Ben Kettell, Author at MVIS Ltd

MVIS Celebrates International Women’s Day.

Posted on 8th March 2023 at 11:34 am.

Here at MVIS we are celebrating International Women’s Day, a day that celebrates not only the steadfast women we have in our company, but all the women who are making an impact on the ever-changing world.

The ladies in our customer relations team are the strong force behind the scenes that keeps MVIS running smoothly. With thanks to Mia Maycock, Clair Tranter, and Juliette Wright keeping our office running smoothly with their organisational skills, these ladies ensure your portable CCTV and portable VMS arrive on time to keep the road network safe and get important information across to road users.

Rebecca Prince, one of the teams longest serving members, oversees Purchasing and Stock Control, she ensures that all our products have the best quality components, so that when they get delivered to you, they are in full working order in-keeping with our platinum level service guarantee.

Mizzy Watson is our Research and Development Assistant, going the extra mile to ensure that we are providing the best products with the most up to date technology. After two years previously in our customer relations department she knows more than anyone how important quality products are to the end user.

Managing the whole MVIS & Bartco UK team is our UK Group Commercial and Operations Director Anne Ashman. With over a decade of experience in our sector and with the companies, she has worked hard to ensure that MVIS has thrived and keeps the company as a market leader at the for front of everything ITS. Ensuring the company gains accreditations needed to not only work in the Highways Industry Sector but also to ensure these standards of Quality, Health & Safety and Environmental Impact are lived and breathed by all the staff within the company.

We are proud to put these incredible ladies at the forefront of our business, leading us to improve the business further and keep MVIS the thriving business that we are proud to boast about.

Sustainability in our Workshop.

Posted on 6th March 2023 at 9:02 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

MVIS quality products are all manufactured in-house at our workshop in Matlock. As with any company these days we are always looking at ways to reduce our carbon footprint improving our effect on the environment.

As founding members of the Greener Highways initiative, we at MVIS, being ISO 14001 certified since 2016, are always looking at ways to continually reduce our carbon emissions further. Looking at our workshop and products we have produced for our hire fleet and how our competent team ensure that we keep our carbon footprint as low as possible when manufacturing our products.

We even have gone as far as to test our own workshop using MVIS’ Environmental Sensor and was shocked to see the results in the workshop around our soldering station, improving our ventilation system to remove most of the gases when fixing LED’s and controllers.

The process of any new product starts with our purchasing department and the products we order into our company. Even at the start of the process we begin to investigate how we can lower our carbon footprint by ordering from local suppliers, reducing the emissions from the delivery vehicles by the journey been much shorter, even walking to some of our suppliers who are within easy reach and on our doorstep, to fetch smaller components.

To be able to help “Reduce, Re-use and Recycle” all workshop staff have been trained on how to repair parts of the VMS such as the LED boards or important components such as the controllers we use in our Overhead Service Units. Repairing controllers and LEDs in-house means we can have more control over waste and how it is disposed of correctly.

When we upgrade our solar panels to more efficient ones, we sell our old panels to the local public to help light garages or sheds, reducing our waste and reducing the use of fossil fuels in local homes. We also strive to use off-cuts of wire that have been left by collecting and saving in our wire off-cut bins and using when there is a small amount needed, reducing the waste of the raw material.

If we have to dispose of components at the end of their life, we are aware of where these old components go to with the use of WEEE collections. WEEE disposal focuses on the act of taking our electrical equipment and disposing of them in the most ethical and environmentally friendly way. This also applies to our old empty aerosol cannisters. We put them in a designated bin that then gets removed when the bin is full, choosing the safer way to dispose of old dangerous aerosol cans that run the risk of braking and releasing toxins if disposed of improperly.

Waste and spills from oil and gas contain hydrocarbons, heavy metals, radioactive material, salts, and toxic chemicals, all of which have the potential to damage soils and vegetation directly, and eventually groundwater. Because of this MVIS uses oil collection trays during servicing of trailers and spill kits to clean up any spillages that may happen in the workshop. Part of our environmental planning was also finding where drainage underneath our depot leads to and if we were to allow oil spillages to get into the drains, we would be aware of the impact it would have on local water ways.

Putting our water compressors and other chemicals into drip trays is a practice we have put into effect. We know that no chemicals are going to flow into drains by accident, we know this because drip trays catch the potential leaking chemicals. We eradicate as far as is practicable, any chance that we might pollute the environment around us.

These are a few ways in which we take the time and effort to keep the environment safe. It is simple practices like drip trays or using less paper that will help us to lower the carbon footprint of our company. We have always prided ourselves on the fact that our products are solar powered or the many ways in which we as a company have worked incredibly hard to make our company environmentally safe. Although we know that we have a fair way to go to reach our target of being carbon natural by 2030, we are proud to say we are taking the right steps.

#TRUSTINMVIS: Our Ethos: At The Heart Of What We Do.

Posted on 27th February 2023 at 9:46 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

For over a decade, we have been at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in the highways industry. Providing state-of-the-art portable VMS solutions that are designed to improve traffic flow, safety, and communication. With #TRUSTINMVIS, we aim to take this commitment to excellence, even further.

Teamwork is at the heart of #TRUSTINMVIS. We understand that by working together as a team, we can achieve greater results for our customers. MVIS believe that by fostering a culture of collaboration, we can provide the best possible service and support, and deliver innovative and sustainable solutions that exceed initial client expectations.

Respect the Stakeholders of the Company is the reason staff members at MVIS finds the motivation to work in the morning. Linking back to our Teamwork we enjoy working for each-other and the people who have faith in MVIS and want to push the company further. Within our company structure we, as a team respect each other and want to work to ensure we are all happy in the workplace.

Understanding Flexibility in a 24/7 Industry is a very important part of #TRUSTINMVIS. understanding that every customer is unique and that every project has its own set of challenges. That the company is dedicated to providing individualised solutions that are tailored to meet specific needs, as well as providing planning and consultancy to truly understand the wider context of the need for its products. We are flexible in our own approach and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that a scheme is a success.

Safer Working Practices is the heart of MVIS. As a company we understand the importance of keeping our staff and our customers safe. Our solutions ensure that the roads are safe and sites are under our surveillance. The importance of safety in our industry is one of our key aspects and we are proud to support companies with site safety and to keep our own team safe.

Technology and Development of Future Products is the final piece of #TRUSTINMVIS. We are completely committed to staying at the forefront of innovation and technology and have been for over a decade. We invest heavily in Research and Development to ensure that products are always at the cutting edge of technology. Further more, MVIS is always looking for new and better ways to improve the performance and functionality of our products.

In addition to these core values, MVIS also provides its Platinum Service Promise for all customers. This promise ensures that the customer receive the highest level of service and support, and that their needs are always met.

Anne Ashman, Group Commercial & Operations Director commented:

“MVIS are committed to providing the best possible service and support to our customers. With #TRUSTINMVIS firmly in place, MVIS is confident that we can deliver the most innovative, sustainable, and dependable portable solutions on the market.”

#TRUSTINMVIS

Communication That Isn’t Costing The Earth.

Posted on 20th February 2023 at 8:56 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Due to the pandemic, companies like ours have had to strive to ensure that they implement safe practices preventing the spread of infectious diseases including COVID19. The pandemic also gave us new opportunities to make further steps in making our company primarily, digital.

Throughout the pandemic MVIS staff, like many, worked remotely from home. Meaning as a company we started to rely on e-mails, TEAMS calls and other means to stay communicating regularly and to keep our company going.

After recently becoming a Founding Member of the Greener Highways initiative, we have been assessing ways we have become more environmentally friendly. Over a decade of work has been put into this and we are proud to say that we have evolved into a much more environmentally friendly company.

As a company we have delivered ten years of driving innovation and throughout that time we have introduced new ways to decrease our carbon footprint. One area that has dramatically changed is using paper documents. We started back in 2012, supplying driver delivery packages containing multiple documents, without utilising e-mail systems to their full potential and would unnecessarily print paper for our different deliveries.

Our aim was to cut down our paper use within the company, after the worldwide consumption of paper has risen 400% in the last 40 years. Currently, 35% of harvested trees are being used for paper manufacturing. When you also take into consideration the impact that buying paper has on our carbon footprint, ordering paper from a supplier means that delivery drivers are driving to our offices wasting fuel and further harming the environment.

Using less paper by using software such as Reflow and Teams has led us to a position where we are ordering less paper, and by doing so, reducing our carbon footprint. This minor change has led to lower usage of the office printer, thus lowering our electricity usage. Also leading to less ink being used so we did not have to order new ones, meaning we use less plastic changing over cartridges. This has also meant that there is much less need for us to be sending mail, so hardly need to utilise the delivery and creation of envelopes, stamps and even our consumption of pens has fallen as a result.

All these changes, though they seem small are slowly adding up to MVIS having a smaller carbon footprint and ensuring that we lower our amount of carbon emissions. As we set out clear targets to strive for over the coming years, we are continuously changing and adapting how we work, the equipment we work with and even how we get to and from the office.

Our Greener Highways journey has made us look further at new and exciting ways in which we as a company can ensure that our carbon footprint continues to decrease and lowering our paper consumption is just one small, simple change that has already had a positive impact.

MVIS sponsors the Ashgate High Peak Trail.

Posted on 13th February 2023 at 8:16 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

For the past 2 years MVIS has sponsored the High Peak Trail. An event taking place this year on the 12^th of March, the walk takes place through our Derbyshire countryside and will follow the former Cromford and High Peak Railway. The walk is a scenic experience for all the family to enjoy.

This year, Ashgate has introduced two new routes. One that is a family friendly 3.5 miles, something that you can bring children on so you can have a day spent with family traversing the ever-stunning route, another route is the 11 mile walk and the final walk the full 17 miles. Participants meet at Cromford Meadows before being transported to the starting line.

We had the opportunity to see the trail on which walkers will be undertaking over the weekend in March.

MVIS are proud to sponsor the team over at Ashgate Hospice and are glad to always be there to assist with their events. As a company we appreciate their work and are admirable of the amount of time, effort and inclusivity they present when holding events such as the Sparkle walk or the High Peak Trail. As a company it is about teamwork and raising money for the people they look after. While also showing a strong love for the community and the county that surround their wonderful hospice.

MVIS are always proud to say that as a company we support Ashgate Hospice. Our partnership started in 2021 and since then we have managed to maintain a consistent string of charity work, participating in the Sparkle Walk to running a Bake-Off competition in aid of Ashgate Hospice.

Ashgate Hospice is a charity dedicated to providing palliative and end-of-life care, they look after those that live with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer and end-stage heart, kidney, and lung diseases. They have worked for years to ensure patients are well informed, supported and pain free.

MVIS works with Ashgate Hospice as a local charity that offers so much to local people. The charity always takes perfect care of those who are nearing the end of their life and ensures that loved ones get to spend as much time with them, be it in the hospice or their own homes, making the last few days as comfortable and calm as possible in this type of situation. They also go on to work hard to look after families that are in grief and have lost loved ones.

MVIS visited the hospice in recent weeks and was taken on a tour around Ashgate, this benefitted our team as we could see the impact that they have on the local community, it was also beneficial for our team to see the impact us as a company have on them as a charitable organisation.

David Storer- Ashgate Hospice Events Organiser: “M-VIS are a pleasure to work with. They are always on hand to provide support across all of our fundraising events and go above and beyond to offer solutions that enhance our reach and help us to promote our brand across the region.

Anne and the team have provided VMS’s for multiple events and appeals that have really helped to raise the awareness of Ashgate Hospice and the vital end of life care that we provide across North Derbyshire. Huge thanks to M-VIS from all of us at Ashgate Hospice!”

MVIS takes part in ‘Time to Talk’

Posted on 2nd February 2023 at 4:37 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

As an attempt to try and improve mental health and wellbeing in the highways sector National Highways have started the ‘Journey to Wellbeing’. An initiative to get highway workers to talk and be open about their mental health.

The team at MVIS took part in Mind’s ‘Time to Talk’, the team at the Tansley offices sat down and perpetrated the importance of talking about their mental health. At MVIS we strive to ensure that our teams are happy and healthy this being said we believe that the National Highways Journey to Wellbeing is something important to take part in.

At MVIS we have three trained Mental Health First Aiders, our UK Group Commercial and Operations Director Anne Ashman, Purchasing and Stock Control Supervisor Rebecca Prince, and North Delivery Supervisor Jon Larkins. They were all in attendance today and were happy to give offer themselves to staff if they want a confidential chat with the team.

During ‘Time to Talk’ the three Mental Health First Aiders demonstrated the importance of talking to people so that you do not get overwhelmed. We were introduced to time to talk as a reminder that people do not have to keep feelings and emotions penned, it is important to talk to and share those feelings to prevent anything unfortunate happening in the future.

It is said that 5% of the adult population suffers with depression and 1 in 7 children have been diagnosed with a type of mental disorder. Minds and National Highways ‘Time to Talk’ intend to help the companies over the country to speak out and raise awareness.

Jon Larkins, our North Delivery Supervisor, states that human interaction has helped him feel better in the past, saying: “Sometimes it’s about going into stores with a smile on your face it makes you more approachable for a chat, there have been times I have stood in the line at a supermarket and by the time I am at the front of the queue I have heard their life story. So, it is little moments like that where you can be approachable and smile at someone.”

National Highways has scheduled a different day for every month of the year to help improve mental health. They have organised days such as Thank You day in July, World Mental Health Day in October, something MVIS has already celebrated, and National Fitness Day in September.

Compact Portable CCTV brings mobility and flexibility to worksite security

Posted on 31st January 2023 at 11:35 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

As a company we pride ourselves on innovative products. From cutting-edge technology to intelligent design, we consistently push the boundaries of what is possible. Our products are not only functional and reliable, but our CCTV set the standard for the industry.

Whether it’s our flagship 5 Colour VMS products or a newly developed solution, our products are always at the forefront of technology. With an emphasis on Research & Development and a strong commitment to quality, we take immense pride in being a leader in our field, and as a company, continue to innovate, bringing mobility and flexibility to on site monitoring.

CCTV (closed-circuit television) is important on a work site for several reasons:

Security: CCTV cameras can be used to monitor the work site for potential security breaches, such as theft or vandalism, allowing for quick response and potentially deterring criminal activity.
Safety: CCTV cameras can be used to monitor the work site for potential safety hazards, such as workers not wearing proper protective gear or equipment being used improperly. This can help to identify and address potential safety issues before they lead to accidents or injuries.
Compliance: CCTV cameras can be used to ensure that the work site is in compliance with relevant regulations and laws. For example, CCTV footage can be used to verify that workers are following proper safety procedures or that the site is being used in accordance with zoning regulations.
Evidence: CCTV footage can be used as evidence in the event of an incident, such as an accident or criminal activity. This can be valuable in determining fault and liability and can also be used in legal proceedings.
Monitoring: CCTV cameras can be used to monitor the work site for construction progress, allowing for remote monitoring of the project. This can be useful for project managers, contractors and architects to check on their project and make sure everything is going as planned.
Overall, CCTV cameras provide a sense of security and can serve as an important tool for maintaining safety, compliance, and security on a work site.

The MVIS Compact CCTV

Our Compact CCTV product is a great choice for worksites for a variety of reasons:

Solar powered – Meaning that it does not rely on traditional power sources, making it more versatile and cost-effective in remote locations.
Small footprint – Meaning that it can be placed in a variety of locations without taking up too much space.
Clever outdoor surveillance camera – Boasts an ultra-wide viewing angle of 355° pan & 140° tilt, providing a comprehensive view of the worksite, which is perfect for monitoring large areas or keeping an eye on multiple points of interest.

Additionally, it connects through Vodafone 4G, which means that you can access the footage remotely, allowing you to keep an eye on your worksite even when you are not physically present.

The MVIS Compact CCTV product also offers 1080p HD at 15 frames per second and a 6 x Digital Zoom, which provides clear and detailed footage, making it easy to identify any potential issues.

Finally, it has a 10m Night Vision range, which means it can capture clear footage even in low light conditions, providing peace of mind that your worksite is being monitored 24/7.

Graeme Lee, MVIS’ Sales Director commented:

“The MVIS Compact CCTV is a great choice for worksites due to its solar-powered design, small footprint, ultra-wide viewing angle, 4G connectivity, high-resolution footage and night vision capabilities. It is a reliable, cost-effective, and versatile option for monitoring your worksite. It’s also yet another innovation that we’re extremely proud of.”

2022 Year in Focus

Posted on 31st January 2023 at 11:23 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

As we look back on the year 2022, it’s clear that it was a year filled with both challenges and triumphs both on, and away from our highways.

The past 12 months have continued to test us in ways that few could have imagined. However, amidst all the turmoil, there were also glimmers of hope and progress. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the most significant events of 2022 for MVIS, whose year included a major landmark for the company, sustainability milestones, community outreach, new products and more.

2022: 10 Years in business

MVIS was born in 2012 and achieved an almost immediate level of success, with a successful London 2012 Olympic Games contract putting a marker down for what was to come. A decade on, MVIS Ltd are today the UK’s most trusted supplier of trailer-based, solar powered technology such as Variable Message Signs (VMS), CCTV, ANPR and Data Collection solutions.

In January 2022, the company kicked off its year in the community, partaking in a ‘Treecycling’ campaign. Treecycling, or Christmas tree recycling, is the responsible way to dispose of cut live trees at the end of the holiday season.

MVIS, based in Matlock, Derbyshire, is a partner of local charity Ashgate Hospice, which offers its local community this ‘Treecycle’ service, enabling households to pay £15 to have their trees removed in a hassle-free way that is also good for the environment. MVIS dedicated volunteer time, assisting with tree collection and disposal.

Tree-mendous Charity Work Continues

Posted on 17th January 2023 at 10:59 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

After spending the festive period lighting up your homes and housing Santa’s gifts to you, Christmas Trees are left next to the dust bin to decompose and hurt the environment. Thanks to the team at Ashgate Hospice, they have found an innovative way to raise money for the Hospice as well as using your Christmas Trees to help the environment surrounding them. The trees are collected by volunteers and given to local farmers so they can be chipped and recycled.

A handful of the local communities pay £15 for volunteers to collect their trees, then Ashgate plan routes accordingly and send truly generous people to ensure these trees get to the farm. The same farm that will chip the trees and convert them into biomass fuel.

Last week, MVIS team members Jon Larkins and Ben Ashman took the service van and collected trees in and around Matlock. Together, they collected 29 trees helping the team to raise the equivalent of over £400 in tree collections.

This is not the first time MVIS have volunteered their time to help this ingenious idea. MVIS have worked with Ashgate for over a year now and always like to find new ground-breaking ways to help the charity from taking part in the Sparkle Walk to Car-Boot Sales.

When all the trees are collected, they are converted into biomass fuel, a known way of making use of Christmas Trees after spending the festive period making your house look bright and vibrant for the big day. Using photosynthesis trees use carbon dioxide to help them grow and flourish, but when the trees die and begin to rot, they release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as well as trace amounts of methane, a gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Biomass as a source of energy means that gas is used as energy as opposed to being lost to nature.

Ashgate Hospice have since announced that this year’s scheme has been the most successful to date and has raised a staggering £12,203.75. This money will help ensure that they can continue to provide specialist care to patients and their families across North Derbyshire. Well done to everyone who took part!

9 Years in the Making.

Posted on 9th January 2023 at 2:28 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

After joining MVIS & Bartco in January 2014, our Research & Development Manager Tom started 2023 by marking his 9-year Anniversary with us. Tom thrives in his role as he is constantly challenged on a daily basis. Something which he admits is very important to him, and his work. Tom is constantly creating exciting new products and further developing ourc ore products to keep MVIS & Bartco ahead of the game.

From a young age he has enjoyed stripping things apart and then trying to put them back together. From his retro gaming consoles to his dad’s watch! Although Tom does admit that the watch did not go so well! From the age of 6 Tom has played Rugby and found this to be another challenge in which he has always wanted to better himself. Unfortunately, the social side over-took the skill side for a few years but he still managed to play at Midlands one level for a couple of seasons until he finally retired at the age of 31. Alongside playing Rugby, he still liked to fix, build, and take things apart and strongly believes that this has proved a big help in his career. He now creates 3D CAD work and electrical schematics which help our workshop build our own products along with the work instructions that Tom creates for them.

Tom finds a great sense of reward from helping people and will always do what he can to help others whether that be at work or in his personal life – As Tom quotes: Horace Mann said, “Doing nothing for others is the undoing of ourselves.”

Tom began working with us as Technical support back in January 2014, becoming workshop manager in 2016 leading a team of 4 and has more recently worked his way up to Research and Development Manager. Tom said: “After going from Technical support to Research & Development Manager, I would like to think I have grown with the companies, which were in their infancy when I joined and as a person with thanks to the team I work with who have supported me. Hopefully I have supported some of them too”.

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Commercial & Operations director Anne commented “We soon identified that Tom’s skills and his ability at teaching our apprentices and ensuring the quality of our products was wasted as a technician, Tom was promoted to workshop supervisor within two years of starting. Since then, he has gone on to become our R&D Manager, no task is too big for Tom and any ideas he or the team have he always delivers, there is nothing he can’t achieve that he is tasked with”.

Congratulations on 9 years of impressive work Tom, and here’s to many more years of building (& fixing) towards the future.

MVIS Staff Spread Festive Cheer at Ashgate Hospice

Posted on 21st December 2022 at 11:15 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Members of our team recently headed over to Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield to spread some Festive cheer, by serving some of the unsung heroes who give up their time and support to ensure that the hospice is a friendly and welcoming environment all year round.

The hospice is a local charity that provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to patients with a life-limiting illness and their families across North Derbyshire. Ashgate Hospice is not an NHS hospice and all the care that it provides is free of charge. In order to continue providing care when people need it most, Ashgate relies heavily on fundraising and community support from local businesses like us.

The team were on hand throughout the day to serve hot drinks including festive hot chocolate and non-alcoholic mulled punch along with a selection of Christmassy sweet treats of mince pies and chocolate Yule log. All home-made by the generous staff at our MVIS head office. Guests, patients, staff and volunteers were also able to take time out of their day and enjoy the Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ shown on the big screen as the Day Hospice was transformed in to a cinema room especially for the event. MVIS work throughout the year on various projects, finding new and exciting ways to raise funds for Ashgate Hospice including charity walks and a 10 week long, in-house Bake-Off competition where all bakes are sold with all profits going straight to the charity.

Jon Larkin – MVIS North Delivery Supervisor: “It’s always important to give something back to the local community. Whether that be time or support in other ways. It’s a pleasure to come to the Hospice and see the amazing work that takes place every single day and the wonderful people that make it all possible. The hospice is a vital part of the local community, many of us know people who have benefitted from the incredible work Ashgate do and to support such an amazing cause right on your doorstep gives us all immense pride”.

David Storer- Ashgate Hospice Events Organiser: “A massive thank you to you guys for coming over and providing all that stuff, as well as providing the cinema set up. The hot chocolates went down a storm with staff from across the hospice. Can I also just say thank you from all of us here for everything else you do for us throughout the year. From Bake-Off sales to the VMS you provide for us, it is all very much appreciated and the GIK, money you raise, and sponsorship of next years High Peak Trail, really does make a huge difference”.

To find out more about Ashgate Hospice and how you can make a difference this Christmas, just click the link: shorturl.at/EGSU8