Partnering for Advancement

Some areas in the UK have been able to boost regional growth with direct funding from European: in Cornwall a long established engineering firm is expanding into new areas of business with support from Unlocking Cornish Potential (UCP) graduate Nick Bartley. UCP receives European Social Fund Convergence investment. A Combined Universities in Cornwall scheme run via Cornwall College, it places graduates with businesses in Cornwall and offers support including valuable expert mentoring for up to one year.

A & T Services Ltd, based at St Columb Industrial Estate, was founded in 1990 by Terry Richards and Antony Coyle. The company now has about 50 employees and covers most of the South West. The majority of A & T Services’ work is now within pumps, compressors and control panels, with operations manufacturing, pharmaceutical, water, chemical, and process and beverage industries. Nick, a graduate in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bath, finished his UCP placement in November and has since been retained to increase A & T’s electrical capability.

Mr Richards said: “Nick has been brilliant. When we employed him we wanted him to develop, market and launch a range of control panels. He has since totally rebranded our website, organised an open day for A & T to celebrate 20 years and radically changed the direction of our plans for expansion. Nick established that our customers are not looking for volume but for our skill in bespoke projects and that is the direction we are now taking.”

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Nick’s knowledge and research is supporting A & T in diversifying its well established and successful business to strengthen its offering in a competitive marketplace.”

Andy Peters, UCP Project Manager, added: “Nick’s commitment has been really impressive and his painstaking research has helped to opened up a new marketplace for A & T. For further information go to: www.convergencecornwall.com or telephone 0800 0280120