Contractors Westinghouse and Amey appointed Omega because of its proven track record in supplying electrical earthing to the rail sector on major projects such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and West Coast Mail Line.

The upgraded Leamington Corridor line, which runs from Birmingham Moor Street to Warwick Parkway opened in February 2008. Developments included a complete upgrade of its signal and power infrastructure to improve telecommunications and signalling as well as increasing the reliability of train services. There was also a new junction fitted at Tyseley, which has increased the line speed from 20mph to 60mph helping to reduce journey times and boost capacity.

“We have a level of expertise and experience, resource base and national reach that none of our competitors can match and I think those things were decisive in securing this contract.” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

The Work Based Learning Awards, which took place on the 24th January at the East Midlands Conference Centre, are hosted by the Nottinghamshire Training Network which supports Nottinghamshire’s Work Based Learning and Work Force Development provider network. Tim Campbell, winner of the BBC series The Apprentice spoke at the ceremony, which is aimed at work based learners, their employers and/or the learning provider involved in delivering their programmes.

Charlotte from Sherwood, started work at Omega two years ago and as part of her development the company encouraged Charlotte to undertake an NVQ learning programme which fitted with her job role. On completing her first NVQ in Business Administration (Level 3) last year, she went straight on to begin an NVQ in IT (Level 3) which she is on target to complete by November 2008.

Charlotte said: “My manager encouraged me to undertake an NVQ when I joined Omega and the company has been completely supportive throughout the process. This type of learning has not only helped me develop in my role at Omega, it has also inspired me to go on and study a Law Degree at Nottingham Trent University through its Distance Learning Programme, which I start in September this year. I’m honoured to have been awarded the first place Progression Award and would recommend this style of learning to anyone.”

Donna Barnes, Training Advisor from training provider Positive Outcomes, explains why she nominated Charlotte for the award: “Charlotte is a typical example of someone who has left school with the ability to achieve more but has always lacked the self confidence to do something about it. Charlotte thoroughly deserved to win the award because she has not only proven to herself that she is capable of achieving an apprenticeship but also of going on to study for a degree. She is a perfect example of how work based learning can reach those who would otherwise have dropped out of education.”

Omega has a long standing commitment to training and development and continues to recruit more apprentices than the rest of its industry combined. Mike Henshaw, Managing Director of Omega said: “NVQs and Modern Apprenticeships are at the very core of Omega’s training and development practices. The teaching is very much geared to required work skills and competences, which means everybody benefits. We are very proud that Charlotte has won this award, she is a dedicated member of team and her progression throughout her time with us has been outstanding.”

The company’s employees Hayley Beard and Michelle Bryan were also honoured at the presentations for completion of their Modern Apprenticeships.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director of Omega, wrote the manual aimed at architects, developers, specifiers, builders and lightning protection practitioners who, most of all need to understand and implement the biggest change to hit the industry in decades.

“The new Standard has many merits but it is long and complex and requires a complete rethink by lightning protection companies – its understanding and application require a complete change in systems, training, operations and organisation,” says Henshaw.

“I’ve written the BSI produced UK Guide to Protection Against Lightning as a practical guide to take the reader through the new Standard step-by-step, it is an essential tool for every lightning protection outfit as well as the construction industry. Decisions made in ignorance will soon become a lot more costly once the new Standard is introduced later this year, people simply won’t be able to carry on as before.”

“Omega has put all of its existing engineers and designers through a rigorous training programme regarding the new Standard, training is being developed to include every single one of our apprentices at the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) training centre at Bircham Newton. What disturbs me is how few of my colleagues in the lightning protection industry I see taking similar extensive steps and the implications of that inactivity for the construction industry as a whole. Hopefully this guide will address that problem.”

The new British Standard has been brought up to date to include modern protection techniques and will run in parallel with the existing Standard (BS6651:1999) for a transitional period before replacing it at the end of August 2008.

Strong sales across all areas of the business, which targets the rail, power, construction and water sectors amongst others, has driven the performance in the April to September period and, with an excellent sales pipeline, the Nottingham-based company is forecasting its best ever year.

Last year’s turnover of almost £12m was already a record but Managing Director Mike Henshaw expects the company easily exceed £13m this year.

“We’re controlling costs well despite a significant investment over the past few years in people, training and the latest IT systems and that’s really paying off now. We can offer a level of service that puts us well ahead of our competitors while remaining highly price competitive whatever the size of the job. Our professionalism is widely recognised and that’s helped us to become the UK market leader,” he says.

Since the company was set up growth has been both organic and through acquisition. Omega acquired its largest competitor, Furse Specialist Contracting, in 1995 to become UK market leader, more than 3-times the size of its nearest rival. The company now employs more than 220 people across the UK at its branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, London and including its Nottingham head office in Bulwell.

Omega, the UK market leader, has been awarded the contract by Carillion and Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) joint venture, Aspire Defence, to fit lightning protection to over 100 purpose built structures. In total there are over 200 individual construction sites, across six locations covering an area twice the size of Hyde Park.

The company has also been awarded contracts for maintaining lightning protection systems on buildings, which will house thousands of soldiers and equipment.

“We are excited to be part of the MoD’s commitment to provide modern, purpose-built living space for its troops. The new buildings will cover a massive area and it is vital they are all, individually, protected against lightning strikes to ensure the safety of the structures and, more crucially, our valued armed forces personnel. The Omega team has all the necessary skills, resources, and experience to do just that.” says Managing Director, Mike Henshaw.

Omega employs more than 220 people and supports the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries across the UK.

Aspire Defence is delivering an £8 billion MoD construction and facilities management contract to provide 18,500 Army personnel and with new living and working accommodation. It is the largest estates PFI project the MoD has ever undertaken.

Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station, situated on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, was the first 2000MW power station in Europe and uses 800 tonnes of coal and 218 million litres of water per hour for cooling. Fiddlers Ferry Power Station is a 1989MW coal fired electricity generating power station in Curdley, Widnes. It has eight cooling towers and takes its water supply from the River Mersey.

Both power stations are having new FGD Plant (Flue Gas Desulfurization) fitted which is designed to clean the gases produced by the power station before they are discharged into the atmosphere.

Omega is carrying out two contracts at each power station which have a combined value of approximately £500k. The contracts are for the supply and installation of earth bonding to building foundations and for the design, supply and installation of the main earthing system for the FGD plant, which will be connected to the power station earth system. Omega’s role on the project, which is due to be completed at the end of June 2007, will ensure that equipment on site will operate safely, avoid system failure and most importantly prevent the threat to life from electric shock.

“We have a level of expertise and experience, resource base and national reach that none of our competitors can match and I think these things along with our successful track record on other projects of this nature were decisive in securing the contract,” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

“These outstanding results are a reflection of the significant investment we’ve made over the past few years in people, training, the latest IT systems, and equipment and buildings,” said Managing Director Mike Henshaw. “It means we can offer a level of service that puts us well ahead of our competitors while remaining highly price competitive whatever the size of the job.&rdqho;

“Our professionalism has become widely recognised in the market and we continue to secure major contracts across the UK in the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries”

Omega’s continued planned expansion already looks on track for the year ahead, with record orders received and its ongoing penetration of key markets, the turnover for the current year look set to soar.

Since the company was set up growth has been both organic and through acquisition. Omega acquired its largest competitor, Furse Specialist Contracting, in 1995 to become UK market leader, more than 3-times the size of its nearest rival. The company now employs more than 220 people across the UK at its branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, London and including its Nottingham head office in Bulwell.

The new Standard will run in parallel with existing standard for a transitional period and will eventually replace the existing Standard (BS6651:1999) at the end of August 2008.

• There are four parts to the new Standard covering General Principles, Risk Management, Physical Damage to Structures and Life Hazard and finally Electrical and Electronic Systems Within Structures.

• There are four separate risks that can be addressed depending upon the clients requirements:

    1. Risk of loss of human life

    2. Risk of loss of service to the public

    3. Risk of loss of cultural heritage

    4. Risk of loss of economic value

The starting point is to establish which risk the client wishes to protect against. Risk 1 is addressed under the existing Standard, Risk 2 is only partially addressed under the existing standard and then only in an informative appendix and not a formal part of the standard. Risk 3 and Risk 4 are considered for the first time within the new Standard.

• A risk assessment must be undertaken for each of the risks the client wishes to address in order to determine what level of protection is required, if any, and what protection measures need to be applied in order to reduce the risk to a tolerable level. This is a new practice.

• The risk assessments require certain information in addition to that already required under the current standard:

    - dimensions and use of the structure to be protected

    - type and characteristics of equipment to be protected

    - type of cabling used for power and telecommunications/data systems

    - characteristics of power and telecommunications lines feeding the structure

    - characteristics of the structure feeding the lines

    - relative location of the structure and its services to other structures

    - type of floor surfaces (for example, concrete, asphalt granite etc)

    - risk of fire and any special hazards

    - provision for fire protection

    - any inherent or specifically built in spatial shielding against electromagnetic influences

    - various financial information if requiring a calculation of R4.

This information is much more detailed than any current requirement and is vital to any accurate risk assessment.

• The risk assessments will ascertain what level of protection, if any, you require and determine what measures are needed to protect against the risks presented. The information required to produce precise assessments, designs and costs may be severely delayed due to existing tendering practices in the UK unless lightning protection specialists are involved much earlier in the design phase of the project.

• Finally, there is a much greater emphasis on equipotential bonding or ensuring separation distances between the protection system and any conductive building services. This new requirement will involve significant coordination of the lightning protection system with other building services.

The report, which was conducted by Link-Up during July, verifies Health and Safety, Quality Management and Environmental practices of businesses that work, or are looking to work, with Network Rail.

Nottingham based Omega, which has branches around the country, registered with Link-up in 2001. Since then the company has been responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems on many high profile rail projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the improvements along the West Coast Main Line, Europe’s biggest rail project.

“We are very pleased that Link-Up confirmed no deficiencies in our practices but we were in no doubt that our procedures and quality of work deserved it. We have a successful track record in supplying the rail industry which is down to a level of expertise, experience, resources and national reach that none of our competitors can match.” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems. As well as the rail sector the company supports construction, power, telecoms, windfarm and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

Work will be completed early in 2007 and Omega’s role is to design and install an earthing system on the new signalling network, which spans 60 miles of track, running from Petersfield in the North to Portsmouth Harbour in the South.

Siemens Transportation Systems selected Omega because of its successful track record on high profile rail projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the improvements along the West Coast Main Line, Europe’s biggest rail project.

An audit by the rail industry supplier qualification scheme 'Link-Up', which verifies Health and Safety, Quality Management and Environmental practices of businesses that work, or are looking to work, with Network Rail, recently gave Omega a clean bill of health finding no deficiencies in its procedures.

“Protecting rail signalling systems from lightning and electrical surges is vital to ensure a safe rail network for both travellers and rail workers. Our proven record of expertise and experience, resource base and national reach has lead to extensive work with the rail industry,“ said Omega’s Managing Director, Mike Henshaw.

The Harbour Reach marina development in St Helier has been designed to the highest safety standards and that includes the integration of the very latest Lightning Protection technology into its structure.

Omega Red Group was selected to design, supply and install the Lightning Protection system because of the company’s experience and proven track record at other major developments in Jersey including La Loy Prison, the La Coie housing development and Liberation Place .

“The system we’ve installed meets British Standard 6651 and for aesthetic reasons it has been fully integrated into the Harbour Reach structure, it’s completely hidden,” says Omega’s Managing Director Mike Henshaw. “ The current in a lightning strike is likely to be in the range of 2,000 - 200,000 amps and statistics show that, for example, the UK alone is subjected to around 2 million strikes per year. Clearly an effective operational system is vital to protect the site and indeed any other large-scale development.”

Omega’s engineers had to take account of the particular challenges of the site with its unique ground composition and the presence of water. The design of the Lightning Protection system includes aluminium roof tapes which travel down through five floors and into the pile foundations where any current from a lightning strike is dispersed into the ground.

The Harbour Reach job was undertaken by a team from Omega’s Bristol branch with support from its head office in Nottingham . Work on the installation began in November 2004 and has been staggered to take account of the overall progress of the construction. Each phase of the Lightning Protection system was fully tested as it was installed and final testing of the completed system will take place in August.

“Hopefully that won’t be the end of our involvement at Harbour Reach says Mike Henshaw. Having designed and installed the system we’d like to be involved in the annual testing and maintenance programme that ensures it continues to work effectively for many years to come.”

Since hundreds of thousands of skilled and unskilled workers were lost from the construction industry in the recession of the early to mid-nineties, only the most progressive companies have continued to make a significant investment in their workforce.

Unfortunately, too many organisations are content to poach well-trained staff from better-run organisations. Whilst this may be of short-term benefit to the organisation in question it simultaneously undermines attempts to boost skills, expertise and levels of professionalism across the industry as a whole.

The Earthing and Lightning Protection sector, largely as a result of the actions of a few leading organisations, has however, grasped the need to promote best practice – the vehicle for this is the Lightning Conductor Engineering Apprenticeship scheme run by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The apprenticeship, takes a minimum of 2 years to reach NVQ level 2 and has been running since the early 1990’s. Each year the scheme brings a greater number of properly qualified lightning protection and earthing engineers into the industry.

Omega has been one of the leading advocate’s of the apprenticeship course as we believe it is essential to ensure that well-trained and skilled people are available to design, build and maintain high-quality earthing and lightning protection systems across the country. The apprenticeship scheme, ensures that the knowledge vital to the industry in 21 st century is being properly taught and understood.

Good recruitment is key

Of course, it is important to spend time recruiting the right type of person to fit the role. We generate interest in our apprenticeship scheme by advertising in local newspapers, posting information on our website, using the CITB network and through contacts from our current workforce.

Potentially suitable applicants are interviewed for their ability to meet our training requirements and the needs of the job and also to assess whether they will “fit” within our organisation. The latter point is particularly important for long-term retention but is one that is often overlooked by employers. Candidates who successfully negotiate the initial stage go on to take the CITB assessments at the National Construction College (NCC) at Bircham Newton near Kings Lynn. Those who pass the rigorous interviews and assessments are offered places on the apprenticeship programme based on the needs of the business.

A structured training plan to meet the needs of the business is essential

Generally, apprentices are recruited in early autumn so that they can gain some experience of life in the industry before they start their training at the NCC.

The apprenticeship’s academic and off-the-job practical training usually starts in January and comprises a total of 24 weeks residential training at the NCC over a 2-year period. Off-the-job training covers all technical and practical aspects of the trade.

The off-the-job training is augmented by on-the-job training during which apprentices are skilled in a wide range of disciplines such as health & safety, safe accessing, earthing and lightning protection design. The apprentice must successfully complete each module needed for the completion of their individual NVQ portfolios and eventual achievement of their apprenticeship.

Continuing to ensure retention of apprentices

The approximate direct cost to the company of employing an apprentice is in the order of £20,000. Some of this is offset by the contribution the apprentice makes to various projects whilst gaining on-the-job experience. Considering the costs of recruiting and training over the two-year period, it is vital to ensure appropriate retention policies are in place. That means regular meetings with apprentices, visiting them at the College and working closely with CITB staff - all designed to provide individuals with support, guidance and encouragement.

Having made the investment in time and money it is important to continue to offer the kind of positive career development and appropriate rewards that will ensure the long-term commitment of the individual. In my experience, most people are not motivated purely by salary but recognise and value the investment that an organisation makes in them. Our approach had led to 90% retention rate through to the end of the apprenticeship and 12 years after the completion of the first Lightning Conductor Engineering apprenticeship course, we still have an overall retention of around 60% of all apprentices ever employed.

Never mind the width….

As with any business asset, success can be measured based upon the return on investment. This is a vital concept. Companies should not recruit apprentices simply because it’s ‘the current thing to do’ but in order to resource the business’s current and future growth.

The real success of an apprentice scheme, for my organisation, is in ensuring it fulfils the needs of our customers in a safe, professional, efficient and cost effective manner. It follows that if the company is able to achieve this aim then it benefits from a more loyal customer base, reduced long-term recruitment costs, lower churn and the development of a more effective workforce.

The construction industry, sadly, has a reputation for harbouring many unprofessional operators. Properly recruited and trained apprentices developing into competent trades people will go some way to achieving a reputation for trust and professionalism.

Without investment in apprentices customers and the industry will suffer from a lack of competent, safe trades people and ultimately that will mean lower long-term turnover and profitability.

In answer to the question ‘are apprentices a short term cost or long term benefit’? Whilst apprentices involve a short term cost without them the industry will never achieve the respect, and profitability it needs.

 

The Scottish branch has grown considerably over the last couple of years and has just hit £1.2m turnover for the first time, 20% up on the previous year.

The new 3200 sq ft premises will allow Omega to increase the existing workforce with six new employees during the year ahead. The new recruits will be a mixture of apprentices and experienced, front line lightning conductor engineers and earthing specialists

Omega in Scotland has had its most successful year beating all targets and the Group is on track for continued growth with record-breaking orders of £10.2m during the year to the end of March.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director at the Nottingham Head Quarters said “The team in Scotland have gone from strength to strength in recent years. They had significantly outgrown the old premises but now they have the chance to recruit new staff and grow while maintaining their excellent service standards.”

Omega Red Group is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems for the rail, construction, power, water and telecoms industries. The company is based in Nottingham and employs more than 250 people through its national branch network, which includes Edinburgh , Manchester , Nottingham , London and Bristol .

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director at the Nottingham-based market leader in Electrical Earthing and Lightning Protection said: “This is the strongest position we have ever been in at the start of a new financial year. It’s a real tribute to the hard work and expertise of our people and our ability to carry out both large and small-scale projects across the country.

“Significant investment in our infrastructure, training and best practice has left us well placed for strong growth in the years ahead. We can deliver high levels of expertise and professionalism while remaining price competitive and that is very appealing to the market”.

Omega has won major contracts at Heathrow Terminal 5, Europe ’s biggest construction project; the West Coast Mainline rail upgrade; and Cefn Coes, the UK ’s biggest onshore windfarm project in addition to thousands of other smaller contracts. The company expects to add to its 220 strong workforce in order to keep up with the high volume of work.

“We’ll be recruiting for a wide range of positions to support our continued growth. We already have an industry-leading apprentice programme in place and we’ll be looking for trainees in Nottingham and at our branches in Edinburgh , Manchester , London and Bristol ,” says Mike Henshaw.

Since the company was set up growth has been both organic and through acquisition - Omega acquired its largest competitor, Furse Specialist Contracting, in 1995 and A.W Elliott in 2004. The company is the UK market leader, more than three times the size of its nearest rival.

The award is widely used by Utilities companies to establish a standardised benchmark of performance through a single ‘gateway’ when assessing companies for major contracts – the power and water industries are key markets for Omega.

The company has spent the past year working in consultation with an independent verifier to ensure that its processes and systems for Safety, Health, Environment and Quality meet the high standards that UVBDverify accreditation requires.

“It’s an important award that recognises all the hard work that we’ve done to train our staff and improve our processes. We think it will give us a significant advantage because Utility companies won’t have to go through a rigorous assessment of our competence and expertise – this award gives them that assurance,” said Mike Henshaw, Managing Director at Omega.

The UVBDverify accreditation comes just a few months after Omega became the first company in the Earthing and Lightning Protection industry to be accredited with the ‘Proof’ certificate from Link-up, the UK rail industry supplier qualification scheme that verifies Health and Safety, Quality and Environmental practices. Omega works on some of the UK ’s biggest rail projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the West Coast Mainline upgrade.

Omega Red Group is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems for the rail, construction, power, water and telecoms industries. The company is based in Nottingham and employs more than 250 people through its national branch network, which includes Edinburgh , Manchester , Nottingham , London and Bristol .

Ffynonn Ore in South Wales consists of 16, 90-meter high wind turbines that each need safeguarding from the effects of a lightning strike and dangerous earth potentials. The Norfolk Fenlands venture includes three sites: Red House, Deeping St Nicholas and Glassmoor, with a total of 22 turbines to be protected. The project will also be extended with plans to build a further 12 turbines at a new site called Red Tile.

Omega has been supporting the renewable energy industry for some time focusing on protecting landfill sites that produce heat and power from recycled gas. Last year the company successfully protected 39 wind turbines on Britain’s biggest wind farm located in Cefn Croes, Wales. Having proved their expertise within the renewable energy industry they were recruited for this project by utilities construction company, McNicholas.

According to the British Wind Energy Association one 1.8 Mw wind turbine at a reasonable site would produce over 4.7 million units of electricity each year, enough to meet the annual needs of over 1,000 households, or to run a computer for over 1,620 years. Wind generated energy plays a massive part in the governments plan to have 10% of the UK’s electricity powered by renewables by 2010.

The project, which is worth in the region of £80k to Omega, is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2006.

“Wind turbines are such massive structures that without an effective earthing and lightning protection system they will, almost definitely, suffer more detrimentally from the effects of lightning strikes and could produce dangerous touch, step and transfer potentials in the event of an earth fault. We are delighted to be using our expertise to aid the safety and success of wind farms around the UK and are pleased to be supporting a very important, growing, environmentally friendly industry,” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red Group is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of earthing and lightning protection systems. As well as renewable energy, the company supports rail, construction, power and telecoms industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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BAA Gatwick chose Omega to deliver the job because as UK market leader, it is big enough to resource a project of this size. BAA Gatwick is the UK’s second largest airport and the busiest single runway operation in the World, flying 32 million passengers a year.

The work has been commissioned so that BAA Gatwick can ensure that its lightning protection assets at the airport are maintained appropriately and so function properly in the event of a lightning strike. Omega’s expert test engineers have already begun work on the job, which is expected to be complete in two months.

The BAA Gatwick contract will be handled through Omega’s Specialist Testing office with technical and logistical support provided from its Nottingham head office. Omega has just successfully completed a project with the same requirements at Luton airport.

“Our inspection and testing of Gatwick Airport’s lightning protection system will help to maintain a safe and secure environment for its staff and passengers. A lightning strike or any disruption to the power supply caused by an electrical surge could have disastrous consequences for any airport. We have the experience and expertise to help BAA Gatwick minimise the risks,” said Omega’s Managing Director, Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems. Omega employs more than 220 people and supports the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Omega Red Group believes it is the first company within the Earthing and Lightning Protection industry to receive a Proof certificate from Link-up, the UK rail industry supplier qualification scheme that verifies Health and Safety, Quality and Environmental practices.

Nottingham based Omega, which has branches around the country, registered with Link-up in 2001. Since then the company has been responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems on many rail projects including the high profile Channel Tunnel Rail Link and West Coast Main Line improvements. It has been awarded the Proof certificate following an extensive audit of its practices.

With concern for the rail safety at its all time high following major accidents at Hatfield and elsewhere the rail industry is keen to employ companies that have achieved the Proof certificate.

“We are delighted to receive the Proof certificate but we were always confident that our procedures and quality of work deserved it. We have a proven track record in supplying the rail and fast growing tram sectors which, we believe, is down to our level of expertise and experience, resource base and national reach that none of our competitors can match.” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in Earthing and Lightning Protection. As well as the rail sector the company supports the construction, power, telecoms, windfarm and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Omega is to design and install the Earthing and Lightning protection systems on a variety of buildings including new John Lewis and Debenhams store’s. The £900 million project, which is worth more than £150,000 to Omega, is comprised of 30 individually designed buildings over 42 acres and is set to be completed by end of 2007.

The Paradise Street redevelopment will be complete in time for Liverpool to receive its European Capital of Culture status in 2008. This prestigious title is expected to attract an extra 1.7 million tourists to Liverpool and has encouraged more than £2 billion of investment in the city.

“We are thrilled to work on such an ambitious project. Protecting huge buildings in a central area against lightning strikes is essential for the safety of the structures and, more crucially, the people inside them. The Omega team has all the necessary skills, resources, and experience to do just that.” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems. The company supports the rail, construction, power, telecoms, windfarm and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Omega Red Group, the Nottingham-based UK market leader in Earthing and Lightning Protection, triumphs again at the recognised CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) awards with its apprentices claiming almost half of the total awards.

Training awards for Lightning Conductor Engineers were claimed by: Craig Murrel, 18 years, of Witham, Essex who won the award for ‘best progress in towards NVQ in Lightning Conductor Engineering’. Lee Paul, 18 years, of Radcliffe, Manchester received the prize for the apprentice with the ‘best technical ability’.

Omega is committed to training and recruits more apprentices than the rest of the industry combined. The company’s second year apprentices complete their final training at the CITB training college this month and Omega is searching for another 10 apprentices to start the programme in January.

Omega has offices in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol to support its work for the construction, rail, telecoms, power and renewable energy industries nationally – the new recruits will be spread across the country in each of the different branches.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director of Omega Red Group Ltd, said: “I am thrilled with the outcome of the CITB awards. All our apprentices are carefully selected then put through a rigorous training programme so I’m pleased to see their hard work and skill being recognised and rewarded. We believe investing in an advanced training programme designed to meet the needs of our client base is the best way to ensure we have the very best recruits onboard our team, and I’m happy to say most Omega apprentices go on to have a long prosperous career with us.”

Omega Red Group Ltd was formed in 1988 and has become the UK market leader in Earthing and Lightning Protection – more than 3 times the size of its largest competitor. The company now employs more than 220 people generating a turnover of approximately £9.0m per annum.

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The figures cap a highly successful 18-month period at Omega, the Nottingham-based UK market leader in Electrical Earthing and Lightning Protection. The company acquired rival A.W Elliott & Company in January 2004 and has won major contracts at Heathrow Terminal 5, Europe’s biggest construction project; the West Coast Mainline rail upgrade; and Cefn Coes, the UK’s biggest onshore windfarm project.

In June Omega announced that it had agreed an undisclosed seven-figure sum to buyout the 34.7% of shares in the company held by global private equity firm, 3i. Following the buyout all the shares in the business are now held by the five original shareholders plus two others who joined shortly after the company was formed in 1988.

“The company has secured substantial, long term contracts in its key markets and significant investment in training and best practice systems has left us well placed for strong growth over the next few years,” said Managing Director Mike Henshaw. “It means we can offer a level of service and professionalism that puts us well ahead of our competitors while remaining highly price competitive whatever the size of the job.”

Since the company was set up growth has been both organic and through acquisition. Omega acquired its largest competitor, Furse Specialist Contracting, in 1995 to become UK market leader, more than 3-times the size of its nearest rival. The company now employs more than 220 people across the UK at its branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, London and including its Nottingham head office in Bulwell.

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The partnership began when Nottingham-based Omega was set up in 1989. 3i provided 25% of the original share capital and other financing. The other five original shareholders raised the rest of the money needed to set up Omega as a specialised Electrical Earthing and Lightning Protection company. Following the buyout all issued shares in the business are held by the five remaining original shareholders plus two others who joined shortly after the company started.

From the beginning the partnership with 3i proved highly successful and Omega acquired its largest competitor, Furse Specialist Contracting, in 1995 to become UK market leader, more than 3-times the size of its nearest rival. The company has continued to grow organically and through acquisition. In 2004 Omega declared a turnover of £7.8m for the year to April and bought rival A.W Elliott & Company with 3i then holding 34.7% of the issued share capital in the enlarged business.

“I’d like to thank 3i for their contribution to Omega’s success. The other original shareholders, including myself, were all experienced managers and electrical engineers by trade but hadn’t set up a business before so 3i’s expertise was very useful. Both parties agreed that the relationship has now run its course so we are parting on good terms,” said Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Over the past year Omega has secured major contracts in its target markets. Projects currently in progress include work on Heathrow Terminal 5, Europe’s biggest construction project; the West Coast Mainline rail upgrade; and Cefn Coes, the UK’s biggest onshore windfarm development.

The company employs more than 220 people across the UK with branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, London and including its Nottingham head office in Bulwell.

“Our vision for Omega was to set up a company which introduced new standards of professionalism, expertise and service to the Electrical Earthing and Lightning Protection industry,” said Mike Henshaw, “and I think our success reflects that vision”.

“We have been instrumental in driving up standards and regularly win accolades for our work. We use only our own fully trained and qualified engineers and last year we were responsible for more than half of the new apprenticeships offered by our industry.”

During the negotiations with 3i, Omega Red was advised by PricewaterhouseCoopers with Freeth Cartwright acting as the company’s solicitors.

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Omega has been the official sponsors of the Bulwell Rangers since August 2003 and has seen the team go from strength to strength. In season 2003/04 they won a total of 4 games, but season 2004/05 has seen a dramatic turnaround with the team losing only one of their league games - scoring an incredible 137 goals and seizing the title of Division 3 champions in the last game of the season.

Top scorer Liam Down, who has scored 56 goals this year, followed by Liam Evans who has scored a total of 39, have helped to lead the 17-strong squad to victory. The majority of the players are local to Henry Mellish School, the home ground for the team, and many of the players have been with the Bulwell Rangers since the under 9’s.

“The support from Omega has helped enormously with the teams motivation and drive, they feel like a solid and united team and look really professional in their kit. We hope to continue our successes in 2005 and make Omega proud, our aim is to do just as well in Division 2 and really develop the players.” said Manager Neil Smith.

“Omega were keen to sponsor a team local to the area and are delighted they are doing so well. We will definitely be behind them throughout the rest of the season” said Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems. More than three times the size of its nearest competitor, Omega employs more than 250 people on-site and at its regional offices to support the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries.

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Omega Red Group has been appointed by Birse Process Engineering Ltd, working in conjunction with EDF Energy Ltd to design and install electrical earthing systems on all 23 No 11 kV electrical substations, in section two of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) from Ebbsfleet nr Gravesend to St. Pancras.

Omega expects the contract to take 18 months to complete, using a team of experienced staff. The company has been chosen because of its breadth of experience and knowledge within specialist electrical earthing and rail sectors, having an impressive track record and partnering some of the biggest players in the industry on other major projects such as West Coast Mainline.

Section two involves some of the most complicated and technically challenging electrical contract work on the CTRL. The line is being extended and trains pass through a 3km tunnel beneath the River Thames, before travelling a further 19km underground. Tunnelling underneath the built-up areas of London means that almost 25% of the entire route will actually be underground.

“We are excited about working on a project of this magnitude, and I believe we were chosen because of our proven ability to cope with jobs of this nature and scale. Omega is one of the few companies within our sector that has the available resources and skills to carry out the work to the high standard which is required.” says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

The 109km (68mile) high-speed track stretches from Central London to the Channel Tunnel and is the first major new railway line to be built in the UK in more than a century. Estimated to cost a massive £5.2 billion, the CTRL will connect Britain directly with Europe’s expanding rail network and significantly reducing journey times for all its passengers.

Omega was formed in 1988 by a team of highly experienced, senior executives in the Electrical Earthing and Lightning Protection industry and by 1995 they were the UK market leaders in their field. Today, Omega is still owned and run by its founders and is more than three times the size of its nearest competitor, employing more than 250 people on-site and at its regional offices in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Improvements to the West Coast Main Line, which runs from Glasgow Central to London Euston, include a major upgrade of its power infrastructure. The renovated West Coast Main Line will be fully electrified for the first time to enable improved telecommunications and signalling and allowing it to carry faster, tilting trains. Faster trains require more power and an upgraded Earthing system will be completed by Omega by the end of 2005.

The four largest contractors on the £8bn project, have appointed Omega to carry out Earthing work on the line because of the company's proven track record in supplying the rail and fast growing tram sectors. Recent rail contracts have included the Nottingham tram system and Dublin Light Rail project and Omega expects the West Coast Main Line contract to be worth over £500,000 during its lifetime.

"We have a level of expertise and experience, resource base and national reach that none of our competitors can match and I think those things were decisive in securing this contract. The West Coast Main Line will use huge amounts of electricity and so its very important for the safety of both travellers and rail workers that the line has an effective Earthing system and that is what we will deliver," says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems and earlier this year acquired its largest competitor in the rail sector, AW Elliott. The company supports the rail, construction, power, telecoms, windfarm and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Electrical Contractors Goodmarriott & Hursthouse recruited Omega following a competitive tender process because of their expertise and experience within the industry, the Nottingham based outfit is the market leader in earthing and lightning protection. Omega expects to complete its work on the stadium during 2006 and has put together a team of highly skilled engineers to complete the project.

The total value of Arsenal’s new stadium project is £357m. The height of the new stadium will be 41.5 meters from pitch level to the top of the roof and will include 10,000 tons of steel reinforcement, which is equivalent to the weight of 300 Arsenal team coaches.

“We are delighted to be chosen to work on such an exciting, high profile project. Protecting such a massive structure against lightning strikes is imperative for the safety of the building and, more importantly, the people inside it. We at Omega have all the necessary skills, resources, and experience to do just that.”

said Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

The site of the new Emirates Stadium is 17 acres in size and will have capacity for 60,000 spectators. At the project’s peak, over 1,000 construction workers are expected to be working on the development on site.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems. More than three times the size of its nearest competitor, Omega employs more than 250 people on-site and at its regional offices to support the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries.

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The company believes that the 12 apprentices it is recruiting are more than the rest of the industry combined. Omega has offices in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol to support its work for the construction, rail, telecoms and power industries nationally - the new recruits will be spread across the country in each of the different branches.

"We take the quality of engineers very seriously and are committed to the training and developing of our new recruits," says Managing Director, Mike Henshaw. "It is a demanding apprenticeship and takes hard work and determination to get the qualifications, but we need to make sure that our team is the best in the business. We firmly believe in investing our time, energy and money in a sophisticated training programme that is designed and tailored to meet the needs of the Omega client base."

To qualify for the apprentice training, there is a careful selection process and with limited placements each branch will select only two or three candidates. The course is held over two days and the young potentials are put through their paces with rigorous tests to assess their ability on basic numeracy, spelling, grammar and a heights test in which they are asked to climb a 100ft chimney.

After the two-day selection process is complete, senior managers spend time looking at all the test results and attitude observations to ensure that they select the best candidates from the group.

The successful candidates are then able to start a two-year apprenticeship, in conjunction with Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), this also includes 24 weeks off-the-job training. Once they successfully complete the two-year apprenticeship they are awarded an NVQ Level 2 qualification, which qualifies them as Lightning Conductor Engineers.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director of Omega Red Group Ltd, said: "As a reputable employer we feel we have a duty to provide training to young people in the community and in return we know we are taking on the best possible candidates which will be qualified to meet our high standards and expectations."

Omega is more than three times the size of its nearest competitor in the Earthing and Lightning Protection Industry and works on some of the UK's largest construction, rail, power and telecoms projects. Employing more than 250 people at its head office and regional branches the company's structure and resource base means it can handle projects large and small across the country.

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The Cefn Croes Wind Project has been co-developed by Renewable Development Company (RDC) and GE Energy. The wind plant's estimated annual electricity generation will serve about 40,000 households and play an important role in helping the UK to work towards producing 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Omega has been supporting the renewable energy industry for some time focusing on protecting landfill sites that produce heat and power from recycled gas however; the work on carried out on Cefn Croes Wind Farm was a first for Omega. On this project alone they worked on the installation of many kilometres of buried earthing tapes in very inhospitable conditions and undertook the detailed final testing and commissioning of the entire earthing system. Omega's engineering team completed the £100,000+ job, across 7.5km² of land leased from the forestry commission, within two months and met all deadlines set.

"We are excited about taking our expertise into new areas and the success of the Cefn Croes Wind Project illustrates how our skills can be transferred across all industries. Wind turbines are prone to lightning strikes so it was vital that each turbine had an effective earthing system and through our knowledge, experience, resource base and national reach that is exactly what we've delivered." says Managing Director Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red is the UK market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of Earthing and Lightning Protection systems, and has worked alongside the main electrical contractor on the Cefn Croes Wind Project, The Rosebery Group. Omega employs more than 220 people and supports the rail, construction, power, telecoms and renewable energy industries through its regional branches in Edinburgh, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Bristol.

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Stuart Walker won the National Lightning Conductor Engineer prize at the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), presented to him by guest speaker Chris Ryan of S.A.S ‘Bravo Two Zero’ fame (22 July). Stuart was nominated after having won a top prize at the awards for Lightning Conductor Engineering Apprentices a week earlier (15 July) where Omega dominated the ceremony.

The company is looking to its future confidently after winning four of the five prizes in recognition of its work with apprentices - including Stuart Walker’s award for best NVQ portfolio together with the principal A.W. Elliott trophy for the best all round apprentice.

Further awards went to Allan Smith, of Omega’s Edinburgh branch, who won the Erico award for best practice apprentice, and Craig Palmer, a Nottingham branch apprentice, won the award for the Apprentice with the best personality. June Turney, Chair of the ATLAS (Association of Technical Lighting and Access Specialists) Training Group, presented the Omega apprentices their prizes.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director of Omega Red Group, said: “I am delighted with the results of these awards. Omega has been the driving force behind apprentice places on the Lightning Conductor course since its inception and we certainly put our apprentices through their paces. This success is very positive for both Omega and the individuals who all thoroughly deserve their awards.”

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T5 is Europe’s biggest construction project costing £4.2bn, when completed it will accommodate 30 million passengers annually. Omega was chosen to deliver the earthing and lightning protection system because of its previous experience at airports and because, as UK market leader, it is big enough to resource a project of this size.

Omega is working on the main terminal building, which will be the largest single span building in the UK, and its two satellite buildings. The main power source for T5 has been installed and Omega will handle the earthing protection system for it plus 40 smaller distribution substations across the site; and the Lightning Protection system for 47 aircraft stands, 18 link bridges to aircraft, 18,000 metres of conveyor belt and three rail tunnels.

The T5 contract will be handled through Omega’s London regional office with technical and logistical support provided from its Nottingham head office. Omega is sub-contracted to and working alongside three of the major construction groups involved - AMEC, Crown House Technologies, and Laing O'Rourke.

“T5 is a huge and complex construction programme and clearly needs an earthing and lightning protection system that will provide a safe and secure environment for its staff and passengers because a lightning strike or any disruption to the power supply caused by an electrical surge could have disastrous consequences. We have the experience and expertise to minimise the risks,” said Omega’s Managing Director, Mike Henshaw.

Omega Red Group Ltd was formed in 1988 and bought its largest competitor in 1995 to become the UK market leader – more than 3 times the size of its largest competitor, a position it maintains to this day. The company operates in the construction, rail, tram, telecoms and power industries, employs more than 220 people and expects a turnover of approximately £9.0m this year.

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Elliott’s strong position in the UK’s booming light railway and tram market made the purchase attractive to Omega, which has a turnover of approximately £7.5m. There are currently 10–12 major developments underway or planned around the country including Manchester, Leeds and Nottingham.

Mike Henshaw, Managing Director at Nottingham-based Omega believes the acquisition of Elliott’s, which has a turnover of £1.5m will be good for the UK market: “It means we can combine our experience and expertise and achieve economies of scale which is good news for our customers”.

Omega delivers lightning protection, electrical earthing installation and testing to the power and construction industries including prestige projects such as the Bluewater Complex in Kent.

“Using recognised risk analysis methods as the basis, most commercial and industrial buildings and construction projects need to be protected from lightning so that they are safe and secure, and by law all lightning protection systems should be tested annually.

“We offer a full design development, installation and ongoing testing service across all sectors of the construction industry in a way that no other organisation in our field can do,” says Mike Henshaw.

The company has acquired most of the assets (vehicles, plant, stock), ongoing business and the staff of Elliott’s but not its head office building in Basford. All 32 staff will begin transferring to Omega during February, either working from its head office in Bulwell or in the field from its branches in London, Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh. Integration will be completed by the end of February and it is envisaged that there will be no job losses involved in the changeover.

Management at Elliott’s decided to sell believing that staff would have better opportunities and a stronger future as part of the Omega Red Group. Elliott’s Chairman, Graeme Fisher says: “This has been a family-owned business since it was formed in 1948 so these are exciting times for all Elliott employees. The nationwide presence of Omega will provide our customers with a more efficient local response to their needs.”

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