NEWS
Centre of excellence the A & P Shipping site .
“ It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the team that we continue to make significant growth in what has been such a challenging year .”
Adapting - Group Industrial MD Mike Marsh .
Group hug
Flexibility the name of the game for industrial services specialists shipping sector as the firm ’ s skill set grows .
“ It ’ s remarkably interesting for us but we always like to structure our service to each specific sector , as we are fully understanding and aware that each sector holds different challenges overall .
“ The Group Industrial team can maintain high standards of quality and practices while adapting to suit the demands of the different sectors ’ environment and scenarios . Our philosophy to learn and adapt to new sectors is the result of the ongoing growth and success of the business .
“ It ’ s been really successful so far – we ’ ve already built up a strong relationship and understanding of the A & P model .
“ It ’ s something we ’ ve been working on for a while , but a lot of the success comes from being reactive . We help people out , continue to do so and our contracts generally grow from that .
“ They can bring ships in that need turning round quickly , sometimes in a matter of hours , so being reactive is key to them .
“ The A & P projects are based on efficient delivery and execution of works . Our ability to remain local and reactive to unforeseen requirements is a key element to ensure we can eliminate delays to projects where necessary .”
Middlesbrough-born former steelworker Mike Marsh established Group Industrial in 2017 . It usually has around 100 workers on its books , but that can be scaled up depending on the projects being worked on . And when it comes to taking on projects , Mike says it is important to recognise that one size doesn ’ t fit all . He said : “ I ’ m a big believer that each particular industry has its own specific requirements and that we have to adapt to each sector we work in .
“ If we work around their model , and understand their industry , it makes it easier for us , rather than going in with a standard procedure . We have to reflect the industry we ’ re working in .
“ It can be very challenging , getting last-minute calls to urgent jobs , but that ’ s how companies have to be these days and we pride ourselves on being flexible , responsive and reactive .”
Oil and gas , biomass and waste energy , chemical , manufacturing – and now shipping . These are busy times for Group Industrial , despite the challenges to the economy posed by Covid-19 .
It has two divisions : a “ major project ” division , including 70 or so workers at the ongoing MGT Tees Renewable Energy Plant project at Teesport , and a “ minor works ” division to focus on chemical plants , industry , site preservation – and now shipping .
Mike said : “ We ’ re a young company and eager to learn . We ’ re working with chemical plants , waste energy plants – and now going into shipping is helping us grow .
“ We ’ re of a mindset to learn the sector we ’ re working in . The fact we ’ re willing to learn and adapt our systems to that sector makes it that bit easier .
“ We ’ re modelled around having a flexible crew who will only be there when they need to be there , which is cost-effective for the company we ’ re working with .
“ We approach shipping , commercially and operationally , differently from other sectors and that ’ s how it needs to be .
“ And we ’ re structured in a way that means we can accommodate any last-minute changes – we can increase or decrease the labour needed accordingly . We are moulding and adapting our model to each sector we ’ re working in .
“ I am immensely proud of how the team have driven forward the philosophy of adjusting specific areas of our business to ensure we are positioned to offer a bespoke service to various sector clients while maintaining our high standards of quality and efficiency .
“ It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of the team that we continue to make significant growth in what has been such a challenging year . We continue to build and structure , with a long-term view to be a major force within the industrial sectors .”
The voice of business in the Tees region | 39