Issue 25 | Page 100

NEWS

Pioneering Teesside company responds to pandemic with new safety product

Covid response - Steve Jones , Roger Clarke and Shaun McDonald of ESCS . Spray - the ESCS disinfectant .

An innovative Teesside company has diversified during the pandemic to design a new product that is helping businesses in a wide range of sectors to combat the Covid-19 virus .

Middlesbrough-based Equipment Supplies and Consultancy Services ( ESCS ) was launched in 2012 and quickly grew to become a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of passive fire protection , surface preparation and surface-coating equipment .
Despite the challenges of the coronavirus , the business has recorded its most successful year to date with a £ 1.4m turnover , thanks to a resilient and creative approach to the pandemic .
Four years ago , ESCS launched a new division – ESCS-PCS ( Pipe Coating Systems ) – to specialise in the pipe-coating industry and had a series of major contracts lined up before the biggest public health crisis in living memory struck .
However , the company responded admirably by coming up with a new disinfectant spray system that is now helping a diverse collection of businesses and other organisations to stay safe .
ESCS managing director Shaun McDonald explained : “ The company ’ s other two directors , Steve Jones and Roger Clark , travelled out to the Middle East at the start of 2020 to carry out initial trials for a major pipecoating contract . Everything was ready to go when lockdown began , and we couldn ’ t progress the project .”
Roger added : “ We examined our options , decided to explore different avenues , and the result was these disinfectant units that are proving incredibly successful .”
Viru-San units offer complete surface disinfectant solutions for businesses , organisations and public spaces of all sizes . Huwa-San is proven to inactivate human coronavirus in just 60 seconds . Huwa-San has global approvals and unrivalled efficacy data with many peer reviews . It is BPR compliant and boasts clinical proof of effectiveness against SARS- Cov-2 ( Covid-19 ) and is tested to the very highest standards .
Steve , who has worked closely with manufacturer Roam Technology , said : “ The units work in synergy with market-leading disinfectant , Huwa-San , and high-profile customers so far include Manchester Fire and Rescue , Bury Council schools , Muller Yogurts , Thatchers Cider and Branston .”
Talks are also under way with Lufthansa and Aer Lingus for potential use in airport terminals and passenger aircraft . The disinfectant units are also being supplied to pubs and are even being used in funeral cars .
“ We ’ re proud that we didn ’ t just let the lockdown defeat us , but that we dusted ourselves down and came up with not only a successful new direction for ourselves but one that is helping a host of others to stay safe in these difficult times ,” said Shaun .
To find out more , visit escs-pcs . com .
ESCS set to launch new training division for blasters and painters

As well as innovating with new products during the pandemic , Middlesbrough-based ESCS is setting up a training school to plug a gap in the market .

Managing director Shaun McDonald , who had a wealth of offshore experience before launching his own businesses , says the new ESCS Training and Recruitment division will fill “ a vital need ” in the corrosion industry .
“ There are so many skilled blasters and painters out there who lack the formal training and necessary certification ,” says Shaun . “ I feel strongly about this being put right , so this new school is my way of putting something back into the industry here in the North-East .”
The new Middlesbrough-based school will combine practical training with theory and will comprise blasting and painting facilities , as well as a classroom .
“ We see this as an exciting new dimension of ESCS and we are already taking enquiries from people wanting to book places ,” says Shaun .
“ It ’ s all about giving local people the facilities and training they need to move forward . Otherwise , they have to travel as far afield as Hull or Glasgow for the fully-rounded kind of training package that we will be offering on Teesside .”
The new school coincides with the recent Budget announcement that Teesside is being given freeport status , along with major developments such as the world ’ s largest offshore wind farm at Dogger Bank , off the North-East coast .
Shaun is confident that the new school , creating a job for a training provider with extensive experience in the industry , will be up and running by April .
Visit es-cs . com , call 01642 961490 or email info @ es-cs . com .
100 | Tees Business