FEATURE
WORDS : SARAH WALKER PICTURE : TOM BANKS
Keep on pedalling !
Durata on course to help businesses through stormy weather
After a record year in 2021 , the team at Durata are ready to help businesses ride out any storm .
And whether actual storms such as the recent Storm Malik strike again , creating chaos for businesses in the form of power cuts , or the metaphorical storm of rising business costs force companies to look at how they can be more energyefficient , Durata , the critical power and energy specialist , is on hand .
“ Last year , we had a record year and we tripled the size of our business , which is great ,” says Durata ’ s managing director John McGee .
“ So far this year , there have been a lot of power cuts due to storms and we can help businesses to be prepared for these in future .
“ Our business is critical power , essentially , having a backup that will keep all your IT and electrical systems up and running in the event of a power outage .
“ We are seeing people take power a lot more seriously after the recent storms and power cuts .”
John remembers some of the power cuts in the late 1970s but says that until recently , power cuts were not something we heard much about after that .
But at home , John has had four power cuts since Christmas – one of them lasting 14 hours .
“ It resonates even more now with us at home , as well as in the work we do ,” says John .
“ I ’ m doing a charity bike ride for Butterwick Hospice where I ’ m going to cycle 500 miles in five days on my turbo trainer at home .
“ A couple of weeks ago , I ’ d cycled 40-odd miles on it , but we had a power cut and I lost those miles from my data .
“ My legs knew I ’ d done it , but the rest of the world
Pedal power – Durata ' s managing director John McGee is cycling 500 miles on his static bike in aid of Butterwick Hospice .
didn ’ t because I ’ d lost that data !” For John with his tired legs , this was little more than a minor frustration .
But in the world of business , in the event of a power cut , something vital could be lost if you don ’ t have a backup plan in place .
John says : “ Everything is online . Everything is digital . So when you have a power cut it can be catastrophic .
“ We ’ re currently working with a well-known brewery that ’ s had two power cuts this year and it ’ s really messed up their IT systems .
“ With our help , they have been able to incorporate uninterruptable power supplies into their business .”
Recently , Durata has naturally progressed into supplying solar panel solutions for businesses .
John believes having solar panels installed is a great option for businesses in the light of spiralling energy costs .
Solar panels not only enable you to save on
46 | Tees Business