The expansion of premises, doubling its floor space from 106 m2 to 212 m2, will enable the excitation specialist to install more engineering facilities, including more space for a testing laboratory, hire more staff and increase throughput to better serve its clients. EES has also inspired and co-sponsored the installation of a public community access defibrillator (CPAD) outside its new property.
In the expansion, EES has acquired the other half of the building that it previously shared and renovated what was a tired, open plan, 1980s-style office into a vibrant, modern workspace. Separating the testing laboratory and storage area was key in freeing space to optimise EES’ workflow. The move will streamline the company’s delivery times and comes after EES has grown consistently to the point where more room became essential.
The company’s development isn’t limited to physical space either. Since completing the renovations, EES has added one experienced engineer, one undergraduate placement student and three graduates to its ranks. This aligns with its policy of shaping the next generation of engineers and helping to bridge the skills gap in Britain’s engineering community.
“With this move, we’re stepping into the next stage of EES’ journey,” explained Douglas Cope, director of Excitation Engineering Services. “We’ve expanded our capabilities in a big way: we’ve had clients in for training on our systems, we’ve had external bodies in to deliver training to us and the delivery time on our projects has dropped noticeably.”
Alongside the acquisition of the second half of its office building, EES has also overseen the installation of a defibrillator outside its premises. Survival rates for out of hospital (OoH) cardiac arrests can be over five times higher (10.8 per cent vs 57.1 per cent) when a CPAD is used.
After Ryan Kavanagh, a second director of EES, read about the impact of CPADs on OoH cardiac arrests on LinkedIn, he resolved to get one installed in the immediate area. EES approached the Amber Business Village committee, who all local businesses contribute a fee to, for financial support. The committee funded for the installation and parts cost, so EES only pay the electricity costs each month.
“When I learned that there are over 30,000 OoH cardiac arrests in the UK every year, I realised we had an opportunity to make our community safer,” recounted Kavanagh. “Hopefully no-one ever needs to use it, but it’s an investment in our future and the people around us.”
