Moving with the times

YGI is a company that recognises the need to move with the times and it is this forward thinking approach that has put it at the forefront of the renewable revolution

The company started life in 2003 as Yorkshire Gas Installations and was set up primarily to carry out heating installations to private domestic and commercial customers.

It quickly evolved into carrying out work for the public sector and its first social housing contract was with Inspace Partnerships, now Willmott Dixon Partnerships, providing heating services to Berneslai Homes.

It was during this time that the company started to shape into the business it is today which offers a range of construction services inhouse, as director of operations Asad Bhatti explains: “There was a lot of investment in infrastructure, staff training and development to the point where we were able to offer a full range of construction services in-house, such as electrical installations, general building works, adaptations, external fabric improvements, void repair works, reactive maintenance, and 24-hour call out.

“It grew very quickly in that three-year period going from being a gas installation company to complete asset management. Now we don’t just deliver the physical aspect of works, we actually procure and project manage on behalf of clients.”

As the company’s services progressed it was felt that the name Yorkshire Gas Installations was no longer relevant so YGI was born. Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, with satellite offices in Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Hull, Sheffield, Retford and Tamworth, it now has 85 directly employed staff, a turnover of circa £6.5 to £7 million and a full complement of clients up and down the country.

Current projects include carrying out whole house Decent Homes improvements, void repairs and void improvement works for A1 Housing in Bassetlaw through Bullock Construction, carrying out bathroom adaptations for Affinity Sutton Housing in Tamworth through Connaught Partnerships, Decent Homes improvements and void repairs and maintenance for Sheffield Homes through Kier Partnerships and heating repairs and installations for Berneslai Homes.

A lot of the contracts that come YGI’s way are for existing clients and Bhatti believes that it is the company’s no nonsense people-led approach that keeps them coming back time and time again. “We build our relationships with staff and clients on trust, we don’t over promise and under deliver,” he says. “It is our can do attitude and simplistic approach that makes us stand out from our competitors. We operate an open, honest approach on all levels.

“We don’t have a large client base, we are very fortunate that we get return work from our existing clients as a result of years of trust. Our bidding activity is almost at a snail’s pace because people are coming back to us with more opportunities and negotiating tenders as opposed to asking us go into a competitive tendering situations.”

Traditionally YGI has worked as a sub-contractor, carrying out work for social landlords through large contractors but Bhatti believes that the company is more than capable of taking on a main contractor role itself. “We feel we can offer the same range of services that a large multi-national main contractor can offer, at a fraction of the cost because we keep our overheads comparatively low, but not withstanding the quality and level of service that the client expects,” he says.

In fact YGI has just secured its first ‘direct client’ contract, carrying out void repair work with Incommunities of Bradford. YGI’s history proves that the company is able to grow and change with the needs of its clients and it is already well-versed in the use of renewable technologies.

The company is MCS -accredited, which means it is qualified to supply, install and commission solar thermal/PV, ground and air source heat pumps.

YGI’s first taste of renewable technologies was when it worked on an ‘exemplar home’ with Inspace Partnerships for Berneslai Homes and it is currently installing ground and air source heat pumps as part of itscontract with Bullock in Bassetlaw.

“That kind of set us on the path to exploit and explore further renewable technologies,” says Bhatti. “We have spent a lot of time and effort in the last eight to 12 months in developing that offering, training staff and positioning ourselves to offer these technologies to clients. We are also looking at funding streams on behalf of clients and we are in discussions with Scottish and Southern Electricity, The Carbon Trust and other funding providers.”

Bhatti said that renewable technologies are becoming more popular with clients but companies are often put off by the cost.

“It depends on how much the Government’s prepared to subsidise the technologies and therefore make it more attractive to clients,” he says. “They have introduced the feed in tariff but the payback time is 15 years and while there are real benefits to purchasing the technology there is a big capital outlay and I think that is putting clients off.”

Keeping up to date with the latest technologies is imperative and YGI works closely with companies such as Vaillant, which is carrying out significant research in the area. “The technology is developing and we are developing along with the technology,” says Bhatti.

Renewable technologies look set to play a major role in the future of YGI. “We see the future in being able to offer the full package and also to source the grant funding on behalf of the client,” says Bhatti.

“We want to be able to go to our clients with a one-stop-shop and be able to say here is the product, we know it is right for your particular application, we know we can maintain it for the foreseeable future and we can reduce the installation cost because we can secure this grant. W e definitely see it as a big part of our future.” YGI has, no doubt, come a long way from its days as a gas maintenance and installation company to a “one-stop-shop” solution for its loyal clients and Bhatti has no doubts about the future of the firm.

“We are a very committed organisation, we know we offer a comprehensive, structured and valuable service, we know we offer the highest levels of professionalism and we are here for the long term,” he says.