In today’s increasingly delicate environmental situation, there is a growing need for both domestic and commercial electric users to reduce consumption and ensure that the power used is supplied from renewable sources.
Flying Start spoke with Andrew and Sharon Wakeman to see just how they are faring in this competitive and dynamic industry.
A Wakeman Electrical Services Ltd is based in the beautiful village of Cleobury Mortimer in Shropshire and was founded in 2009 by Andrew. Although a relatively young company, Andrew Wakeman has 25 years of experience in the trade and has built an excellent reputation amongst both clients and fellow craftsmen alike.
Although the backbone of the business has been electrical contracting, the advent of demand for renewable energy has seen the company move into new markets. Andrew recognised the need to evolve in order to stay competitive and after working on the Sharp Solar Energy Display Centre in Wrexham it became obvious that there was a great need for solar energy installers. A Wakeman Electrical Services have been accredited with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme certificate thus giving a guarantee to clients that they are skilled professionals in the renewable energy sector.
This government endorsement has both allowed renewable energy companies to thrive in a fast expanding sector and given consumers the confidence to select high quality companies.
Andrew and Sharon, who deals with the administration, ensure that the company is a family owned and run business that gives them more control of how the business will operate. Andrew served his apprenticeship at the Midland Electricity Board (MEB) and now has a database of trusted subcontractors, many of whom were also MEB trained before going into business for themselves.
A Wakeman Electrical Services believe that to succeed in the industry they have to give the highest levels of customer service as well as the highest quality of work possible. Standards of work are maintained via Andrew’s control over his subcontractors and the rigorous personal standards that he has set over the years, beginning with his initial training.
There is no “hard sell” because Wakeman’s rely on word of mouth recommendation that means having the best reputation in the business. Andrew is onsite for every installation, no matter how small or large, and remains in constant contact with the client before, during and after the installation. Couple this with the qualifications and continuing training that he undertakes and Flying Start can see why the business is so highly regarded.
We asked Sharon about the company’s future challenges and she told us “Although we still maintain a good mix of domestic work from householders, Estate Management Offices and Local Authorities and have strong links with the farming community in Shropshire, we see ourselves moving more and more into the renewable energy market.
Having achieved a stunning result in obtaining our MCS accreditation (the inspector commented that he had never known a company to undertake the type of challenge that we had and was awed by the result) we are now looking to increase our work in Ground Source and Air Source Heat Pump installations and Solar Thermal projects.
An extra line of work developing from the Solar PV arm of the business is the government requirement for properties with these installations to have an Energy Performance Certificate and to that end, Andrew has now become a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor which means that the company can issue these certificates directly to the client.”
It seems to Flying Start that A Wakeman Electrical Services appears to be perfectly equipped to take on the challenges presented by the current economic environment offering the right mix of diverse clients, quality workmanship and a willingness to evolve by training and embracing the newest technologies available.
To contact Andrew and Sharon, you can call A Wakeman Electrical Services on 08450 564173 or email on wakeman@twostaks.fsnet.co.uk
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