Electrician switches three decades of corporate life for entrepreneurship
With over three decades of experience in the electrical industry, Grant Bolger has started on a new journey by making the switch from corporate life to a world of entrepreneurship, with the launch of a Mr Electric franchise business covering Wakefield and its surrounding areas. A qualified electrical engineer, Grant began his career working for an electrical power utility company following by a stint at running his own electrical business. He then took a career change in a similar industry, but worked in power and utilities companies, including the National Grid. Prior to acquiring his new electrical franchise, Grant wanted a new challenge and business opportunity in a sector where he could apply his extensive knowledge and experience. The new office, which is based in Wakefield, is ready to start trading from 1ST April 2019 and will provide electrical solutions for homes and businesses in all aspects of electrical repair, installation and energy saving, including electric vehicle car-charging points. Not wanting to start a new business from scratch, Grant chose to go down the franchising route and make an investment in a sector and with a brand which was well known, recession proof and was growing fast. Mr Electric fitted the bill, particularly as it was part of Neighborly, the world’s largest franchisor of home service brands, with a franchise network of over 3,700 franchisees worldwide. Grant Bolger, said: “I have been aspiring to start up my own business again for a number of years and knew I had the experience, commitment and enthusiasm to make it work. Mr Electric gave me the opportunity to go into business delivering a service that I am passionate about the community. Having run my own business previously, I am not daunted by the challenges that lie ahead and am looking forward to getting stuck in and being a key player in our community. I am very excited to be the new franchise owner of Mr. Electric Wakefield, and knowing I have the wider support, expertise and resource available from Neighborly, and other Mr Electric franchisees, gives me both confidence and peace of mind.” Pierre Jeannes, Vice President of Operations for Mr Electric, added: “We’re proud and delighted to welcome Grant to our close network and are looking forward to supporting him throughout his exciting new journey with us. With Grant’s proven success of running his own business, coupled with his 30 years of experience in the electrical industry, he exemplifies the kind of franchise owner that we look for across our industry and shows others the fantastic possibilities that exist in our growing network.” Mr Electric is the UK’s leading electrical franchise brand with expertise in electrical installation, maintenance and repair, providing a national service with local coverage. It is an authorised OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) installer of electric vehicle charging points with a network franchised electrical businesses who install and manage electrical vehicle car charging points for homes, workplaces and public areas throughout the UK. For further information about Mr Electric and the services it offers, click here or call 01924 883 514.
Birmingham electrical business shortlisted for two prestigious business awards
Mr. Electric, a leading UK electrical franchise, has been shortlisted for two categories in the prestigious annual Birmingham Post Business Awards 2018 – the ‘Business Entrepreneur of the Year’ and ‘Family Business of the Year’. Run by the Birmingham Post, these widely-respected awards recogniseachievement and highlight the innovative people and companies in Birmingham who are boosting the economy while making a positive contribution to the local community. Jeff Longley, Mr. Electric Birmingham North franchise owner, joins two others on the shortlist for both of the awards. The Family Business of the Year is for established family businesses that can demonstrate sustained success across a broad range of measures, whilstensuringall family values are followed and how both current and future family generations will be involved in the growth of the business. The Business Entrepreneur of the Year award looks at the individual achievements of the entrepreneur, the results returned by their business and their unique approach to the marketplace they operate in. Covering Birmingham, Jeff acquired the Mr. Electric franchise in 2008 and turned it around to become a well-respected, high-performing local business. Working with his two sons, Luke and Dominic, Jeff has since grown the business significantly from £80,000 to £1.2 million in the 10 years and is on target to achieve its biggest turnover yet of £2 million next year with the growth of electric vehicle (EV) charging installations. With a fleet of 16 electricians and four support staff, the Longley’s have strong family values which they bring this into their day-to-day work, from increasing their operational efficiency to providing customer service that truly stands out. Spearheading EV charging across Birmingham, Mr. Electric was one of the first companies to qualify as an authorised installer from the Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). The business is now winning both domestic and commercial work from the majority of the UK’s major EV charger manufacturers and is developing relationships with local councils and large companies that own and manage car parks nationally to install EV charging points. On being shortlisted for these awards, Jeff said, “It is fantastic to be a finalist for two highly regarded awards and to be considered amongstmany of the county’s best companies. As a family, we are honouredto have been selected and it provides us with even more motivation to grow the business further. We are really looking forward to the awards final on the 1st November and it will be a great celebration for everyone.” “The nominations for our prestigious black-tie awards ceremony are always of such a high standard – and this year we were delighted with the huge range of companies and organisations who put forward entries,” added the Birmingham Post. The Birmingham Post Business Awards category winners will be named at an exclusive black-tie ceremony held on 1st November 2018 at the ICC in Birmingham. Mr. Electric is the UK’s leading electrical franchise brand with expertise in electrical installation, maintenance and repair. With over 17 years of experience and over 200 locations aroundsthe world, the business provides electrical services to both domestic and commercial customers, both emergency and non-urgent work, with no call-out fee and transparent pricing. For further information about Mr. Electric and the services it can offer, visit www.mr-electric.co.uk/ or call 0800 7311 606. Mr. Electric Drain Doctor is one of the trade service brands for Neighborly, formerly Dwyer Group. For more information about Neighborly’s service brands visit www.NeighborlyBrands.com.
Electric vehicles brings lifestyle change to Birmingham CEO
With two electric vehicles (EVs) and more planned for his business in Birmingham, Ben Allan, CEO of Miso, is a recent convert of green technology and has totally changed the way he plans his working day to ensure he always has enough charge in his car. Interested in the concept of EVs and lured by the large tax breaks available from the Government, Allan took the plunge and bought two new electric vehicles – a Tesla Model X, as his company car, and a Hyundai Ioniq as the family car. The charging speed for the cars was initially slow and lengthy as it was only 3kW from a three pin-plug, so Allan applied for an OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) Grant, also known as the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS), so he would be eligible to receive up to £500 off the cost of purchasing and installing a home charging point. Allan contacted three OLEV accredited EV charging installers in the local Birmingham area to install two electric vehicle chargers at his home. Mr. Electric® was one of the Government approved electrical business’s who was approached and consequently won the work due to its exceptional customer service. Mr. Electric took over the grant application for its customer and recommended the installation of two EO Charging home chargers. Designed, manufactured and tested in the UK, the EO home charger was the ideal charging solution as it was simple, affordable, wall mounted and suitable for charging all types of EVs. Another key functionality was the speed and ease of charging – with a power rating of 7.2kW, the chargers had a charge time of three hours. “I was so impressed with Mr. Electric from the outset and the fact that we have asked them to possibly install car charging points at my company is testament to the work they have already done”, added Ben Allan. “The team provided a quality service from beginning to end and continue to show their high levels of professionalism and expertise in the EV market. They have done everything from the initial site survey to understanding my requirements and then the installation at home. “Driving the Tesla is undoubtedly fun and hugely enjoyable, particularly now that I can charge it easily and quickly at home. I plan my days around the car by setting off earlier to meetings if I know that I have to stop and charge mid journey – in just 30 minutes I can be fully charged, respond to emails and be on top of my work. Although many people are daunted by the high prices of electric cars, plus the limited mileage range, and where they can recharge their vehicles, this hasn’t been the case at all for me. Undoubtedly, the real advantage for me lies in the running costs – with big savings on fuel costs, servicing and car parking – and the charging, which has been seamless thanks to Mr. Electric and their expertise.” Dominic Longley, Director of Mr. Electric Birmingham North believes we have a corporate social responsibility towards the environment and fully supports the growing demand for sustainable green transport technology. “It is great to see so many of our customers embracing these emerging technologies both at home and in the workplace. We are continuing to build our relationship with Ben and hope to install EV charging points at this workplace so his employees can also reap the benefits. Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular as both consumers and businesses are looking for new ways to reduce rising fuel bills, and as a result, the demand for electric vehicle charging points is also on the rise.” Mr. Electric is now an approved installer and trusted partner for EO Charging, which has a comprehensive product range designed and built to be flexible and compatible with all leading motor manufacturers’ EVs. Together the two organisations will now be able to offer domestic and commercial customers a one-stop solution for all types and modes of EV charging, from the product right through to the installation and ongoing maintenance of the charging point. For further information about Mr. Electric and the services it can offer, visit https://www.mr-electric.co.uk/birmingham-north or call 0121 285 0136. For further information about EO Charging and its EV charging product range, visit www.eocharging.com.
