Tees Valley Expertise helping Virasel Valves Solutions
FEATURE
Part of the family – Virasel Valve Solutions staff at the firm ’ s Riverside Park HQ .
PICTURES : TOM BANKS
Investing in Teesside ’ s future
Tees Valley Expertise helping Virasel Valves Solutions
A
valve repair and supply company based at Middlesbrough ’ s Riverside Park continues to grow after a consistent increase in new contracts and support .
Since it was formed eight years ago , Virasel Valve Solutions has reached a stage where it is developing its own talent , having identified a huge shortage of valve technicians .
And , following funded support from Tees Valley Expertise , the firm has received the correct advice and guidance to further its ambitions to expand and nurture the next generation .
Tees Valley Expertise is delivered by Orangebox Training on behalf of the Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund ( UKSPF ).
The programme has helped secure and fund Reece Keen , a maintenance and operations engineering technician apprentice , working closely with Middlesbrough College .
Virasel has also interviewed candidates selected through the TTE Engineering Scholarship Programme and agreed to sponsor a young , talented student during their second year of engineering .
T-level business admin student Josh Coaker will be working with the company until the summer of 2025 .
Developing talent is something managing director Lee Donnelly and the team are keen to do , having started out as a TTE apprentice himself , aged 16 , when he began his valve engineering career .
Lee says : “ Thirty-three years ago it all started for me as an apprentice , so it feels a little like everything has gone full circle because we have been keen to bring in our own apprentices and teach them from early on the Virasel way .
“ I like to leave the right mark on people . As a business we want to invest back into Teesside by helping to create opportunities for the next generation . We want Teesside to be on the map for the right reasons .
“ We want to retain our apprentices longterm and invest in them , long-term . We are all friends here a family , and not just a business . It is about pushing people to be the best .”
Lee and Simon O ’ Kelly – Virasel ’ s business directors – grew up together in the Longlands area of Middlesbrough , before teaming up to launch the company in 2016 . They boast more than three decades of experience in valve engineering combined .
Virasel is one of the UK ’ s leading valve companies with extensive expertise in servicing , repairing and supplying all types of valves and flame arresters .
It operates across all industries from power , utilities , oil , gas , chemical , food and beverages and pharmaceuticals , among others .
As well as being TUV-approved and authorised repair centres for Protego UK ( PARC ) specialising in Tank Protection devices testing only to API2000 standard and ISO 28300 , Virasel has been
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