ve added two new offices—three if you count Barrow.
🎉 A special shoutout to Kat and Wayne for their grand opening (and for keeping the cakes to themselves!).
M Group Perks
Holiday Offers
Let’s talk about holidays!
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