News Article
The drive to save businesses money while protecting the environment has stepped up a gear with two key appointments.
Regional development agency One North East has appointed the Resource Efficiency Managers – one for construction and another for the process industry – who are tasked with raising awareness of the importance of resource efficiency issues to companies in their respective sectors.
Ian Findley and Brian Forster will offer a wide range of business support, free expert advice and simple, practical action plans to help companies target areas of waste and find ways to eliminate or reduce them.
Ian has been recruited to work within the process industries sector.
He brings with him a wealth of experience of the sector having worked in the chemical industry for over 30 years. He has worked with BNFL, Thomas Swan and latterly on a consultancy basis at NEPIC.
Ian’s main role will be working with businesses from the process industry to look at what is already being done to promote and support resource efficiency as well as offer guidance to companies and share with them best practice on efficiency savings.
Ian said: “Energy is the single biggest issue facing companies at the moment and the process industry is highly energy dependent. I can offer one to one support for companies as well as guiding firms towards other specialised organisations that could help them make efficiency savings.
“The process industry in North East England is vital to the regional economy and I am delighted to be working at the sharp end helping companies become more productive while protecting the environment.”
Brian has been brought on board to work within the construction industry, employed by Constructing Excellence in the North East, and will be based at Northumbria University’s Sustainable Cities Research Institute.
He has built up an impressive track record in waste management within the construction industry, having spent a year on the construction panel at Envirowise; and as Managing Director of Youngs Environmental Services in Northumberland, where he was instrumental in introducing the first Site Waste Management Plans.
Brian said: “I am really looking forward to the challenge of working with companies within the construction industry to show them how being more energy efficient can help their business be more profitable.
“Every single one of us needs to do more to protect the environment and my appointment as Resource Efficiency Manager allows me to do my bit. Being more energy efficient really is the way forward for companies and that’s exactly what I’ll be drilling into them.”
Both managers will be helping businesses understand why resource efficiency is important to them both financially, environmentally and in terms of legal compliance.
Ray Waters, Sustainable Resources Senior Specialist at One North East, said: “The environment of North East England is a valuable asset, and helping businesses save money while protecting the environment will make an important contribution to sustained economic development.
“‘Both the construction and process industries are two of the most resource intensive sectors in the region, using large quantities of raw materials and energy. One North East wants to help these economically significant sectors improve resource efficiency and access business support from a suite of other programmes, so that’s why we’re funding the two Resource Efficiency Managers.
“Ian and Brian will broker support for the needs identified by the businesses in their particular sectors. They are important recruits in the regional effort to ensure businesses are working as smart as they are hard.”
For more information please contact: Leanne English, press office, One North East on Tel: (0191) 2296738, mobile no: 07917 232678 or email: leanne.english@onenortheast.co.uk
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