Shenton Group is pleased to announce the addition of Paul Davis as Rental Manager to their team.
Shenton Global has assembled an outstanding team of individuals, all deeply dedicated to maintaining our standards and embracing our core values. Paul embodies these qualities, rendering him an ideal complement to our team.
Paul brings with him a wealth of expertise, having accrued 18 years of experience in the generator market, having previously served at notable entities.
Throughout his career, he has held diverse roles such as Account Manager, Technical Manager, and Regional Sales Manager. We eagerly welcome him to the Shenton Group team, confident that his experience and skills will significantly enhance our rental services.
His extensive experience and multifaceted expertise position him as a valuable asset in our ongoing pursuit of excellence and growth within the field of rental services.
So Paul, Why Shenton?
Paul’s decision to join us is rooted in our shared commitment to our values and culture, which prioritises the customer above all else.
“Shenton Group consistently delivers a superior experience, from the initial inquiry to the final invoice, fostering a familial atmosphere within our organisation. I believe that Shenton and I are ideally aligned in our dedication to enhancing the customer experience, making our partnership truly harmonious.”
“We’re highly accessible; there’s no need to navigate through layers of bureaucracy when seeking a rental generator. A simple phone call connects you directly to me for assistance. I am readily available to address your inquiries and arrange in-person meetings at your convenience.”
Our CEO Curtis Meek expressed his delight, stating: ‘We welcome Paul to the Shenton team and believe that his addition is a significant asset. His alignment with our vision and values is poised to make a valuable contribution to our growth objectives.
Since 1982 we have provided trusted power solutions to public and private organisations. We supply, install and maintain all aspects of Standby Power, Uninterruptible Power Supplies and Combined Heat & Power Systems. From feasibility and design advice, through to integration and commissioning, we provide peace of mind with a turn-key solution.
With a strong and established track record in innovation and manufacturing excellence, our mission is to provide the most trusted energy solutions, in an unpredictable world.
Shenton Group announces the internal restructuring of departments and the addition of a new increased management team to help broaden expertise, enable growth, and help support our thriving team.
As part of the revised structure, the existing Board of Directors will now form the C-suite leadership team, who will work together towards achieving our vision as a business whilst ensuring we continue providing a working environment that empowers our employees.
Curtis Meek will become the new CEO overseeing the corporate strategy, leaving Jody Meek to focus all his attention on the operations department as the new COO.
With those changes in place, we can now focus on delivering our growth plan, making Shenton Group fit for the future by simplifying our business and investing focused efforts in building market leadership through technical expertise, innovation, excellent customer service and efficiency.
As the COO of Shenton Group Jody Meek says: “What we are trying to accomplish with restructuring is to continue to provide industry-leading critical power solutions and exceed our customers’ expectations whilst preparing the company for rapid growth moving forward.”
About Shenton Group:
Since 1982 we have provided trusted power solutions to public and private organisations. We supply, install and maintain all aspects of Standby Power, Uninterruptible Power Supplies and Combined Heat & Power Systems. From feasibility and design advice, through to integration and commissioning, we provide peace of mind with a turn-key solution.
With a strong and established track record in innovation and manufacturing excellence, our mission is to provide the most trusted energy solutions, in an unpredictable world.
Shenton Group has been designing, supplying, installing and maintaining reliable power solutions to a variety of sectors for the last 40 years. Supporting organisations across the UK, such as H&M, the NHS and Royal Airforce, with backup power solutions that they can depend on in a power outage.
The increased vulnerability of the grid has put more pressure on businesses to have power continuity plans in place to ensure operations can continue throughout these power cuts. The energy crisis has also added further pressure on organisations to review their power supplies leading to increased demand.
Our priority is to provide a first-class service to our clients, so if you have the drive and passion ‘to provide the most trusted energy solutions in an unpredictable world’, get in touch. Shenton Group is recruiting!
Growing Team
To support Shenton Group’s growing team, we have recently expanded the board and employed a new Finance Director and HR Director!
Craig Lewendon – Finance Director
A qualified chartered accountant with 20+ years of experience in finance. Craig has worked across various industries, including Education, Security, IT Services and BMS Systems, and brings the knowledge and expertise to drive better finance governance and control across the business.
Tara Lawson – HR Director
With 20 years + of HR background in both Ftse 100 companies and scaling businesses, Tara has a passion for developing commercial success through engaged employees and excellent people practices. Her experience with premium brands lends itself well to Shenton Group’s focus on quality, technical expertise and customer experience.
The addition of these two new members and the skills and experience that they both bring further complements senior leadership and the company’s development opportunities.
Shenton Group is Recruiting
To ensure we provide the best possible service to our clients, we start by creating a company culture that will attract high-calibre individuals. As an employer, Shenton Group has been described as a corporate company with family values. Our goal is to offer a supportive and enriching environment that allows our employees to thrive! But dont take our word for it… hear what our newest employees have to say:
Isla joined us straight from college and works as a Service Sales Support, assisting our generator and UPS department with setting up service contracts and winning new business. Isla was attracted to Shenton Group ‘s ‘company culture and values’ and has worked for the company for two and a half months now.
We asked Isla how she has found working at Shenton Group so far.
“Awesome, I feel very welcomed; it’s like a second family where everyone supports each other.”
Mark joined Shenton Group 2 months ago as a Project Manager for Generator installations and has worked in the industry for over 30 years.
Does Shenton Group stand out in any way compared to your other employers?
“It’s definitely a more welcoming company and seems to be a very pleasant employee-orientated company.
I love the independence of working remotely, yet having the back up of a company like Shenton”
Support the Nation’s Backup Power Requirments
Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to delivering high-quality, reliable power solutions that help keep businesses running smoothly through even the most unpredictable of power outages. Whether you’re looking for generator maintenance, installation, or repair services, our team is here to help.
Got what it takes?
If you have drive, passion and a sense of humour and are looking to take the next step in your career, Shenton Group could be the place for you.
As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, the demand for electricity increases. This can put a strain on the national grid, which can lead to power outages. That’s why it’s essential to have a backup power solution in place to protect your business. A backup generator is an alternative option to mains power for keeping your lights on and your appliances running even when the power goes out.
In February this year, the UK was hit by Storm Eunice. The storm caused widespread damage and power outages, resulting in a surge in enquiries for diesel generators across the country. Rental companies could not keep up with the demand, leaving many people stranded without power. With the predicted bad winter, we urge people to get in contact sooner rather than later to discuss power continuity plans.
2022 Power Crisis
We have seen an influx in generator enquiries due to the current power crisis. With power bills at an all-time high, people are looking at alternative power generation. With the vulnerability of the power market and rising energy costs, a potential option could be to rent a generator before investing in a permanent onsite generator. Your energy consumption and varying fuel prices play a part in whether it will be more cost-effective to obtain your power via a generator or the National Grid. Trialling a rental generator will be a safer option for the foreseeable future.
What to Look for When Renting a Generator
When renting a generator, there are a few things you should take into consideration to ensure you get the best possible service. Here are three things to look for:
1. A company that offers a wide range of generator sizes. This way, you can be sure to find the right rental generator for your needs.
2. A generator rental company with experience. This way, you can be confident that they will be able to advise you on the best generator for your specific temporary power requirements.
3. A generator rental company that offers a comprehensive service. This means that they will deliver and set up the generator for you, so you don’t have to worry about anything.
By keeping these three things in mind, you can be sure to find the best generator rental company for your needs.
Generator Rental for Businesses
A power cut can be a major inconvenience. But for businesses, a power outage can mean lost revenue and productivity. That’s why it’s important to have a plan in place for how to deal with a power outage. Rental Generators can provide you with the power you need to keep your business running.
What Size Generator Do I Need?
The size of the generator is important, as you don’t want to end up with a generator that is too small and won’t be able to power all of your appliances or one that is too big and will be too expensive to run.
Below are some of the questions to consider to size your generator correctly:
Are you currently running off of a 3phase or 1phase supply?
What is the size of your mains incomer?
What is your power usage?
What do you want the generator to power/support?
Generator Rental Considerations
The run time required of the generator
Do you have a fuel management/ strategy in place?
Where do you intend to locate the generator?
You will also need to rent cables, accessories and spill kits; these elements typically form part of the generator rental package. There are many things to consider, so it is vital that you speak to a reputable generator company that can offer the support that you need.
Disaster Recovery Planning For Businesses
A generator is a key element of any disaster recovery plan. Generator rental can provide your business with the backup power it needs to keep operations running in the event of an outage.
Creating a resilient strategy starts with understanding the risks your business faces. Once you have identified the potential hazards, you can begin to develop a plan that outlines how your business will continue to operate in the event of a disruption.
Your disaster recovery plan should be tailored to your specific business needs and take into account the type of hazards you are likely to face. For example, if your business is located in an area that is prone to severe weather events, you will need to consider how you will maintain power during an outage.
Download your FREE whitepaper to plan a resilient disaster recovery strategy, including a business continuity plan to get you started.
Shenton Group’s Comprehensive Generator Rental Service
Shenton Group has been working in the generator industry for over 40 years supporting commercial clients and offers a comprehensive generator rental service, which includes delivery, installation and maintenance.
Our rental packages are bespoke, and we will investigate the best solution for your needs, removing the guesswork. Even if you are unsure of what you need, and how and where you can install it, our technical experts can advise you from start to finish ensuring you get the correct support for your requirements, and providing complete peace of mind.
Protect Yourself Against Power Outages
Shenton Group offers a complete generator rental service to commercial clients. So if you’re an organisation that needs to keep critical operations running, renting a diesel generator is a good option to consider, but don’t leave it till the last minute.
To rent a generator or to discuss how you can protect your business from power outages this winter, speak to the UK’s Leading Technical Experts today!
Over the past 24 months, Shenton Group has been heavily recruiting sales, operations, and engineering staff across the UK to meet the increasing demands in the power industry. It was just last week that we welcomed four new engineers to the team.
Stuart, one of our new Generator Rental Engineers, said;
“I was surprised by the amount of thought and care that had been put into our onboarding. We were made to feel very welcome and was introduced to everyone in the office and given a tour of the facilities. We were all given new phones, laptops, branded merchandise and even a bottle of wine; every detail had been thought of.”
Dedicated Team
In the kitchen sits our long service board, which celebrates our employees’ hard work and dedication. Photos hang pegged on a clothesline like display, gathered in five, ten and fifteen-year milestones, all the way up to thirty years plus!
“I really feel the family vibe here, and that employees are valued. It feels like a great place to work”. “I can see myself working here for a long time too!” – Luke, newly recruited CHP Engineer.
Roland Taylor, one of our Technical Support Engineers, has been with the company for over 31 years! He was one of the original team that started with Richard Meek, our founder. As a result, Roland has experienced first-hand the company going from strength to strength.
“It has been rewarding to see the company grow. I remember when we worked on small scale 3kw generators out the back of a cow shed down in Orchid Hill, Andover. There was only about 6 of us then, and now there is nearly 100! I love what I do and have done for the last 30 years!”
Shenton Group Technical Team Recruits
Shenton Group’s in house tech team has expanded. We are pleased to welcome Andrew, a fully qualified Mechanical Engineer with nearly eight years of industry experience. Andrew has hit the ground running and is producing technical designs to client’s specifications.
“I enjoy problem-solving, and every project’s requirements are different. I have been really welcomed into the team. It is a nice place to be.”
Delivering the very best power solutions to the nation carries tremendous responsibility, technical challenges, and great variety. Therefore, we are always on the lookout for high calibre personnel. The work that we do is niche and highly specialist. Below is a list of roles that we are on the lookout for:
Generator service engineers
Generator installation engineers
Generator commissioning engineers
Generator controls engineers
UPS service engineers
UPS installation engineers
UPS commissioning engineers
CHP service engineers
CHP installation engineers
CHP commissioning engineers
CHP controls engineers
Electricians
Gas engineers
Project managers
Estimators
Join Us
Shenton Group is a corporate business with people at heart. We work hard to build a culture where our employees feel happy and supported. Would you like to join the Shenon Group family? To view a full list of our current vacancies and job perks, please visit our careers page.
2022 marks our 40th year in business! But how did we get to where we are today? Well, on the 29th of April 1954 in Andover, Richard Meek (circled) was born. Just an ordinary chap, who did everyday things and lived a normal life, at the height of 5ft 8.5 inches.
At 24 years old Richard got married and began to work for his father-in-law who was in the catering trade, servicing pubs, restaurants and hotels. It was here that Richard first got into the world of sales, and his entrepreneurial spirit started to bloom!
By 1982 Richard and Melanie had two children. Knowing that there were going to be more mouths to feed, Richard decided it was time to go it alone and started his own business. Having always had a fascination with heat and power, Richard saw the opportunity to sell gas bottles to pubs, restaurants and B&Bs; so Outback Energy was born from this idea. Richard didn’t want to stop there, he had bigger plans to hatch! He wanted to provide alternative power to those who needed it, and his fascination for engines prompted him to go into the generator market.
Richard and Melanie believed in the business, and knowing that it could be their children’s future, they invested their last £1000 into the Company. Over the years, with hard work and a dedicated team, they have made what was one man’s vision into a sustainable and robust business.
We are forever grateful to Richard for giving his four children and all of the staff the chance to create their own history, in what we now know as Shenton Group.
The blog header image was taken in 1995. Richard Meek is circled standing amongst his valued colleagues, two of which still work at Shenton Group to this day. Now if that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is!
Every year Shenton Group run fundraising activities to raise money for four charitable causes. As a company with a vested interest in our community, we always look to support local.
Supporting children whose parents have died whilst serving in the armed forces
Quarter 1 of 2021 saw us fundraising for; Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity supporting children whose parents have died whilst serving in the armed forces. With our head office in Andover Hampshire, not far from Tidworth army camps, this charity is close to a lot of our hearts. Julie, one of our Project Manager Assistants, an army wife and on the board for this charity, headed up the fundraising activities. She has raised a considerable amount of money over the years and, in turn, has supported thousands of children.
Donating to the local Foodbank
Quarter 2 saw us collecting non-perishable food, personal hygiene products and essential household items for the Andover Foodbank. Kirsty, one of our Maintenance Coordinators, was in charge of fundraising and collections. The Foodbank divides essential food and healthcare items into boxes consisting of three days of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable foods. These boxes are then distributed to local people who have been referred to the Foodbank in crisis.
We don’t think anyone in our community should have to face going hungry. So we are working to combat poverty and hunger. – Food Bank.
Shenton employees bake cakes in aid of Jazzie Fest
In quarter 3 we fundraised for Jazzie Fest! A charity formed to support young people with disabilities moving into higher education and becoming more independent. Jasmine is an 18-year-old who has various disabilities, including Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, resulting in severe mental and physical disability.
Jasmine is in her last year at a local special needs school. Currently, there are no higher education facilities in Andover to attend to meet her needs. The charity has been in touch with the local council and Andover college, and plans have been agreed to run a life skills course to aid young school leavers such as Jasmine to learn valuable independent living skills. Funding is the biggest stumbling block as the college facilities need to be converted into a safe environment and be sufficiently equipped.
The bake sale competition at Shenton Group was a hit and helped raise much-needed funds for the charity. A big thank you to Olivia, one of our Maintenance Coordinators for her support fundraising.
Shenton supports Yellow Brick Road, a charity that supports young people with trauma
For the fourth and final quarter, Shenton Group is raising money for Yellow Brick Road. The charity works with young people, building support networks, helping to build resilience and reduce feelings of loneliness. Yellow Brick Road helps people learn life skills – money, home, relationships, health and wellbeing and offer accredited learning programmes.
Issy, our Executive Assistant, is leading fundraising, and she has arranged everything from boot sales to pumpkin carving competitions. There is even a ‘Shenton Has Talent Show’. Watch this space! There are plenty more fundraising activities to come!
If you know of a Hampshire based charity that you would like us to support, get in touch, we would love to hear from you. To see other charities that we have fundraised for in the past, visit our charitable giving page.
Due to the increased Generator rental demand across the UK, we have decided to move to premises in Falkirk. This location offers a larger yard to store rental generators and equipment, enabling us to further improve our offering and provide a premium service to the Scots!
Due to fast response times and great customer service, Shenton Group’s Generator Rental enquiries have more than doubled over the last 18 months across the rest of the UK. As a result, we have expanded our service offering and thought it time to really stretch our legs in Scotland. Our aim is to become Scotland’s company of choice for generator rental, maintenance and alternative power supplies!
Increased Generator Rental Service In Scotland
With offices currently in Falkirk and Aberdeen, Shenton Group already provides some power continuity solutions in Scotland. Still, this move to a larger facility will enable us to provide increased support and really push our generator rental division far and wide. So if you have a generator hire requirement, please get in touch; we will be more than happy to assist!
Short or Long Term Generator Hire
No matter which sector you operate in, we can support you. Whether you need additional power security for few months, or you would like to ensure minimal/no disruption to your day-to-day operation while staff are off-site, we can support you in true power resilience!
During the pandemic, One retail giant called us after having to close the store due to a leak and power failure. Within 2-3 hours, we had an engineer on-site to arrange a same-day solution, allowing the store to open the doors the following day to continue trade.
“Following our recent power failure, I would like to thank Shenton Group, particularly the Rental division, for your help and assistance during that very difficult time. Shenton Group showed a very high level of customer service, which instilled confidence from the first point of contact through to completion. The personal approach and assurance were combined with the knowledge that Shenton Group had the expertise and equipment to deliver. These high service levels were also continued through to the staff on-site, and we would have no hesitations in recommending your services.”
Facilities Manager – Retail Company
If you have a generator rental requirement, get in contact today to speak to one of our technical experts.
Willoughby Long joins Shenton Group on a 12-month apprenticeship program. Working part-time as a Business Developer for our Generator Rental department, Willoughby will learn key skills and gain work experience whilst continuing his studies in business and marketing. Upon successful completion, we will be pleased to offer him a full-time role!
Shenton Group offers a supportive environment to young learners. As Richard Branson once said, “Train people well enough to leave, treat them well enough that they don’t want to.” We are a firm believer in this notion.
Willoughby explains:
Engines have always interested me. I was interested in the different types of projects and the mechanical side; that’s what attracted me to Shenton Group.
I had heard good things about the company as I have some friends that already worked here.
Willoughby has worked at Shenton Group for a month and has already integrated himself well into his team. We asked him: How have you found your time working at Shenton Group so far?
I have enjoyed learning new things, challenging but rewarding, it has been good fun, and the staff are friendly. It is very hands-on, and you get to speak to a variety of different customers.
Our generator rental fleet supplies generators from 30kVA up to 1250kVA. We are equipped to meet the demand of any bespoke residential, commercial, or heavy-duty applications 24/7, 365 days a year UK wide. If you need to hire a generator, give the industry experts a call. You never know, you might speak to Willoughby!
Are you interested in a career with us? Check out our careers page or get in touch about other apprenticeship opportunities.
As many will be aware, in March 2021 the UK Government announced impending changes to the way some fuel products would be taxed with effect from April 2022. Possibly the most significant of these is what’s widely known as ‘Red Diesel’.
For anyone unclear, red and white diesel perform in exactly the same way. Quite simply ‘red’ has a chemical marker added to distinguish it from white (or DERV [Diesel Engined Road Vehicle]) and because red wasn’t intended for road use, it attracted a far lower rate of taxation.
It should be noted that the red marker chemical also stains or dyes any fuel system component it comes into contact with, making it very easy for HMRC, VOSA etc to detect improper use!
These changes will inevitably affect power generation for both suppliers and consumers so how will these effects be felt?
There will be a number of exemptions to the changes. Specific areas of industry and business will be allowed to continue to use the lesser taxed fuel and more information on this can be found on the government website.
As with the introduction of many legislative instruments, this will be an iterative process and will inevitably be subject to a series of clarifications however there are some things that can be made clear from the outset.
If your particular industry or usage category is not clearly included in the above-mentioned government list, then specific and individual advice may be necessary and the Government provide a specific contact* for this purpose.
If you are part of a clearly identified industry, you will need to stop buying red diesel at a date appropriate to your typical usage rate and from there, move to white.
Affected businesses should NOT purchase red diesel which will then remain available for use after 1st April 2022.
The requirement for end users to have fuel tanks purged and flushed has been removed following consultation however emphasis is placed on NOT ‘stockpiling’ red diesel ahead of the transition which would clearly be intended for use after April 2022.
Given the degree of uncertainty affecting some aspects of the anticipated transition, be certain to retain invoices, orders and in general to maintain a clear and visible audit trail of related activities which – should an inspection take place – would then demonstrate the rationale and reasoning behind the current position of your business.
At the time of writing (August 2021) we can confirm the following points with regard to the use of HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) as alternative fuel:
HVO is a drop-in replacement and can be mixed with old diesel and there have been no compatibility issues recorded to date
From 1st April 2022, all HVO will have to be sold as road fuel and so have the additional tax applied, thus it will be more expensive than white diesel
The main selling point for HVO is a reduction in CO2 emissions which may be of interest to energy managers where their CO2 footprint is of importance. This is a result of the fuel manufacturing process and has no effect or bearing on exhaust emissions but when compared with fossil fuels, achieves a reduction of approximately 90%.
As with any fundamental change to the operation of essential equipment, it is always wise to check or ask questions specific to your own requirements before introducing an alternative fuel into your systems, to avoid any subsequent damage or reliability issues.
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