I commenced working for End Systems as a Trainee Commissioning Engineer in 1986 having had no previous experience in the construction industry or more specifically, mechanical engineering or commissioning.
I still recall my first project was Britoil Office HQ, located in Glasgow, where I joined a large team of commissioning engineers and commenced my ‘on the job’ training. This was very challenging but interesting and I quickly had to grasp the basics of commissioning and testing (Commissioning is defined as the process of assuring that all systems and components of a building are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained according to the operational requirements of the owner or final client. Commissioning ensures optimised performance and efficiency of the HVAC system).
I progressed to being able to commission HVAC systems myself, write (I do mean write in longhand on paper with an actual pen!) reports and subsequently progressed to become a fully-fledged Commissioning Engineer (complete with a company van with a fully working AM radio (not DAB!), full set of HVAC test equipment/tools & my own assistant to mentor & train).
I then continued to progress as a senior engineer & gained experience working on a large range of different types of projects (i.e. Retail – new Tesco Superstores UK wide, Pharmaceutical – Laboratories & Clean Rooms, Offices, Hospitals, Refurbishments etc), subsequently moving into Commissioning Management in the mid 1990’s which was at that point in it’s infancy and wasn’t recognised as the necessary role it has developed into in more recent years.
At this point I was appointed to carry out the overall Commissioning Management at Zeneca (AstraZeneca) sites at Alderley Park & Macclesfield in Cheshire. This was a full time role that I carried out over a number of years & I was involved in many landmark projects (i.e. Sterile Plants – SPP’s, Tablet Packing Halls, R & D – Laboratories & Chemical Plants plus New Offices etc). All important projects in the field of Health Care & Patient Care/Treatment.
I have also carried out Commissioning Management of numerous other projects alongside AstraZeneca over more recent years. These include a major new prison, Liverpool One shopping centre, Nuclear Plants, Apartment Buildings.
I was appointed as Project Director at End Systems in 2018. I am responsible for the delivery of numerous projects (commissioning, documentation & water treatment), commercial & resource. I direct a team of office & site based operatives, interfacing directly with clients both existing and new to maintain and develop relationships.
The industry & the world has certainly developed and evolved since I started in 1986. New engineering innovations, computers/internet, Sat Nav, value engineering, driverless cars, working from home are all now considered the ‘norm’. Most of these things are a positive!
Taking into account all of the above, I still go by one saying ‘You Only Get Out What You Put In’.
