Ben Ashman takes up an exciting new role

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This week marks an exciting time for Ben Ashman. He has been promoted to Sales & Marketing Executive after impressing our Group CEO, Pat Musgrave, at the Emergency Services show in September with his sales aptitude.

Ben has been with the company for over 3 years and has worked on numerous marketing & sales strategies. Producing social posts and blogs, building up his knowledge of MVIS products and customer needs. Ben joined the team with a film degree and recently up-skilled further undertaking a sales and marketing course. You may have seen him when he joined us on our stand at Highways UK, where he was starting to build up relationships with MVIS customers old and new. Ben is looking forward to starting his new role and offering the opportunity to customers to hire or buy any of our products.

Ben Ashman had this to say: “I am very excited about taking on a new role and I am ready for the challenge. It has been a good three years working with MVIS and I am ready to take on a new role and start a new chapter whilst at this company.”

If you would like to speak to Ben about our products, please call him on 01629 580570 or email him at ben.ashman@m-vis.co.uk where he would be happy to provide you with product details and pricing.

MVIS takes on MR & MRS

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MVIS Staff have been taking part in the ‘Journey to Wellbeing’ over the past year now. This is an initiative started by the team at National Highways.

With Long working hours, exposure to noise and pollution, traffic-related risks, and the pressure to meet deadlines, mental health in the highways sector is an issue on going for many years, this initiative started by National Highways is bringing workplaces together.

This month MVIS participated in MR & MRS, randomly pairing people in the company to see how well they know each other.

This idea gets staff members conversing and learning more about each other by simulating “married life” between two members of staff.

After four rounds of questions such as ‘who is the better driver?’ or ‘who has the best dress sense?’. Augustine and Juliette came out on top as the winners of the first MVIS MR and MRS.

Celebrating 10 years of Pat Musgrave

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Our CEO, Pat Musgrave, is celebrating a decade since he first became MD of MVIS.  We were able to find time in Pat’s schedule to sit down and talk to him about his time in the highways industry and working at MVIS and the team that runs it.

Here is what Pat had to say:

 

Where does your passion for ITS come from?

 

“I guess it stems from when I was a kid. I’ve always liked electronics and messing around with technology. I started off my career as a qualified electrician. Involved in highways, street lighting and that kind of stuff. Rapidly becoming more involved with CCTV and ITS products.

It’s always been more interesting than domestic, industrial and commercial wiring. So, it kind of progressed into that. “

 

Tell us about your past experience in ITS?

 

“I mean, obviously, back in the day, I first got involved with MVIS and help set up the company back in 2012 when we became a limited company with ambition, but I guess it was meeting up with Tony Price.

We used to install ANPR cameras something we still do today, and Tony price was working for a company called NDI technologies. I was at a trade show in London, went onto his stand, got chatting and realised that he owned a property at the mill just below our offices in Tansley. I won a few jobs For NDI technology installing ANPR cameras. That was my first sort of involvement in this side of the RTS side of things.”

He continued: “Tony reappeared a couple of years later with his VMS product that he was bringing in from Australia and was struggling with the product. He set up the company Colour Mobile VMS. He was struggling to do anything with it because the competition had already got supply chains in place from America and Canada and amber signs only, and they couldn’t see the value in a colour sign.

Tony, who was in the early stages of marketing the sign, contacted me to say he was displaying it at Traffex and asked if I would like to go along. I jumped in the car, drove to Darley Dale, had a cup of tea with him and it went from there.”

 

What has been your greatest challenge in the last 10 years?

 

Pat told us: “It has always been funding. It’s always been my role within the business, pre MVIS and post Colour Mobile to raise the relevant funding to do the projects.

That’s always a challenge, having the money to execute projects from start to finish. So yes, that’s the greatest challenge.”

 

Do you have a favourite product?

 

“I guess the Solar IP trailer is my favourite product because we worked really hard to get that developed back in 2011. It’s a very versatile product and the first of its kind to market.”

When asked about MVIS VMS, Pat told us: “The VMS are good and obviously the mainstay of the business. But I take a lot of pride in the solar IP because that was one of the things, we developed on the back of a cigarette packet in the early days.”

 

Which scheme has given you the most satisfaction?

 

“I think the first ROTTM scheme that we won along the M6 Junction 10 to 13. Apart from the Olympics, the Olympics is the main one, going back to 2012, but since then, I guess the ROTTM Scheme 10 to 13, because we were basically only really known as a portable supplier. We managed to break into the fixed market against the big boys which was a massive achievement.”

 

How has the industry changed over the last decade?

 

“More and more people have come on board and the competition has grown. We were very premature in things that we did in the early days. We had vehicle mounted VMS with CCTV cameras on, 6, 7, 8 years ago, we couldn’t get people engaged in those products back then.

 

More and more people have come into the market and these things are now coming to the forefront. The biggest thing is the amount of people involved in the industry. The number of competitors is the biggest change.”

 

What is your greatest achievement since you started MVIS?

 

“I think it’s having the key people in place and obviously the biggest challenge is having the right management in the right places.”

Pat reiterates: “So, it’s not necessarily my achievements. It’s the team’s achievements. Then there’s achievements of running the business on a day-to-day basis for the last 10 years. So, it’s not about my greatest achievements.

It’s the team’s greatest achievements. Having the right people doing the right roles. Having a pride and passion in that role.”

 

How many years have you worked in the Highways Industry?

 

“I guess I’m coming up now for my 40th year having just turned 58. When I left school, doing electrical work and progressed into the streetlighting arena, which had got me first into the highways industry, subcontracting to various streetlighting companies.

So, yeah, you could say I’m in my 40th year of being involved in the highways industry and the ITS arena.”

 

How has your role changed since promotion from UK MD earlier this year to Group CEO?

 

“I stayed on, was moved up to Group CEO and continued with the shareholding. I guess, it gives me more of an oversight role. I’ve got more involvement at a higher level. It’s very difficult to have an involvement in the business when it’s being run day-to-day.

Some clarity on my role and that role is basically overseeing strategic decisions, bringing the team together across the world and making us one company. So that’s my role now. I’ve got more involvement at a higher level.  Anne runs the UK day to day with assistance from Graeme and Anthony runs Australia day to day.”

 

What does the future look like for MVIS?

 

“I suppose previously MVIS had got its own limited opportunities. Now that we are working more as a team between here and Australia, the Research and Development department is working together much more.

We can take MVIS and Bartco Australia together into new markets, new countries with new products. So, it’s an exciting time. If we can keep pace with recruiting the correct people to bring into the business to support the team we’ve got and keep on top of the R&D. Making sure that we are constantly bringing new products to market, that we’ve proved and tested and are fit for purpose.

We have the Solar Barrier coming through and also the new solar IP version 6, which will integrate more equipment and be more powerful. It’s exciting times for the group.”

MVIS Go Back to School as Part of Manchester Week.

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As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility, we are only too happy to get out into communities and not only educate young people on what we do on a daily basis but also give advice and information on careers available upon leaving school and college.

Our latest visit took us to The East Manchester Academy. The school is an age 11-16 High School, located in the heart of East Manchester’s regeneration area in Beswick and is a member of the Greater Manchester Education Trust. We spoke to a year 8 class about career paths and to give them a brief lesson in programming messages to display on our VMS via our web-based editing platform Web Studio.

Group Commercial & Operations Director, Anne Ashman & Marketing Manager Ben Kettell spent the afternoon giving the pupils an insight into how MVIS has grown since 2011 and also how their varied careers paths have brought them to this point.  Both Anne & Ben fielded questions from the group regarding all sorts of queries including salary expectations, day-to-day challenges, and the best route to go down in order to get into the industry.

It was then the students turn to programme their very own messages to be displayed on MVIS VMS-A positioned outside the school. Children learnt about just a few of the features a VMS-A has to offer including the 5 LED colour options and also getting to grips with the ability to resize their message depending on character size and length. They also turned their hand to creating their own imagery and pictograms to display, with some fantastic results.

Molly Reeve Year 8 Teacher said “It was great to host MVIS Ltd as part of TEMA’s Manchester week celebrations. Students were thoroughly engaged in the Q&A with Ben and Anne, and they loved the opportunity to try a design task for themselves and then to see their work displayed on a sign.”

Anne added: “It’s always nice to get out in the community, speak to students and help them get a better understanding of what MVIS signs do and how they work. Lots of the students that we spoke to had seen the MVIS signs before in and around the Etihad Stadium next to the school, so next time they see them, they will have a much better understanding of how the message has got there and the work that goes into it”.

MVIS Newest Temporary Recruits!

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MVIS has always been open to receiving students for Work Experience. 

 

Pupils from local schools come to MVIS to be taught on daily life working in a business. We teach them about our company and how we operate, this is no different for Lucas who joined us the week commencing 03/07/2023 in the workshop and Connor joining the week commencing 17/06/2023. 

 

At the beginning of his week Lucas completed our “New Starter” pack. He undertook a right to work check, was given an employee handbook, shown around all the buildings facilities. He then met the team and had an induction on the workshop and our health and safety processes. He was also informed as to where the fire assembly point is and what to do in an evacuation situation. 

 

He worked alongside our Workshop Supervisor, Cain Gregory, who showed Lucas how the workshop runs and operates during a week of work with us. Helping Lucas to understand what goes in to servicing after a VMS sign and giving him a better understanding of how the electronics of a sign works. Lucas was kept busy, washing signs and testing batteries. He learnt about the benefits of using solar panels and how we are an environmentally friendly company. 

 

 

Connor assisted our Management Accountant, Augustine Shaijan. Working with an experienced member of staff ensured that Connor developed a deeper understanding in the world of accounting regarding VAT and the HMRC. 

 

Connor then continued to work with Ben Kettell, our Marketing Manager, to analyse the trends of social media, researching when we need to upload posts to maximise traction from our social media posts. As the week drew to a close, Connor was tasked with inputting and analysing data and creating our latest CO2 emissions report.  

 

 

The opportunity for pupils to work with industry professionals and benefit from their wealth of knowledge is one of the many benefits of the work experience scheme. 

It was a real pleasure having Lucas and Connor with us and would happily have them back! 

A Great Fleet and Prices to Match!

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Here at MVIS we boast a large fleet of impressive Intelligent Transport Systems.  All our products are designed and manufactured with the purpose of keeping the roads safe.

Hiring from MVIS you will get all the benefits of our products whilst not having to: – deliver, set up store or maintain them yourself.  We deliver, day and night and set up all our ITS units, from our 3 sizes of portable VMS, Compact CCTV, to our Solar IP with CCTV on your site, highspeed network or roadside, supplying the correct vehicles needed for install and the RAMS, so you can ensure the safety of workers and your equipment. All while experiencing the MVIS Platinum Level of Service.

With our recent acquisition by the team at Quadrant, MVIS are now selling our products to you. Buying from us and acquiring one of our products ensures that you will have complete freedom to install your products whenever you need to, with our support in the background. Our ITS Solutions are an important asset to any sector and WebStudio means that your signs can be controlled remotely from the safety of your office or on site.

With great new prices and the most experienced team supplying Intelligent Transport Systems to the market, it would be wrong to not take advantage of this opportunity.

Buying or hiring from MVIS has never been simpler!

Contact our knowledgeable and dedicated sales team:

Do MVIS Staff Know Their Royals?

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Before the coronation of King Charles II, MVIS staff enjoyed a Royal Quiz as a part of the ‘Journey to Wellbeing’ initiative from National Highways.

Once every month the team at MVIS spend an hour attending an activity to improve mental health in the workplace.

To celebrate the historic event, that is the Kings coronation, we planned a Royal Quiz for the team. The quiz consisted of questions about our monarchs and royal related characters from popular culture.

Spending an hour each month to break up the work schedule and take part in fun activities, allows conversations between staff, and to build the teams relationship.

We believe that the Journey to Wellbeing  events continue to have a positive impact on the team, from our Darts Tournament through to our Desert Island Discs.

Celebrating 8 Years of Tim

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Here at MVIS we are celebrating the 8-year anniversary of Tim Hill our On-Site Technician.

He has been a crucial part of the MVIS Ltd, and we are proud to say that he is a long-standing member of the team.

Tim has worked an array of different roles during his 8 years, increasing his skills throughout his time with MVIS, knowing our products and been a senior member of the team others can rely on for his technical knowledge.

Our Commercial and Operations Director, Anne Ashman, says:

“Tim has always been a reliable pair of hands to trust with any task, no job seems too small for him, he has definitely been my go-to person many times for a last-minute job.

It has been a pleasure to see Tim grow over the last 8 years of being with our company and seeing him become equipped with new skills and qualifications and perfecting the ones he already has.

Congratulations Tim on 8 years with us.”

MVIS hits the Bullseye

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Just before Easter Sunday the team at MVIS competed in a Darts Tournament as apart of the ‘Journey to Wellbeing’ initiative from National Highways.

MVIS has been taking part in the initiative over the past months with our Desert Island Discs and the Time to Talk Day. Aiming to improve staff moral and improve mental health in our sector.

April’s theme was stress awareness month, we wanted the team to blow some steam off over an afternoon by playing darts and chatting with other members of the team.

Journey to Wellbeing, the MVIS Staff take part in a Darts Tournament.

76% of employees report moderate-to-high or high levels of stress, small opportunities to reduce stress such as a Darts Tournaments or Desert Island Discs goes a long way in improving the #PlatinumLevelService that we deliver daily.

Our Digital Content Creator, Ben Ashman, said:

“I am really enjoying these events; they bring the team together and ensure that staff moral and mental health is safe and secure.

It is nice to spend time with fellow staff members and have experiences with them”.

 

See the Journey To Wellbeing Calendar below:

DSE in the Workplace.

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The importance of working safely with DSE is imperative to all offices.

Working with display screen equipment rises many health risks, such as damage to eyes and the potential to hurt posture and be the cause of back problems.

Recently at the MVIS main office we have changed the layout of the offices to comply to DSE and keeping the staff at MVIS safe and healthy.

In the office we changed the desks, so they were all at the same height with shelves on the desk to put staff’s laptops at eye level to prevent slumping at desks, preventing potential neck injuries and adhering to the rules of DSE highlighted on their website.

There are many positive applications to changing the office, from having a fresh new feeling in the office that opens the mind to new ideas to improving worker health long-term looking after staffs posture and eyesight.

MVIS’ Desert Island Favourites!

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The ‘Journey to Wellbeing’ is an initiative started by the team at National Highways to initiate conversations between staff and improve the mental health of people in our sector.

Last month the team at MVIS took part in ‘Time to Talk Day’. We gathered in the main office to talk to one another about the impacts of mental health and point our staff in the direction of our 3 mental health first aiders.

Anne Ashman, Jon Larkins, and Rebecca Prince, our in-house team of experts, all agreed that it’s a good idea to partake in these practices so we can all stay alert and aware of who our staff can talk to receive to mental health advice.

This Month the team took part in ‘Desert Island Favourites’, a quiz show dedicated to being true to yourself and being honest about your interests.

Each member of staff told us their favourite film, song and a luxury item they would take to a desert island. We then compiled them into a quiz of which our staff had to guess whose chose what.

This was an excellent attempt to get the staff at MVIS talking to each other, the idea being that if you have a film or song option that another person may share it is suggested a staff member should talk about this and share the experience together.

Taking part in the ‘Journey to Wellbeing’ has been a good investment of MVIS time we have found that it does build morale to change the workflow of a day and keeps staff excited and revitalised.

Juliette Wright, our Customer Relations Officer, said: So many undiscovered minds in one workplace. It appears we know some of the team so well, and others unleased answers we were not expecting!  

Luxury products were my favourite answers, a net filled with footballs! Genius, you can catch fish with the net or use the two as a type of float to get off the island!

9 Years in the Making.

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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.

Mobile Visual Information Systems

01629 580 570

MVIS, Units 6-8, Brookfield Way, Brookfield Industrial Estate, Tansley, Matlock, Derbyshire. DE4 5ND

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