How does a company respond to the ever-growing focus on sustainability?

MVIS has committed to achieving net zero carbon in line with its client base, carefully monitoring its development and production processes to continually improve the sustainability element of its product range.

MVIS is constantly striving to increase solar and battery output to minimise site visits and time spent on site, with a process centred around developing products which are fully self-sufficient on power.

With the addition of MVIS’ environmental sensors, the company can also now monitor and report on a live working environment to measure gases for air quality, dust and noise levels on sites. This is in addition to displaying important environmental messaging to workers and the general public in real time, whilst aligning with a clients’ environmental KPI’s.

The R&D process

Each MVIS idea has to go through a strategic process. One which sees lots of information gathered before a new idea even goes into development.

Before a product idea gets signed off for development, MVIS will know what testing procedures are needed to make it compliant to present standards, how long a prototype will take, what sort of software is required, and a budget will be allocated to the project along with a timeline.

How has the R&D process changed?

“There has been a significant increase in the questions and requirements relating to sustainability and environmental impact, particularly in major projects,” says MVIS Sales Director Graeme Lee. Graeme has spent the last decade with MVIS, and so is perfectly placed to have witnessed the change in sustainable thinking over the last 10 years.

“Environmental accreditations have become a standard requirement, with the industry constantly driving the supply chain to develop the very latest technology powered by sustainable methods,” Graeme continued.

“I’d say this has really snowballed over the last 3-4 years, but MVIS’ has placed sustainability at the forefront of product development since inception in 2012, so whilst I feel the industry has had a bit of a mass shift when it comes to sustainable thinking, our R&D process hasn’t seen too much of a change at all really. It’s something we were ahead of the general curve on and so it’s all part of the daily operation for us.”

2012 v 2022 – what’s changed?

“With the country and Government promising to achieve environmental targets, there has undoubtedly been a change in focus regarding sustainability over the last 10 years.,” Graeme added.

“On the back of this ‘go greener’ attitude that’s swept the sector, the biggest change for us is probably the volume of enquiries that reference or specifically request sustainable credentials. That’s not to say companies didn’t value this element when hiring from MVIS previously, but it’s now much more obvious that this is an absolute necessity and not just an additional benefit.”


Source: HighwaysIndustry.com


Come to the ITS and VMS Experts

Through our commitment to our clients, we have built a strong reputation for customer service and expertise. Due to our focus on portable VMS and specific ITS solutions, our expertise is specialised in our core solutions rather than diluted across many different types of products, like some of our competitors.

Often working in collaboration with Highways England and other Tier 1 contractors, MVIS has become a trusted asset when it comes to the delivery of safe, efficient VMS and ITS products and solutions onto the UK’s roads. As the company has continued to deliver and further its stellar reputation, MVIS has become more involved in the preparation phase of major schemes.

We are committed to providing our clients with quality service, which is further reinforced by our Quality Service Promise, which outlines all the additional aspects that we offer as part of our service. MVIS adopts the policy of treating all customers equally, no matter who they are and aims to provide a quality service to all of them. 

When our clients hire with MVIS, they can be confident that our expertise is backed up by a number of accreditations and memberships. Amongst these include FORS Bronze, Achilles BuildingConfidence membership, Constructionline Platinum and ISO accreditations in ISO45001: Occupational Health & Safety, ISO9001: Quality Management Systems and ISO14001: Environmental Management Systems, which come together to make an Integrated Management System (IMS), bringing our systems and processes into one complete framework.

The MVIS approach to training is continuous and has a number of critical elements, which are: 

  • MVIS staff is fully trained as hiab and slinger signalers for delivery, installation and removal.
  • Our staff are fully trained in health and safety. Each MVIS operative participates in an ongoing safety training program, as well as externally completed safety training to ensure quality across all departments.
  • Depending on their role on site, the MVIS workforce is all on site with the appropriate and relevant CSCS card. Even the management team are CSCS qualified so they can visit the site to carry out essential auditing.

More than 60% of our team members have been with MVIS for their entire careers. The company has a reputation for investing in people and a high staff retention rate. This results in MVIS staff embracing the company values, which translates into excellent customer service.  

As a result of these factors, we are already recognised in the industry as the best at what we do, and this is only confirmed with every project we are trusted with.   

Our ITS and VMS expertise, accredited quality, comprehensive training, vast fleet, and versatile products make us the ideal company for your ITS and VMS requirements. You can hire with confidence when you hire with MVIS, so why would you go anywhere else? 
 

Get in touch with our Sales team who are available to assist you with any questions you may have by calling 01629 580570 or by email at sales@m-vis.co.uk


A Decade of Driving Innovation

As a company that clocked up a decade in business this year, MVIS has come a long way since its inception in 2012.

One of the constants across the company’s journey is its attitude towards innovation; never resting on its laurels and continually investing in its research & development programme to continue to better itself for the benefit of its customers.

So, just what does ‘innovation’ mean to the business?

“It means we are constantly moving our products forward and fulfilling required gaps in the market with our bespoke products and R&D department,” says Graeme Lee, the company’s Sales Director.

MVIS exists in a world of technology, and as a result, innovation has to be a major part of the company’s remit, or its products and software runs the risk of stagnation.

“That’s just not something we’re willing to accept.” Graeme continued. “We place great pride and great emphasis on being at the forefront of technologies within our field, and it’s a stance that hasn’t wavered across the last 10 years.”

MVIS’ very own web studio system was the company’s first major innovation success and was the single biggest reason for the company being successful in its 2012 Olympic Games contract in its first year of operating. A standout innovative feature at the time, was MVIS’ grouping facility – the capability of programming multiple signs with the same message at the click of a button from a web-based system, whilst other software programming systems for VMS were still having to dial in remotely and could only program one sign at a time. The innovation won the day.

‘How crucial is R&D into innovation?’ we asked Graeme. He explained:

“It’s the cog that keeps innovation alive, without our R&D team we wouldn’t be able to look at new ideas or produce the bespoke items our customers often request. When it comes to being successful, we know it’s a combination of multiple things working efficiently and effectively, but it could be argued that R&D for innovation is the most important factor in what we do. Technology is ever evolving; the industry is always changing, and customers are always looking for something that saves them time or cost in the long run – so we see it as our duty to invest the time into servicing that constant customer need.”

And is there an internal standard procedure for getting a new idea off the ground at MVIS?

“Yes, each idea has to go through a strategic process where we collect lots of information before the new idea even goes into development, I suppose you could attribute this to being the ‘research’ from both the R&D team and other departments within the company. Before a product idea gets signed off for development, we will know what testing procedures are needed to make it compliant to present standards, how long a prototype will take, what sort of software is required, and a budget will be allocated to the project along with a timeline.”

Looking back on the last 10 years, we asked Graeme to give us his opinion on his top four most significant MVIS innovations within the decade the company has been in business. After a few moments of pondering, Graeme told us:

“Firstly, our Web studio. As already mentioned, it really helped put the company on the map in 2012 and showed that even in our infancy as a company, we were an innovative, well-prepared business with high capability.

“Next, the 5 Colour VMS. We were the first in the UK to bring it to market and had to educate the marketplace on the quality of having colour and the visual pictogram aspect the signs could give – rather than just amber text signs.

Solar IP

“The Solar IP platform is number 3. Again, we were the first to bring this product to market and the first company enabling a solar-powered platform to go out onto the network with multiple functions. This meant eradicating stopping schemes to lay cables to a power source for a short-term need of CCTV, ANPR and traffic data counting radars. Thus, saving money and also reducing the risk of injury to staff due to the short deployment time and bodies not required on the network for any longer than necessary.

“The fourth would have to be our HD Compact unit. It has a tiny footprint, ideal for compounds and is used as part of our works Egress system. Again, both products were the first to market. It is interesting when we look back to see how many products we were first to the market with. It’s something we’re really proud of and we have to credit our R&D team immensely for their consistency and innovative thinking.”

It’s clear to see that innovation is no fluke. Time, effort and investment go into becoming a company known for innovative thinking and as a result, innovative products. As MVIS enters its second decade of operations, one thing that will never change is its embedded ethos of innovation and a commitment to constant improvement for its customer base.


Source: HighwaysIndustry.com


Adding Value With Quality Service

Over the last decade, we have built an outstanding reputation across the highways sector for providing excellent service to our customers on all projects. However, the quality service that we offer applies to all the sectors that we work with, not just highways. In fact, one of the ways we look to offer added value for our customers is by taking the time and effort to learn about all the industries we work with.

Prioritising the added value that we can offer in our service has always been important to us. Although we specialise in portable solar powered ITS solutions, we never lose sight of the fact that we are ultimately a service-based company. Unlike our competitors, we don’t dilute our service and our expertise means that your ITS and portable VMS are being supplied by the experts. 

We take pride in offering our customers the MVIS ‘Platinum Service Promise’,  with the aim of delivering a ‘Platinum’ level service for a ‘Bronze’ level price. Our Quality Service Promise outlines our commitment to what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights all the additional aspects that set us apart from other suppliers. We regularly receive feedback and testimonials that are attributed to a lot of the features mentioned in this document. This allows us to improve on what we offer even more and has also helped us to build excellent long-standing relationships with our customers. 

When you hire with MVIS, unit monitoring and maintenance are included in the cost along with deployment, advice, consultation and all the other added value that we offer. We even include battery changes, repairs and replacements into the service promise that we offer our clients. If there ever is an issue, our strategically placed depots across the UK mean that our highly trained team can respond to a problem quickly, whether on site or in the office. 

Anne Ashman, UK Group Commercial and Operations Director commented, “We offer an excellent and experienced service from a team that is highly trained and always willing to go the extra mile. Our impressive range of additional aspects that are listed in our Quality & Service promise helps to distinguish us from a typical VMS supplier.” 

Exceeding expectations and delivering the best service possible is what we do here at MVIS. So, get in contact with our friendly Sales team at sales@m-vis.co.uk or on 01629 580570 to make sure that your ITS technology is taken care of by the experts. You won’t get better service anywhere else. 


Mavis the VMS-A Becomes a Hit With Locals

What seemed to be a standard delivery of a VMS-A down to Cornwall turned out to be an incredible story. As we know, Cornwall experiences a massive influx of visitors during the summer months so our sign was sent down there to provide messaging.

A VMS-A was deployed and positioned in a layby just a short drive away from the beach. The VMS-A was programmed to provide several different messages throughout the day, working a long shift from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm at night. 

People quickly became quite attached to the sign and gave it the nickname Mavis. The name stuck and so, Mavis the VMS-A was born. Over the summer, Mavis met and made friends with many locals and summer visitors seeing the beautiful sights of Cornwall. Her adventures were captured and shared in several Facebook Groups and Pages in the area, turning Mavis into a local legend. 

On the 31st of August, Mavis was due to be collected and taken back to her home after almost 2 months of being away. As a result, the customer decided that they wanted to let everyone know how much Mavis enjoyed her holiday and how grateful she was for the love from the locals. 

We’d like to thank the local town and their visitors for giving Mavis the best summer of her life. The whole team at MVIS really enjoyed hearing about her adventures whilst she was away. 

If you’d like to hire Mavis or any other of our VMS for that matter, get in touch with our sales team on 01629 580 570 or Read about our sales team here and see which one is closest


Solving Safety Issues With Radar Integration

When our Variable Message Signs (VMS) are integrated with radar, their functionality is expanded across a range of applications. The VMS-A, VMS-C and HD Compact VMS can all be integrated with radar to increase their capabilities whilst still maintaining all the fantastic features of our standard VMS.

All our VMS discreetly houses a data collection radar which can collect vehicle logs on speed, time and date. Data as a commodity has always been important for identifying trends and risks and the VMS-A offers this as standard. Better yet, all of our VMS are solar powered and highly portable, which makes them the ideal solution for data collection.

Data that has been collected is uploaded to our server every hour, ready to be downloaded at any time by the user via a web-based portal. If there are any issues, our outstanding 24/7 customer support is there to assist you in any way they can. 

Combining data collection and VMS into one unit offers a multi-functional solution that can help collect valuable data at the same time as communicating important messages. These messages, such as speed alerts and responsive information, can be communicated to drivers in relation to their behaviour. This will then be used to positively influence driver behaviours and decisions. To encourage drivers to continue driving safely, a VMS with radar can also display a message or pictogram thanking drivers who are adhering to the set speed limit. 

So, when used in conjunction with radar, a VMS can display:

  • A message
  • A message and the motorist’s speed
  • The motorist’s speed only
  • The motorist’s speed only and a ‘too high’ or ‘too fast’ warning

There are lots of great benefits to Radar Activated VMS, such as the capability to detect speed and use the VMS-A’s messaging power for Specific Speed Messaging, where messages can be overridden with a speed roundel if a vehicle exceeds the set speed limit. When the unit detects the speed of an approaching vehicle, it alerts the driver of their speed and advises them to slow down if necessary. 

It isn’t just our VMS that can integrate radar, though. The IVD Radar integrates our Solar IP with the AGD 343 Highways Monitoring Radar to create portability and dramatically enhance road safety, capability and efficiency. This solution uses proven radar and measurement techniques to track and measure the speed, length, and direction of individual targets. 

If you would like to find out more about how our products with integrated radar can benefit you, please get in touch with our Sales team on 01629 580 570 or email sales@m-vis.co.uk


MVIS Helps Belper Pride Run Smoothly

On Saturday 6th August, we supported and supplied several units free of charge for this year’s Belper Pride. As well as receiving some fantastic feedback from The Pride in Belper Team, they have also written us a blog post about how our signs helped with managing the event. 


Pride in Belper returned to the town this summer, for the first time since its inaugural event in 2019. Although activities still took place online in 2020 and 2021, it wasn’t the same as everyone coming together in person to celebrate the town’s diversity and inclusivity with a parade around the town centre.

Three years ago, it was felt the parade (or ‘Strutt’ as we call it in Belper – after the local millowners) wasn’t long enough, so this time we wanted it to take to the main roads. Once, in the days of Belper’s carnival parades, road closures, long processions and a town centre grinding to a halt for an hour or so was an annual event – expected, accepted and, by many, embraced.

But the carnivals disappeared in the 1990s, so it’s been a long time since road closures, on the scale we had planned, have been seen in the town. Unless we could reach out and warn the multitude of motorists before the day, it could become a fractious and difficult day – not the inclusive celebration it needed to be.

The offer of three portable Variable Message Signs (VMS) from MVIS Ltd not only resolved those worries, but in being the first tangible signs of what was coming to the town the following weekend, they also brought a real sense of anticipation and an acceptance from the public. Acceptance that this would be a professional event – something that could be embraced and would work smoothly despite taking out some of the main streets of a busy town on a Saturday lunchtime.

The portable VMS signs weren’t huge but positioned strategically across the town, they were well-noticed, eye-catching and the perfect way of telling people not only about the expected traffic disruption but also why it was happening – a chance for people to avoid the area by car but instead come to the town centre and join in.

How fantastic that we were able to have rolling information – and that we had colours too, perfect for a Pride-themed rainbow illustration to accompany that information. They were much remarked on in the days leading up to the event, and well recognised as useful, professional tools for ensuring that Pride in Belper ran so smoothly.

Without a doubt, the VMS ensured that the all-important Strutt around the town was an absolute highlight for the town this year. It was a joyful event with very little drama on the roads because people knew what was happening and engaged with the signage before the day.

So, thank you, MVIS Ltd, for sponsoring us in this way, and helping to ensure that Pride in Belper was such an important, emotional and successful day for 11,000 people. You made such a difference, and we love you for it.

The Pride in Belper Team


No Hidden Fees When You Hire With MVIS

The MVIS approach is to consistently offer our clients the best service possible. This has allowed us to build up a reputation in the industry for providing excellent service to all customers on all projects, no matter the size or customer. 

That’s why we’re proud to boast that when you hire with MVIS, there are no hidden nasty fees. In fact, deployment, advice, consultation and all the other added value that we offer as part of our platinum level service are included in the cost. 

But what added value do we offer exactly? 

One of the ways we look to offer added value for our customers is by taking the time and effort to learn about the different industries we work with in order to gain a greater understanding of their needs. This then helps us to continue our mission in looking for more ways to add value. Unlike some of our competitors, our expertise is specialised in our core solutions rather than diluted across many different types of products. 

We are always consistently developing our units to make sure that customers are getting much more for their money than just a standard VMS. We do this by integrating other technologies with our signs in order to enhance what they are capable of. An example of this would be the integrated data collection radar, which comes as standard with all our VMS and offers a low-cost alternative to many data collection solutions on the market. 

When it comes to innovation, we don’t just work with our customers to develop new products and solutions. Over the years, we have brought numerous innovations to the industry like the Solar IP, which offers a trailer-based solar powered platform designed for integration with other technology. We have also worked with a range of specialists in their respective fields to bring portable, solar powered innovations to the market such as ANPR and CCTV.

Although we specialise in portable solar powered ITS solutions, we never lose sight of the fact that we are a service-based company. Each member of our staff is committed to providing outstanding customer service and support with zero exceptions. We’re so confident about the service we provide that we are proud to offer customers our ‘Platinum Service Promise’. This outlines our commitment to delivering a ‘Platinum’ level service for a ‘Bronze’ level price. 

Our Quality & Service Promise serves to outline what we consider to be ‘Platinum Level Service’ and also highlights all the additional aspects of our service that sets us apart from other VMS and ITS suppliers. 

We also have a wealth of tools in place that helps us monitor different aspects of our units out in the field, all from our head office in Matlock. Thanks to our national coverage, we can quickly dispatch a team from the nearest of our strategically placed depots to investigate a problem. We even include battery changes, repairs and replacements if needed into the service promise that we offer our clients.

Going above and beyond what is expected from us is what we do here at MVIS. So, get in contact with our friendly Sales team at sales@m-vis.co.uk or on 01629 580570 to make sure that your ITS technology will be taken care of by the experts.


Proud to be Supporting Pride & Inclusivity

Promoting an open, inclusive and fair company culture is extremely important to us here at MVIS. That’s why we’re proud to have supported and supplied several units free of charge for this year’s Belper Pride, which took place on Saturday 6th August. Supplying and deploying our VMS helped provide messaging of road closures and other important information to enable the event to run safely and smoothly. 

Around 11,000 people are said to have attended Belper Pride, a number which has doubled in size in the past two years. The first Belper Pride was only in 2019, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the following two years sadly had to be held online. 

We also had a member of the MVIS team, Clair Tranter who works in Customer Relations, volunteer for this year’s Belper Pride to help with the running of it and make it a great event after a 3 year wait. Several of our other staff have also volunteered for other causes in the past, such as local charities that we support like Ashgate Hospice. As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, we take pride in our community outreach efforts, which have regularly seen us offer our products, time and financial support to a range of community causes that are close to our hearts. 

Clair is proudly part of the LGBTQ+ community and is our FIR Ambassador here at MVIS. FIR Ambassadors aim to promote a culture of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect within the organisation where they work in. They are expected to embody the principles of FIR: work collaboratively, whilst stepping in to take action, challenge behaviours and positively impact workplace culture. Having an FIR Ambassador as part of our team further shows our commitment to an open and inclusive workplace. 

That same weekend, we also supplied and installed a number of our VMS-As and VMS-Cs for Brighton Pride. Firmly established as the UK’s most popular international Pride Festival, Brighton Pride attracts a diverse audience of around 1,000,000 people from across the globe. Due to the size of the event and the fact it’s spread out over a city, the MVIS team had to work around the clock in order for all the units to be set up on time. 

Brighton Pride’s ethos is to promote tolerance, diversity and inclusion which perfectly aligns with our morals as a company. We’re extremely proud to have worked with them for this year’s Pride celebrations in order to progress towards the goal of eliminating all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities. 


MVIS Delivers Gold at the London 2012 Olympics

Our journey as a company began in June 2012 with the London Olympics, which required 177 mobile variable message signs (VMS) to be deployed and managed throughout London. Shortly after this in August 2012 came the Paralympics of a similar scale, forcing MVIS into delivering the platinum level service that we are known for today. 

Transport for London (TfL) required the temporary deployment of an extensive network of VMS to be positioned along the Olympic Route Network, in order to provide clear and distinguishable route instructions to road users and help athletes get to their destination in a timely manner.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented TfL with the challenge of creating a road traffic system that would facilitate not only the seamlessly smooth running of both events but also the efficient flow of non-event traffic. TfL appointed MVIS to supply, install and support an incredible 177 signs in what was believed to be the largest single deployment of solar powered mobile VMS in the world at the time. 

With the help of our sister company and manufacturer Bartco, all 177 units were able to be built and deployed onto the streets of London ready for the start of the games. Taking on a project of this size so early on in our lifespan was not without its challenges, though. A 10,000 mile supply chain length, weather problems, port closures, flight delays and customs issues all had to be overcome in order for the signs to get into the UK on time.

Since then, we have only expanded and grown from strength to strength. This has resulted in MVIS becoming a trusted asset in the industry with a focus on the values of efficiency, excellent service and trust with our customers.

In 2012, we had a fleet of only 8 x Bartco 5 colour VMS and now boast the UK’s largest fleet of over 600 VMS that have been built and maintained by our staff. Better yet, we are still working in multiple large schemes across the UK for happy clients who choose MVIS to deliver. 

To find out more about our work on other projects, see our major projects timeline. 


Celebrating 10 Years of Graeme Lee

This week we’re celebrating the 10 year anniversary of Graeme Lee, our Sales Director. Graeme is now the second member of the MVIS team to reach a 10 year tenure after Anne Ashman celebrated her 10 year anniversary last year

Graeme joined MVIS in 2012 having already worked in the highways industry in sales. His existing knowledge and experience quickly saw him forming relationships with clients that have continued to develop over the last 10 years. Graeme’s loyalty and dedication to the company has led him to become our Sales Director, where he oversees the Sales department with Customer Relations Officer, Juliette Wright

Highly skilled in sales, networking and maintaining relationships, Graeme is well respected within the industry and is often seen as the face of MVIS to clients and customers. During his time at MVIS, Graeme has amassed a number of career achievements that have formed a crucial part of our success and growth. 

With years of vital experience in producing high-value tender submissions and working with high-profile customers from many different industries, Graeme has become an incredibly valued member of the team and a crucial component of our operations. 

Anne Ashman, UK Group Operations and Commerical Director comments, “We are all very pleased to be celebrating Graeme’s 10 year work anniversary this week. It’s been a pleasure working with Graeme over the last ten years. Graeme’s commitment and loyalty to the company is greatly appreciated and we are extremely lucky to have him as part of our team. Everyone at MVIS and Bartco UK thanks Graeme for his service and we look forward to many more years of him working with us.” 

Graeme Lee comments, “I am very proud to have reached a 10 year milestone here at MVIS. I started working in this industry over 15 years ago when it was the early days for portable VMS in the UK. In the time that I’ve been here, the industry has changed substantially but the “can do” mentality at MVIS has not changed. Every member of staff is crucial, and they are all prepared to go the extra mile.” 


Supporting Sparkle Night Walk 2022

On Saturday 9th July, thousands from North Derbyshire and the surrounding areas came together to walk 10km and raise vital funds for Ashgate Hospice in the Sparkle Night Walk 2022.

Ashgate Hospice is a local charity based in Chesterfield that we have worked with and supported extensively in recent years. They provide end-of-life care, free of charge to patients with a life-limiting illness and their families across North Derbyshire. They rely on the generosity of our community and businesses like us to raise millions of pounds each year to help fund their specialist and brilliant care. 

Last year, we supported the 2021 Sparkle Walk and we are proud to have done the same this year by deploying our signs in the lead-up to the event and on the night. Due to the scale of the annual Sparkle Walk, several main roads around the area are required to close so it is important to provide warnings in advance to help reduce risk. 

In the last financial year, we raised an amazing £13,733.38 for Ashgate Hospice by sponsoring their High Peak Trail Walk, as well as other fundraising initiatives like an office bake off and their Treecycle initiative, in which several of our staff volunteered to help collect Christmas trees. 

Whilst the amount raised for this year’s Sparkle Walk is yet to be determined, it is believed to be in the region of around £200,000. Every penny raised will go towards their care and helping nurses be there for families throughout Derbyshire who desperately need them. 

Rachel Broughton from Ashgate Hospice comments, “I’d like to thank MVIS for providing the road signs on the night and in the lead up to the event. You helped us not only put on an enjoyable and safe event but also saved us money which can now be redirected to help our nurses to provide their crucial care through all hours of the day and night to patients and their loved ones and for this, we are incredibly grateful.”