A switched-on Wrexham company that’s saved more than £50 million for clients is to showcase its work at a major energy event.
Utilities Connections Management Ltd (UCML) will join other innovators at the Welsh Government stand at the All-Energy international exhibition and conference in Glasgow on May 10 and 11.
UCML is a one-stop shop for businesses, developers, contractors, housing associations, care home providers, architects and many more across the UK that require electricity, gas, water and telecom connections and disconnections.
Over the past few years its expertise has managed to save its clients more than £50 million in the past ten years in connection costs and charges.
Arwel Lloyd, UCML founder and managing director, says he is delighted to join the Welsh Government’s stand, as the event will provide the company with a perfect opportunity to connect with new customers and expand its business network.
The conference and exhibition, the UK’s largest renewable energy event, will be officially opened by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. It will bring together buyers from the bioenergy, solar, offshore and onshore wind, hydropower and wave and tidal sectors, as well as those involved in energy storage, heat, low carbon transport and sustainable cities solutions.
Former Manweb Scottish Power electrical engineer Arwel said: “It’s a real honour to share the Welsh Government stand at such a prestigious event as the All-Energy Exhibition. It makes me very proud on behalf of our fantastic workforce that we have been selected to showcase the expertise that’s available in Wales.
“For a company such as ours having a presence at All-Energy – and such a high-profile one – is an absolute must. It will enable us to reach out to potential new customers and demonstrate exactly how we can help them to save money on what can be seem to be an extremely complex and daunting area of their operations.
“Over the years this has led to our clients making some really significant savings in terms of costs and staff time in the order of £50 million.
“We currently have customers right across the UK, from Aberdeen in the north to Bodmin in the south, who include a major hotel chain, social housing groups, Royal Mail, the Co-op, house builders, retail, commercial and land developers, local authorities, the Welsh Government, schools and education bodies and major construction firms like Balfour Beatty.”
The All-Energy event will bring together around 7,000 participants from home and overseas. There will be 400 exhibiting companies from 16 countries and a packed multi-stream conference and seminar programme with around 400 speakers.
UCML is only one of a small number of companies from across Wales hand-picked by the Welsh Government to take up a place on its stand.
It will now join two others from North Wales – Atmos from Mold in Flintshire and Minesto from Holyhead – which are both leaders in the renewable energy sector.
Other companies on the stand include Marine Energy Wales, Wavehub and the Port of Milford Haven, all based in Pembrokeshire, Northern Industrial Battery Supplies from Llanymynech in Powys and Marine Power Systems from Swansea.
Since its launch in 2001, All-Energy has provided suppliers, experts and thought-leaders from the renewable energy supply chain with the opportunity to meet with new customers, increase their sales opportunities and expand business opportunities in a fast-changing marketplace.
All-Energy’s event director, Jonathan Heastie of organisers Reed Exhibitions, said: “It’s an event that buzzes with enthusiasm from exhibitors eager to do business and visitors just as eager to learn and to engage with exhibitors and conference speakers.
“We have a superb exhibitor list with a broad range of highly relevant exhibits, and a stellar conference line-up.”
Arwel set up UCML in 2004 with the aim of taking advantage of utility deregulation, following a successful career in electrical engineering, during which time he worked for Manweb Scottish Power and other major companies in the utilities sector.
Based at Mainetti House on Wrexham Industrial Estate and employing more than 25 staff, the company aims to find the most economical way to link into utility networks, cutting connection and disconnection charges, and to ensure its customers work in the most energy-efficient way to reduce bills.
Arwel added: “We started UCML to take advantage of deregulation of the electricity, gas, water and telecoms sectors and the opening up of competition in these markets. Since then we have enjoyed continued growth thanks to the expertise and dedication of our team, many of whom can call on years of previous experience in utility connections.
“One of the main reasons we have enjoyed such amazing success is that we offer a fast, efficient, value for money service with a single point of contact.
“We see it as very important to work closely with clients to understand precisely what their issues are.
“With us every job is different and a new challenge. We try to recognise these differences from the customer’s point of view.”
