The Venture Story
Since the early 1980s, Venture Lighting has been a pioneer of light source technology, transforming the HID lighting market with the introduction of the revolutionary UNI-FORM arc tube in Metal Halide lamps. During 2014, Venture recognised the need to adapt due to changing customer requirements through an evolution in technology with the commercialisation of LED. Our ability to move quickly and adapt, taking advantage of the rapid developments in technology, led to the launch of our first range of luminaires for Industrial and Commercial lighting applications, delivering a class leading range of LED Lighting Solutions to our customers. Today, we are a market leading global manufacturer of Industrial and Commercial Lighting Solutions, combining value, quality, innovation and exceptional service. We strive to continuously push the boundaries of what can be achieved through lighting technology. Our entrepreneurial flare, passion and expertise, gave us the strength and resilience to prosper in a changing marketplace and make us the business we are today. Purpose To provide sustainable, energy efficient and innovative lighting solutions, that have a positive impact on our interaction with lit spaces and the environments for which they are designed to be used. Mission To be our customer’s preferred and trusted lighting partner, creating value through partnerships with a commitment to deliver quality, value and innovation with our products and services. We believe in building relationships for the long term with a priority to ensure that we have a deep understanding of our customers’ needs in order to create maximum value. Vision In today’s world light has endless possibilities for new value creation; way beyond the boundaries of illumination. It is our vision to connect people and buildings through smart lighting technology to enhance wellbeing, productivity, safety and convenience, through the way that we interact with our environments. Our Customers and Us At Venture Lighting, we believe that our products and solutions, should be complemented by the very best service and support. Our dedicated team of professionals put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our business is built on lasting relationships. As a Venture Lighting customer, you’re assured the very best technology combined with the highest level of service, from a global leader in the lighting industry. When our customers succeed, we succeed.
The NEW ProtecWork Protective Clothing From Snickers
Fully accredited, advanced Protective Clothing for heat and flame, electrostatic and chemical risk environments from the UK’s leading workwear innovator. ProtecWork is a new collection of protective working clothes and accessories from Snickers Workwear, which has developed out of over 40 years leading the workwear industry – and through close consultation with users and employers in the railway and energy sectors around Europe. The market-leading risk-protection properties of the clothing are integral components of the extensive range of Base-, Mid- and Top-Layer garments for men and women that combine well with the Snickers Workwear hallmarks of best-in-class durability, comfort, ergonomics and fit. Fully accredited as appropriate to a variety of risk and weather conditions such as heat and flame, electrostatic, chemical and bad weather working environments, all the garments are manufactured from tailor-made fabrics designed to respond to the demands and risk factors of the conditions in which they’re worn. So with over 60 different garments and accessories to choose from, you can make sure you get the right protection, visibility, flexibility, comfort and durability. Check out the new Snickers Protective Clothing range to fit your workday and well-being on site. For more information on the new ProtecWork products, visit www.snickersworkwear.co.uk alternatively, call the Snickers Workwear Helpline on 01484 854788.
Bigger and better CEF store opens in Stratford-upon-Avon
CEF, the UK’s leading electrical wholesaler, has opened a brand-new CEF store in Stratford-upon-Avon and is inviting local customers to its official opening this August. CEF – which has nearly 400 stores nationwide – supplies everything from cable and lamps to sockets, ventilation, heating and switchgear, and their new store in Stratford-upon-Avon is already fully stocked and ready to supply to customers at the trade counter. Moving from its previous location on Western Road Industrial Estate to new premises on Avenue Farm Industrial Estate gives the CEF team more space to keep an even greater number of products in stock. On Friday 16th August, the electrical wholesaler is celebrating the opening of their new premises by inviting local electricians and tradespeople to an official opening, packed with food, drinks and special offers. New opportunities This new store is an asset to the Stratford-upon-Avon area, bringing valuable electrical expertise and resources to the local trades, as well as new job opportunities to the area. The team has already hired one local candidate and is on the lookout for more enthusiastic, customer-focused people to join them. Dave Cooper, store manager at CEF Stratford-upon-Avon, commented: “We’re delighted to be able to offer our extensive local stock and outstanding service to customers in our new and improved location, together with our online range of almost 30,000 products – all available next day at everyday value prices. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do at CEF, and this store has been designed with tradespeople in mind, making sure we’re ready to respond to every individual’s needs. At CEF we believe in building relationships with our customers, so we’re really looking forward to welcoming people to our official opening on Friday 16th August. We’ll have some exclusive product offers available on the day, as well as food and drink, so we hope to see lots of people there.As a local store, we’re keen to employ local people and have just welcomed one new person from the area to our team. Anybody who is passionate about providing excellent customer service, and who is interested in joining our dedicated, expert team, is welcome to get in touch.” The new CEF store is located at Unit 9 Swan Trade Centre, Avenue Farm Industrial Estate, Birmingham Road, Stratford-upon-Avon and is open Monday – Friday 7am – 5.30pm and Saturday 8am – 12pm. For more information please visit https://www.cef.co.uk
How to successfully fund starting your own electricians’ business
If you happen to be a skilled and qualified technician in the UK and have some experience to go on, you have probably considered the option of starting your own electrical business at one point or another. There is certainly scope for it and right now might be your chance – can you really afford to miss out on it. Your next question is probably “but can I afford to start my own business?” and yes, funding is always a hack for electrical entrepreneurs just starting out or looking to expand in the industry. How do you compete with electrical businesses that have been operating in the UK for many years already? That is the thing about the latest green tech demands. The electrical industry is changing, and your business can offer something new and innovative. The secret to successfully starting a new electrician’s business is simple: you need affordable, flexible funding that does not keep you waiting around. How to Start an Electrical Business in the UK If you are qualified and experienced already as an electrician, here is what you will need to do to start your own electrician’s business. It is important to know this so that you can budget accordingly. Setup your business as an electrical contractor. The UK government website provides step by step guide on registering a business. Open a business bank account. You will need your company registration documents for this. Make sure that you keep a record of each transaction. If you can’t afford to hire a bookkeeper at this point, you should start an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of things. Set up your website and marketing campaigns to get business. Register your business for Corporation Tax. You can do that here. Ensure your new business is fully compliant. You will need to register your business with NICEIC or NAPIT. Set insurance in place. This is essential if you are running an electrical business. It is a legal requirement to have public liability insurance. The minimum cover is £ 2 million. You are looking at much higher public liability insurance, if you are doing government work. Other insurance required is Employer’s Liability Cover. Recruit employees and provide training. You can do your own recruiting and training or hire professionals to assist. Find and setup business premises. Funding options for electrical businesses Numerous entrepreneurs in the electrical industry struggle to secure High Street bank loans. Often this is because of a lack of security/collateral and because of credit score issues. Unfortunately, if your credit score is less than perfect, you are going to struggle to get a bank to hand over the much-needed cash. There are some alternative funding options to consider as follows: Merchant Cash Advances. This funding option is not for a brand new business that has not traded yet. This type of financing is more for the electrician who has been providing services already and wishes to expand or set up a fully-fledged electrical contracting business. If you process credit cards and debit cards often, you can apply for a merchant cash advance. This is a loan that provides a lump sum immediately in exchange for a percentage of your future card sales. Your cash sales aren’t affected and when your business is having a slow month, (because the repayments are percentage based), your loan repayments will be lower. It’s a win-win. Investors. Many entrepreneurs, being self-starters by nature, cringe at the idea of having an investor. It is understandable – who wants to have another person having a say in the general running of the business that you put so much thought and effort into? However, if you do not mind having a “partner” who funds the business and if you work well with other people, finding an investor is a viable option. You will find various websites that match up entrepreneurs and investors online. A good option to check out is the UK Angel Investment Network. Get your share of the UK Industrial Challenge Strategy Fund. Very recently, the UK government launched the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and dedicated £ 80 million to it. £ 19 million of it is set aside to help fund businesses and projects that will provide support to the mammoth task of driving electrical revolution in the country. Unsecured business loans. One of the main allures of unsecured business loans is that lenders in the industry have a high approval rate. In most instances, pay-outs are within as little as 24 hours from approval and you can typically get an amount of between £ 5,000 and £ 500,000. What makes these loans even more alluring for entrepreneurs and very small businesses looking to expand is that your personal credit score will not necessarily affect the outcome of your application. Lenders typically take a broader overview of your proposed business, the expected performance and your current relationship with credit or debt (you need to be paying your bills when you apply). Alternative finance providers such as SME Loans specialize in this funding option. Wrapping it up If you have the intention of entering the electrical field in the UK, here is a great piece of advice: plan, plan, and plan some more. Funding forms a large part of the planning process, so investigate all of the financing options available to you and choose an option that has your company’s success and best interest at heart.
EPDM vs. Silicone confusion cleared up with free guide
Responding to customer feedback, Essentra Components offer a simple guide to help clear up confusion over the use of EPDM vs. Silicone. So, what is the difference and when should one be used over the other? For example, explaining the popularity of EPDM the guides explains: EPDM has a stable, saturated polymer backbone structure, which gives the material its advantages. Of all the rubbers, EPDM is the most water resistant, which is why it’s so popular for outdoor applications and is often used as a roofing material. EPDM stands up to harsh weather conditions such as sleet and snow. Another reason for its use outdoors, particularly in construction, is its excellent resistance to abrasions and tears and ability to stand up to the degrading effects of weathering, ozone and UV ray exposure. EPDM also offers good electrical resistivity. Its chemical properties make it especially suitable for electrical insulation and gaskets. It resists polar solvents, and not just water, but also acids, alkalies, and phosphate esters. EDPM does a great job of withstanding steam and low and high temperatures, thoughsilicone can take on even higher temperatures. The material has a low compression set, so it won’t lose much resilience over prolonged pressure. The Essentra Components guide – available to download free at www.essentracomponents.com/en-gb/news/product-resources – covers the basics, similarities, pros and cons of each material with simple tables of performance, compatibility and common usages. For silicone we find that it is food safe and an incredibly versatile material, thanks to its chemistry and the many ways that it can be modified. Consequently, it offers vast possibilities. Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of silicone is its ability to take on extremely high temperatures, which is why it’s especially popular for masking applications. Manufacturers will all give different melting points based on their experience and own criteria, but generally silicone can stand up to 232°C/ 450°F. Compare that to EPDM’s 148°C/300°F. Examples of typical applications serve to illustrate key features of the industrial environment concernedand reasons for choosing either material. These include HVAC, enclosures, automotive, masking, construction, electronics, industrial, consumer appliances and cable management. The final section of the guide gives a brief overview of how EPDM and Silicone compares with other rubbers, which include: natural rubber, SBR, NBR, neoprene. Further information on Essentra Components products can be found on the Essentra Components website – www.essentracomponents.com, or contact sales@essentracomponents.com. Follow them on social media: https://facebook.com/essentracomponents/, www.linkedin.com/company/essentra https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD-2g7tiLiKxsDptdC79BNQ
The Lux Awards 2019
The Lux Awards are designed to celebrate and reward both creativity and sustainability, recognising clients and endusers that have used lighting in exceptional ways to improve their lit environment, reduce energy and achieve business objectives. A table at the Lux Awards rewards clients, potential customers, employees and suppliers with an unforgettable evening and creates that all-important emotional connection to your brand. Celebrating excellence in lighting, the glamorous evening includes a glittering networking drinks reception, the presentation ceremony and gala dinner and an after-party. Lux Awards: 14 November at the Hilton Park Lane, London
New study reveals the Most Ludicrous Health & Safety Rules
A recent study by Dickies Workwear has found a top 10 list of unexpected health and safety rules. It was found that more than 61% of participants experienced a ban on shorts on a construction site, even in the sweltering heat of summer. The workwear brand, established in 1922, asked and polled their loyal social media followers for the most ludicrous health and safety rules they had come across, and took to the masses to vote on which ones they had also experienced. Following an interesting range of results, Dickies Workwear made it their mission to myth bust some of the most dubious rules. Mark Tapper, Head of Ecommerce at Dickies Europe Ltd comments, “over the years we have seen the number of seemingly bizarre rules on sites increase for sure. However, in some occasions, these are perfectly legitimate policies, for example, rules on sleeves may be in place where high visibility is required to ensure the employees have the correct surface area of reflective material to comply with specific EN ISO regulations for the dangerous surroundings.” The Top 10 Most Ludicrous Health and Safety Rules – 1. The ban of shorts (even during summer) 61% of participants experienced a ban on shorts in their site/workplace in the past. Whether workers can wear shorts on a site depends on the site’s policy. If the site policy states that workers must not wear shorts to work, then it’s expected that everyone adheres to the ruling – even if in the sweltering heat of summer. 2. Must wash hands after toilet or risk removal from site 14% of participants said that they have been told to wash their hands after going to the toilet or risk removal from site/workplace. Perhaps one of the strangest responses, workers had to wash their hands after the use of the toilet or risk removal from site. (Dickies Workwear are unsure of how this is monitored, nor whose job it is to keep watch on the lavatory usage and hand cleanliness thereafter.) 3. Wearing a harness which isn’t attached to anything Across all industries planning to work at height, the regulation is a maximum of 4 feet before wearing a harness. In construction work, the threshold height is 6 feet above a lower level. Fall protection on scaffolding is required at 10 feet, although a twitter user offered up this rather ludicrous rule that they experienced often in the 90’s. 4. A ban of short sleeves 31% of participants have been banned from wearing short sleeves on site. In recent times, more and more construction sites and companies are adopting the “long sleeve PPE” safety policy. This generally refers to the requirement to have all members of the workforce wearing long sleeve shirts when working on site. 5. The ban on radios 63% of participants said that they’ve experienced a ban on listening to the radio on site. A highly debated rule in the trades industries, and whilst environment must be taken in to context (building site vs. domestic property), having a radio (or other devices) is now considered to be unsafe, given that it distracts the workers from the task at hand, which often involves them having to concentrate on doing the job properly and safely. 6. Hard Hats Aren’t Compulsory In the construction industry in the UK, 3% of workers sustain a work-related injury and 11% of these injuries are from being struck by an object. In fact, another 66,000 injuries are estimated to go unreported every year. While it isn’t 100% compulsory by law to wear a safety helmet on a construction site if there is no risk of head injuries, however, on most construction sites there are dangers so wearing hard hats are necessary. 7. The ban of heavy lifting According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), handling, lifting or carrying makes up 20% of non-fatal injuries to employees. These factors can create excessive stresses and strains on the body. This can cause immediate damage to muscles and tendons such as sprains and pains but can also lead to longer term or recurrent problems. Therefore, it’s in everyone’s best interest to not exceed weight restrictions. 8. The ban of stepladders and ladders It’s a common myth that stepladders and ladders are a health and safety risk. According to HSE this is a myth and stepladders and ladders are not banned, merely a precautionary measure. 9. The way hi-vis clothing is worn One of the respondents was not allowed onsite until his hi-vis vest was completely fastened at the front. According to HSE, around seven workers die and 93 are seriously injured annually by vehicles or mobile plant on construction sites. And just when you thought you’ve seen it all, perhaps not a legal regulation, but it must’ve been an enforced rule in this workplace… 10. Having to deal with bizarre client requests Perhaps not as much a rule as a standard protocol, but we’ve heard of the term “the client is always right” and so, especially when working in housing sites, it often happens that tenants like to get involved. Mark Tapper mentions, “If you’re unsure as to why a particular rule may be in place at your place of work I’d recommend speaking to the H&S team, as it is likely that there is a logical explanation.” For further information on the health and safety rules research conducted, please see Dickies Workwear’s full guide here.
Rolec Hits 150,000 EV Charge Point Mark
Rolec EV confirmed that in June it hit the 150,000 ‘EV charge point manufactured mark’ at its UK factory in Boston, Lincolnshire. This latest milestone closely follows recent launches of its new WallPod EV:HomeSmart and WallPod EV: SolarCharge ranges, which should further boost numbers in the near future. Rolec’s MD Kieron Alsop commented: “Hitting the 150,000 EV charge point figure is testament to the increasingly strong uptake of electric vehicles, as well as our comprehensive and industry-leading range of EV charging products.” For more information about the Rolec EV product range or the EV charge point call 01205 724754, email rolec@rolecserv.co.uk or go to http://www.rolecserv.com/ev-charging
PPE Workwear – Comfort and Safety Combined.
The Hultafors Group Adds Hellberg Safety PPE products to its premium brand portfolio for professional tradesmen and women. With over 50 years experience in the PPE industry, the Hellberg Safety specialist equipment includes highly advanced hearing protection products, face protection and communication solutions for personal protection on site. From face guards, helmets and passive hearing protection with up to 3 levels of protection from low to extreme noise, Hellberg also supply secure electronic hearing protectors to suit different work environments. Peter Dumigan, managing director of the Hultafors Group UK says: “Hellberg PPE products complement the Snickers Workwear and Solid Gear Safety Footwear product portfolios so well – in particular the newly launched Snickers Workwear ProtecWork Heat and Flame Protective Wear. The Hultafors Group now provides the UK market with an even more extensive range of EN-accredited, top quality premium brand products, ideally suited to protect the personal wellbeing and safety of the discerning professional tradesman and woman”. Getting information on the new Hellberg Safety PPE product range is easy – call the Hultafors Group UK Helpline on 01484 854788 or checkout the website www.hellbergsafety.com
