News from Hutchinson Environmental Solutions

Hutchinson Environmental Solutions wish all our customers a happy new year! Good luck to them all for 2012. Hutchinson are back to work designing, supplying and installing sewage treatment plants, package plants, septic tanks and all kinds of Waste Water Systems and Environmental Systems. Hutchinson are ready for another busy year.

As one of Britain’s best known rugby players, Doddie Weir was used to getting low down and dirty.

And now he has retired from the sport, nothing has changed for the 6ft 6in former British Lion and Newcastle Falcon.

For he is now making a new career in the murky world of sewage, drains and waste water.

He is spearheading a management buy-out of one of Tynedale’s best-known companies, Hutchinson Environmental Solutions.

But this is no hostile take-over, for he and partner Pete Stedman – who has been Operations Director with Hutchinson for 16 years – are taking over from Doddie’s parents-in-law, George and Violet Hutchinson, of White Wall Nook, near Bellingham.

George and Violet are taking a well-earned retirement after developing the business over the past 40 years or so.

With the family farm at Lee Hall unable to support all four sons, George first went into forestry, before branching out into land drainage, at a time when Government grants of 70 per cent were available to farmers.

When the grants dried up, and farmers stopped spending, he turned to opencast coal working in Durham.

Then George spotted an advertisement for someone prepared to carry out sewage treatment work on an agency basis, covering an area from the Humber to the Borders.

He said: “We managed to get the agency, and never really looked back, gradually developing the septic tank and pollution side of the business as well as the drainage.”

But they will be keeping a careful eye on the new kids on the toilet block, as the take-over is being phased over a number of years.

Doddie came into the Hutchinsons’ lives in 1995, when he met and finally married Kathy, one of the Hutchinsons’ four daughters.

When his rugby career ended in 2004, he joined the family company, with the express purpose of expanding its operations north of the Border, where Doddie’s 61 Scottish caps did his sales technique no harm at all.

He said: “I am from a farming family, and knew a bit about drainage, but my job was primarily to sell the business into Scotland by carrying out site visits and giving competitive quotes.

“As commercial director, I knew we were offering a good service which was different from others in our field. While there are lots of people selling similar equipment, we do the full package from sale, installation and maintenance, which not many people do.

“We are also trying to stay one step ahead of the opposition on the environmental front, with everything from solar power, rainwater harvesting, and grease management systems.

Hutchinson’s expertise means the firm in big demand from hospitals, hotels and other businesses where hygiene has to be spot on.

Although the business has been run from its North Tyne base from its inception in 1973, and virtually all its two dozen employees come from the North Tyne and Hexham, it operates nationwide.

Hutchinson’s vans are regularly seen as far south as South Wales, and as far north as Orkney, with lots of prestige clients inbetween.

Among them is the luxury Sharrow Bay Hotel on Ullswater in the Lake District.

Other English clients have included Beamish Museum, in County Durham, and motorway service station operators Road Chef and Moto.

North of the Border, Hutchinson’s has been revamping the sewage handling systems at the Glenmore Lodge centre ,at Aviemore, as well as working at picturesque Eilean Donan Castle on the road to the Isle of Skye, historic Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh and the Torness nuclear power station near Dunbar.

George and Violet are now looking forward to enjoying their retirement, much of which will be taken up with seeing their 11 grandchildren.

George said: “We haven’t really had much time for holidays over the years, because of the business, except for the odd trip to Ireland.

“Now we have been invited to go to Australia for a wedding, and there are lots of other possibilities.”

George will be captain of Bellingham Golf Club next year, and is also a season ticket holder at Newcastle Falcons.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk

Hutchinson’s were involved with Scottish Enterprise in there recent conference at Tweed Horizon’s, St Boswells. Over 100 delegates turned up to hear from our own Doddie Weir on team work. Catriona Shearar MC’d the day, she asked the panel of Gordon Brown of GB Telecom, Chris Walker of Selkirk Arms Hotel and Roz De La Hey a local business woman very interesting questions. The day was concluded with a keynote speech from Professor Ian Underwood about Technologies.

Due to expansion plans, Hutchinson Environmental Solutions are looking for installers to install small to medium sized sewage treatment equipment. Examples include septic tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, reed beds and rain water harvesting units.

All enquiries to be received by Friday 24th September 2010.

Due to expansion plans, Hutchinson Environmental Solutions are looking for Service Engineers to maintain small to medium sized sewage treatment equipment. Examples include septic tanks, treatment plants, pump stations and rain water harvesting units.

The areas we are looking to cover are the Shetland and Orkney’s, Highlands and Moray, Argyll, The Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs, Fife, Perthshire, Glasgow, Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries & Galloway,

If you are interested or have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Doddie Weir on 0777 477 7730 or email sales@hutchinson.co.uk. Alternatively write to Hutchinson’s, White Wall Nook, Wark, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 3PX

All enquiries to be received by Friday 24th September 2010.

Help for Heros

Hutchinson's recently supported the charity 'Help for Heros', at Matfen Hall, Northumberland. 

A great time was had by all however no prizes were won.....

Hutchinson's have recently sold their first Biorock Sewage Treatment system to a fantastic Geo-pod development in Western Scotland. The system is the world's first treatment process with no electricity and working parts, treating to a very high standard with the CE kite mark. If you would like further information, please call 01434 220508 or email sales@hutchinson.co.uk

In line with EU legislation, and backed by British Water, the company has taken steps to ensure that all their service engineers are fully accredited.   From mid-2008, any servicing or maintenance of plant and equipment is required to be undertaken by accredited personnel. All of Hutchinson’s servicing staff have fulfilled the requirements of accreditation through British Water.