With a strong background as a manufacturing factory manager Andy Groom knows firsthand the importance of plant maintenance to ensure a sustainable work environment. He talks to Tim Brown about the changing skills landscape and the growing trend for companies to outsource their maintenance requirements.
A lot of peripheral jobs exist within a factory that relate to the maintenance of the fabric of the dwelling.
According to Groom, MD of AJP Services, in today’s environment many companies are relying on outside help to ensure the completion of those jobs. He says that although companies might have previously completed maintenance internally, more and more are now outsourcing these roles.
“Once upon a time manufacturers used to retain those skills in-house but now factory engineers are as much accounts and finance based as they are skills based. This has resulted in the requirement for outside help.” “In addition to this,” according to Groom, “more and more managers are looking for a one-stop-shop to provide services which years ago might have been supplied by several different companies.” His company is one such operation offering industrial and commercial businesses assistance with projects including roofing, gutters, flooring, utility work as well as the relocation of offices or production lines. AJP Services also provide a holistic project management and management services function which includes aspects such as health and safety and CDM.
The AJP Services workforce is made up of a core group of engineers as well as a select group of contractor partners who are used when requiring specific skills. “While there are some roles where maintenance experience will suffice,” says Groom, “other jobs such as welding or roofing require specific training and we offer that speciality.” An example of an ongoing project has involved a facility in which the operation has changed from a manufacturing company to a white goods and packaging company. “In that instance,” says Groom, “we removed the old production lines, installed the new machinery and altered the services accordingly. In addition we also installed the loading docks to improve the logistical capability of the company. That is typical of the kind of work we do where we change the type of usage of a building and we are able to assist the outgoing and incoming owner and tenants.” AJP provide a wide variety of disciplines from emergency call outs for repairs, to the planned replacement and improvement of a range of items covering utility supply to office refurbishment. The full range of services AJP can offer cover disciplines from turnkey projects and project management through to all disciplines of factory maintenance – heating, electrical, mechanical, construction, groundwork and fabrication.
Flexibility, quality and price encapsulate the AJP offering as a fast response company which acts as a problem solver and solutions provider.
“We are used to getting a call at short notice to come in and provide a quote and then execute the project,” says Andy. “A lot of our customers are people that need a solution very quickly. As a result we have consistent and ongoing working relationships with several well established customers that are only too happy to verify the high-quality of the work we do.”
