The Hills Group magazine Issue 36 September 2015 £270,000 grant helps to protect Wiltshire’s wildlife – read more on pages 14 and 15 New workshop partnership Record sales for Homes Setting the standard Two year contract for FAUN Zoeller at Sales records are broken as home Quarry Products celebrates 10 years the Purton workshop buyers choose Hills of ready-mixed concrete sales - see page 4 - see page 9 - see pages 10 and 11 GROUP Butterflies and Contents skateparks Sun shines on 03 Shareholders’ tour Rarely does the process of how a tax is raised and • Shareholders visit key operational sites spent receive praise. However the Government’s 04 Waste Solutions news decision nearly 20 years ago to allow a proportion the shareholder tour of the landfill tax raised by operators to be • Workshop partnership at Purton Hills’ shareholders enjoyed a busy, • TyreWatch trial retained and donated to eligible local causes is • Trevor Tuck retires definitely an exception. sun-drenched day visiting a selection of • Wiltshire contracts update The stunning cover picture of an Orange Tip key operational sites. Following the Hills UK • Melksham top HRC recycling table butterfly on a bluebell relates to a recent donation Board meeting shareholders set off to the 06 Waste Solutions news to local wildlife conservation (which is featured on • Aspire 'Safety First Always' event pages 14 and 15). The accompanying article Cotswold Water Park to see the new • Dave Long MBE regarding the donation to a skatepark in Calne Cerney Wick Quarry before calling in to • Commercial sales update demonstrates the breadth of support that is Homes’ recently completed development 07 Cerney Wick enabled by the Landfill Communities Fund. • Cerney Wick update Mixing with the right people at Battlewell, Purton. • New Quarry website Congratulations to all those involved in the Family members were able to catch-up over a lunch at The Pear Peter Andrew explains how the Cerney Wick Quarry site is developing. 08 Homes company’s ready-mixed concrete business for Tree restaurant in Purton before further visits in the afternoon to • Developments update reaching its 10th anniversary. You can read the Lower Compton MRF and Homes’ popular Station Meadows • Record sales about how this operation has grown impressively development in Calne. Shareholder Nick Hill, commented: “I must viewpoint over the last decade to form a very important 10 Concrete say I thoroughly enjoyed the recent shareholders’ meeting and part of Quarry Products’ activities on pages 10 and 11. tour and found it very informative.” • 10 years of ready-mixed concrete • Newbury concrete plant improvements Partnering success 12 Quarry news Good business is all about building partnerships and you can read about two diverse examples in this issue. The outsourcing of • UTC Swindon curriculum vehicle repair and maintenance at Waste Solutions’ Purton • Work placement • Wessex FM visit Woodsford workshop is covered on page 4 – and should lead to cost savings and greater operational efficiency of the truck fleet. On page 12 14 Cover story you can read about how Quarry Products is actively partnering with Cover image of Orange Tip butterfly colleges to develop quarry industry specific courses for potential Shareholders take a look at the impressive properties at Battlewell, Purton. courtesy of ©Stephen Davis WWT. engineering employees of the future. • £270,000 for Wiltshire’s wildlife reserves • £50,000 for Calne Skate Bowl Best wishes, Michael Hill, chief executive 16 Sporting connections • Supporting sport and the arts • Golf round-up 18 Group news • Remembering Robert Hill • Obituaries • Hills history brochure • Getting to know... Dawn Jennings • Swindon Town news and ticket offer Shareholders Anna Ozberk and Sarah Scarlett enjoy their 20 Back page tour of the Battlewell development. • Spot the difference for 4 x £25 prizes • Spot the ball winner Nick King, Group director Hills • 'Allo ’Allo Homes shows the shareholder party around the Station Meadows development in Calne. Publishers Note The Hills Group Limited, Wiltshire House, The Hills Group Limited makes every effort to verify all County Park Business Centre, Shrivenham Road, information contained within intouch but does not warrant to its accuracy. No view or opinion expressed intouch is published by The Hills Group Limited. Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2NR It is distributed three times a year to within intouch should be considered to be that of The Tel: 01793 781200 Hills Group Limited, its associated companies or any employees, pensioners, shareholders director or officer in its employment. and friends of The Hills Group. Email: [email protected] Web: www.hills-group.co.uk Issue No 37 will be published in December 2015 Please submit news and photographs (if possible) to the Communications department, either to the @HillsGroup /HillsGroup address opposite, by telephone 01793 714977 Mike Hill chief executive (right) with his cousin and shareholder Charlie Hill. or via email to [email protected] The Hills Group Limited 2 intouch intouch 3 WASTE SOLUTIONS …a new workshop Trevor Tucks in Team effort secures partnership at Purton first three Lots of to farewell meal Wiltshire contract Waste Solutions has been The service and maintenance awarded contracts for Lots of Waste Solutions’ commercial 1, 3 and 4 following the fleet has been outsourced to procurement process for vehicle repair and maintenance Wiltshire Council’s waste specialists FAUN Zoeller on a management services. two year contract – with Hills’ Purton workshop team • Lot 1: Management of Recycling and Transfer Services (including transferred over to the the operation of material recycling employment of FAUN Zoeller. facilities and waste transfer stations and two household recycling centres) • Lot 3: Garden Waste Composting Services Trevor Tuck hands over to his replacement Daniel Everson. • Lot 4: Treatment and Disposal Pictured left to right are vehicle technicians Huw Treharne, of Residual Waste (hazardous, Dave Barrett, Bill Wills and Robert Abel workshop supervisor. Colleagues said goodbye to long-serving recycling area non-hazardous, municipal and manager, Trevor Tuck with a farewell lunch at the La Carbonara inert landfill) The agreement means FAUN Zoeller has taken responsibility for FAUN Zoeller also appointed a regional account manager, based restaurant in Swindon. scheduled maintenance and repairs, MOTs, servicing, LOLER at the Purton depot, with sole responsibility for the Hills Each of these contracts will start Certification (Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment contract. With the extra team members, shift patterns were Trevor worked at Hills for 17 years and helped to set up a number of key Waste Solutions from 1 August 2017 and will run for Regulations) and on-going task management. adjusted and operating hours extended to offer a more flexible sites including the Lower Compton Materials Recycling Facility and the Recyclables eight years, with the option for the service. Reflecting after the first months of the new contract, After a comprehensive review it was decided that the most Management Facility at Amesbury. Reflecting on his career with Waste Solutions, Trevor Council to extend each contract by a Gary McKinnon, commercial manager Waste Solutions said: efficient and economical solution would be to refurbish and said: “I have been with Hills for 17 years and have enjoyed my time working with you all. further eight years. re-equip the Purton workshop facility. New specialist diagnostic I would like to thank all my colleagues in Waste Solutions for all the help and assistance “FAUN Zoeller has enhanced the skills and A dedicated team of Waste Solutions equipment was purchased, so chassis servicing could be kept in they have given me and I wish the Hills Group success in the future.” and Group employees worked house creating further cost savings and convenience. The dependability the Purton workshop was incredibly hard to put together what workshop has also been equipped with an imprest stock facility known for. I want to thank all the workshop were ultimately successful tender ensuring that sufficient parts and stock are available at all proposals for Lots 1, 3 and 4 of the times. If for any reason stock is not available, FAUN Zoeller can team members for making the transition Top spot for the Melksham contract. Reflecting on the success, call on a next day delivery service should specialist parts be from Hills to FAUN Zoeller such a smooth Household Recycling Centre Mike Webster, Group director Waste needed from Germany. one. Their skills and commitment are helping Congratulations to the Melksham Solutions said: “I would like to take The existing three workshop technicians, one supervisor and to minimise down time and to keep our Household Recycling Centre team this opportunity to thank everyone one administrator have been supplemented with a further two who recycled 84.2% of the waste who was involved in the contract technicians to support fleet repair and maintenance operations. trucks on the road.” received at their site between retender bid. Waste Solutions is March and July 2015. Melksham committed to continue providing the narrowly pipped Trowbridge to same high levels of service and the top position in the league delivery for the remainder of the Treading carefully–TyreWatch system is trialled table. As recycling manager, existing contract with Wiltshire Henry Newbery commented: “All Council.” Following on from the success of the price Under-inflation is the leading cause of tyre failure, as heat can of the HRC teams have worked A decision regarding the award of build up which may lead to a dangerous blowout. Correctly really hard to ensure that per kilometre contract signed with fleet contracts for Lot 2 (management of inflated tyres last longer and help to maintain fuel efficiency by members of the public are Nick Goddard, site operative and Robin Pearse, site supervisor at the remaining HRCs) and Lot 5 (waste management specialists Tructyre, four reducing rolling resistance. As a tyre can lose up to half of its recycling as much as possible of Melksham HRC site (Shane Flexon, not pictured).