Hire Process: How MVIS VMS Gets to Your Roadside

Posted on 19th July 2024 at 3:00 pm.

Many companies have a hire process, however the thought of starting a process as a customer is daunting. It is often too long and tedious. The team at MVIS and our years of service have streamlined this process making it easy to hire top quality products.

What is the Process?

How does an MVIS VMS go from our yard to your roadside? It starts with you and your enquiries and a hire process ,and ends with our delivery team.

the process in finer details looks like this:

First, You enquire with our dedicated sales team members: Graeme Lee and Juliette Wright, from this point they take you details and where you want your products placing.
Secondly, your details go to the Customer Relations Team: April, Clair and Donna. Who then consult the delivery team and their hire diary to see if there is space for you.
Then, you are sent a What3Words link to tell us your required location.
When a time slot has been allotted by Customer Relations and there is a location, Customer Relations Manager, Clair Tranter convenes with Midlands and Northern Hub Manager, Jon Larkins, to see if it is possible.
When confirmed by Customer Relations, you are booked in and all the information is handed to the assigned driver.
The final step is the delivery of the Solution to your location and your team.

Why it’s done this way.

We have been at the forefront of Customer Service for over a decade, perfecting our craft over 10 years of service.

Therefore, this process has been streamlined so perfectly. We deploy signs within hours of an enquiry. We don’t often reject a job. With good products, good staff and good processes, there is no job that can’t be done.

why? Good customer service.

Benefits of Implementing a Streamlined Hire Process.

When you deliver a product efficiently and safely, it does not go unnoticed in our industry. When a good hire process is in effect, people will spread word of your service but more importantly will return as a customer. Once an efficient process is in place, it is something to shout about in testimonials or in case studies. good service through a well oiled team is like achieving FORS Bronze, Constructionline Platinum, or ISO Certification. Generally proving a dedication to the work process and ensuring that you are keeping people safe and customers happy.

Hillhead: A Decade of Experience and Sales Excellence

Posted on 6th June 2024 at 3:57 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

Hillhead is the UK’s biggest Quarry, Construction and Recycling Exhibition. MVIS has the honour of returning after 2 years.

Two years ago the MVIS team attended Hillhead for the first time. This provided the perfect opportunity to explore the market in greater detail. After showcasing at the event and gaining new customers, 2024 gives us the chance to return to Buxton for the next instalment of Hillhead, becoming part of the UK’s biggest Quarry Exhibition show.

Meet the Experts

After 2 years of extensive research into the quarry sector, we now know that there is a need for our Intelligent Quarry Safety Solutions such as our original VMS, CCTV and traffic management equipment. This year, our dedicated and knowledgeable team will be on hand to find the perfect solution for your quarry or landfill site.

Who are these experts:

Commercial and Operations Director, Anne Ashman:

Bringing over a decade of experience to the Hillhead Showground, Anne was at the show two years ago. Sharing her knowledge with potential customers, ensuring they walked away from our stand well informed and ready to make a decision as to whether they will be purchasing from our friendly sales team.

Since then Anne has been able to do supply VMS to quarries around the UK and helped improve the safety on their site and improve efficiency.

R&D Manager, Tom Hooton:

The brilliant mind behind all of MVIS VMS and ITS, he is the best person possible to attend the show and answer all of those small technical problems. Tom is also a problem solver being able to take a unique problem such as a lack of signal on site for our VMS, implementing a Remote Controlled Fob so you can change VMS using pre-uploaded messages.

Tom has worked tirelessly to ensure that we are showcasing new products that have all the correct accreditations and can withstand day-to-day site conditions.

Business Development Manager, Juliette Wright:

Bringing years of sales experience in VMS to Hillhead, Juliette is great at finding solutions to potential problems on your site and rectifying them with our products. Juliette is also well versed in customer service and is easy to talk to and can explain our products clearly and precisely.

Marketing Executive, Ben Ashman:

After 4 years at MVIS, Ben has helped put together all promotional content together for this years show. He also visited numerous sites across England giving demonstration of MVIS products to quarries. Combine this with 2 years of market research into the quarry sector and Ben is confidently able to come to Hillhead, helping customers solve their quarry traffic management issues.

What are we showcasing?

Off the back of two years extensive market research, we have been able to put a tailored selection of products together that are perfect for the quarry sector. Our line-up includes:

VMS-C – Trialled and tested in local Quarries, this product has proven useful to improving efficiency through traffic management on work sites.
Solar IP – Compound Site Security, the key words that have been making an impact across all sites, ensuring your sites have a watchful eye over them.
HD Compact – Small and compact to have on site with all the power and efficiency of a VMS-C.
Solar Barrier – Perfect for controlling traffic on site, with ANPR is inbuilt meaning you can whitelist and blacklist unwelcome visitors to site.

New Partners

As well as these amazing MVIS products, we are also delighted to be partnering with Solar Gates, Ador and Intelligent Traffic Solutions. Providing products such as:

Solar Gates – Instaboom Go – a portable, remote controlled, and solar powered automatic stop/go board allowing traffic to be controlled in an instant.
Ador – Vehicle Activation Speed Sign – a highly efficient and cost-effective traffic calming device suitable for all types of roads. Its pole-mounted display offers excellent readability from a distance of 300 meters.
Intelligent Traffic Solutions Ltd – Nissen LZA Solar Traffic Lights – Offering 2Way, 3Way and 4Way Traffic Light solutions with the option of double heads and fully integrated Pedestrian Lights of up to 4 Crossings.

Hillhead: Your Complete Guide to the Quarry Exhibition Event

Posted on 10th May 2024 at 2:13 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

What is Hillhead?

Hillhead is a bi-annual exhibition event, hosted in the Hillhead Quarry in Buxton, Derbyshire.

2 years ago the team at MVIS visited the event exhibiting our Intelligent Quarry Solutions to potential new customers, breaking into a new sector.

Having experienced the event and witnessing Hillhead, this is the ultimate guide to Hillhead.

Visiting MVIS at Stand B13

No sunny Hillhead day would be complete without visiting the MVIS team at Stand B13.

This year we will be demonstrating the best of MVIS products including: the MVIS Solar IP, a range of Variable Message Signs and the all new MVIS Solar Barrier.

MVIS Staff would like to invite you to the stand for an educational demonstration of MVIS premium products

Completing your day with a smiling face and a friendly chat from our team is the best way to send you home happy. This also gives you the opportunity to learn more about MVIS ITS Solutions and see them in action.

Travelling to Hillhead

Being just outside of Buxton, there is a multitude of ways to get to the showground:

Route Directions

The exhibition site is 3km south of Buxton off the A515 (Ashbourne) road. For route directions to Hillhead use Google maps.

Postcode to use for SatNav systems: SK17 9PR

Parking

Free parking is available adjacent to the showground. Shuttle buses will operate on show days to and from the Registration Pavilion.

Rail

Buxton train station is 3km from the exhibition site. For details of services to and from Manchester visit National Rail Enquiries.

Taxis

There are a number of local taxi firms in the Buxton area

Buxton Radio Taxis:
+44 (0)1298 23457
Tic-Tak Taxi
+44 (0)1298 72333
Allied Taxis:
+44 (0)1298 72123
Crescent Cars Ltd:
+44(0)1298 73515
A2Z Cars: +44 (0)1298 24455

Airports

Birmingham (BHX) – 114km
East Midlands (EMA) – 89km
Leeds/Bradford (LBA) – 100km
Manchester (MAN) – 49km
Newcastle (NCL) – 260km
Sheffield/Doncaster (DSA) – 87km
London Gatwick (LGW) – 331km
London Heathrow (LHR) – 279km
London Luton (LTN) – 229km
London Stansted (STN) – 259km

Things to Take

In June of 2022, Britain was in the heat of the fourth hottest summer on record, reaching heights of over 40 degrees. Meanwhile, Our Sales and R&D Team were demonstrating the MVIS products to a brand new audience at Hillhead.

As it is predicted to be another scorching event, it is imperative that while visiting the show, you bring these essentials:

Water – Whether you have a refillable bottle or you have a stash of plastic ones, it is important that you keep yourself and your team well hydrated. Keeping hydrated is good for refreshing yourself, keeping you muscles energised and your brain on top form.
Shade – if you are exhibiting it will benefit you to ensure you have a tent or stand that has plenty of shade keeping you out of the sun, doing so lowers the risk of skin cancer and quickly becoming hydrated. It also gives delegates and excuse to come and stand in the shade of your exhibition.
Sun cream – Being out in the sun all day will take a toll on your body, as much as it is exciting to get out of the office and into the glorious sunshine. Bringing Sun cream will be perfect for application throughout the day, assuring a lower risk of Skin Cancer and preventing Sun Burn.
A Bag – this is essential for carrying you Sun Cream, Bottle and Sun Hat, it is also important so you can visit the MVIS stand and pick up a brochure and some goodies to take home with you.

What Can An MVIS VMS Do For You?

Posted on 26th April 2024 at 9:00 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

The MVIS VMS is a versatile piece of equipment, made in the UK to meet UK needs.

Our VMS are commonly seen on the side of the motorway, but the potential of our VMS is endless. With a wide range of uses our VMS has many different areas of expertise and applies to many different sectors of business.

Here are just a few examples of what VMS from MVIS are suitable for: –

Highways

MVIS’ leading product is most known for being seen at the side of motorways helping the UK to achieve safer highways. MVIS provides a scalable, responsive, and cost-effective solution to the problems within the sector of traffic management.

These are but some of the perks of hiring a sign from a company such as MVIS, the VMS keeps traffic moving and the roads safe, but also with the MVIS environmental sensor you can measure the impact your scheme is having on the local area, these can be attached to any of our ITS products.

Our VMS are also equipped to tell you the length of potential travel times accordance to the work on the highways, a simple yet effective use that will affect a road users’ journey. They will be able to adhere their journey in accordance to the lead times given to drivers to ensure they get to their destination as efficiently as possible while also keeping them informed while on the UK’s roads.

VMS-A’s are tailor made for Roads that have a speed limit of under 50, where as a VMS-C is made for those High Speed Jobs that require you to see the sign before you have passed them on A-Roads or Motorways, roads over 70MPH.

Airports

MVIS’ VMS signs are created to inform, this can be informing of upcoming traffic problems in any sector. For example, at an airport, it’s easy to imagine that airport car parks get busy, especially around the school holidays. The solution…use one of MVIS signs, they are the perfect solution to the problem of overcrowded parking lots. It is easy to program a sign to redirect traffic to a different lot or even to express the potential wait times.

The importance of getting a message across is one of MVIS highest priorities, if an airport is in need of getting important information across to customers, such as the changing of a gate or the cancellation of a flight, why not do it at the beginning of their holiday at the entrance to the airport?

Construction

Site safety is important! As an employer, the number one priority is to keep the team safe and to look after a competent workforce, MVIS are one of the leading SME companies in prioritising the safety of their employees and the safety of their customers sites.

A VMS from MVIS is perfect for a construction site whether it be on the side of the busiest motorways or in the city centre. VMS’ can keep the area around the constructions site clear and decongested meaning constructions workers are able to perform their tasks in a distraction free but most importantly safe environment for them to be able to produce the best work possible.

All our VMS can be fitted with a radar to ensure that motorists driving around the sites are watching their speed. If a vehicle exceeds a certain speed the VMS can display a speed roundel advising of the site speed and a message saying “SLOW DOWN” on the screen ensuring drivers adhere to the sites speed limits.

Quarries

Quarry sites contribute materials for construction to a wide variety of companies across the nation.

Over time when quarries have served their use, they are transformed into Landfill sites, helping local councils eradicate their litter problems and preventing sites from overthrowing and hurting the environment.

Where does MVIS play apart in this? We are the leading company in Traffic Management on sites across the UK. Trucks will come into a site and will get stuck in Traffic waiting for one way routes to be cleared, an MVIS Intelligent LED Sign is used to direct traffic with messages such as ‘Next Truck’ or ‘Wait at the Bottom’.

We have been able to implement this across many Quarry sites and it has proven to work keeping quarry managers happy and HGV drivers safe.

Events

Stand out from the crowd with responsive, high impact event communications.

If an event is being a planned whether it be a Festival, Sporting day, Pride, Fun Run for charity, a farmers’ market at the peak of popularity or a corporate event that the big sale relies on. There is no better way to make sure that the event goes without informing customers, hiring a sign from MVIS promotes your event.

VMS signs have many ways of being a help to any event, they can display timings of the events and when they start, allocate parking spaces for customers or even to advertise an event to make it as successful as a customer wants it to be.

With a proven track record of effective deployment and success, MVIS products have been tried and tested on some of the biggest events this country has ever seen, such as the 2012 Olympics, Brighton Pride, V Festival, Silverstone and The Grand National.

Ports

A journey to the port ready to set sail on a fantastic holiday is a nice way to spend hard earned time off work, but a port can also be an unsafe area. Most port workers struggle to allocate traffic management and to enforce speed zones in the area to make sure that port workers are in the safest environment they can be.

Not only can MVIS ensure worker safety, but passengers setting sail on the high seas can get all the information they need such as where they need to park, where their boat is docked and how they need to get there.

Our VMS have many uses in all sectors and are adaptable to all situations. As a result of its flexibility, It is easy to understand why a customer would want to hire a VMS from MVIS and why customers keep coming back to us for both hire & sale.

As well as award winning customer service, an MVIS VMS has all the extras and much more. As a company, MVIS has a lot to offer in accordance with safety and keeping workforces in top condition so they can continue to keep the UK running.

Hire VMS from The Best at MVIS!

Ben Takes Product Showcase On The Road

Posted on 10th April 2024 at 2:18 pm.

Written by Ben Kettell

For over a decade, MVIS have been delivering portable, solar powered ITS Solutions that offer users access to proven safety products that can enhance the safety of your quarry, landfill, or construction work site.

Our solutions provide effective answers to many safety concerns in a quarry construction or work site. We offer trailer based, solar powered Intelligent Quarry Safety Solutions (IQSS) products such as portable variable message signs (VMS), portable CCTV, and data collection solutions that are secure, adaptable, and cost effective.

Introducing Ben

Ben has recently transitioned into the role of Sales and Marketing Executive. A move which reflects MVIS’ dedication to nurturing talent from within. Ben previously held a marketing role within the company, but his multifaceted skillset and exceptional people skills have proven instrumental in fostering great relationships at events throughout 2023 / 24, sufficiently so that Group CEO, Pat Musgrave, was thoroughly impressed with his sales aptitude at various events & shows, and immediately green-lighted the new role.

Having lived near MVIS Midland Hub all his life, Ben knows the area well. Knowing which Quarries in his local area need help with their traffic management and general site safety. He is more than happy to put boots to the ground and visit sites to see if they need any consultation as to where traffic management can be improved or to demonstrate what our products can do. Ben’s 2024 diary is beginning to fill up fast with enquiries from both quarry and landfill site owners, keen to speak with him and to see products showcased at their site as part of MVIS’ Platinum Level Service.

Commenting on Ben’s appointment, Pat said:

“We are thrilled to have Ben step into the position of Sales and Marketing Executive. His work here so far has been fantastic and, coupled with his interpersonal skills, we’ve now seen first-hand over the last 12 months that he’s the ideal person to be a face associated with MVIS to our ever-growing client base across the Quarrying sector. We believe that Ben’s customer-centric approach will play a pivotal role in his success in the role.”

Ben added:

“I am very excited about taking on this role and I am ready for the challenge. It has been a great three years working with MVIS and I am ready to take on this exciting role and start a new chapter whilst at this company.

“I’ve really enjoyed engaging with our client base so far, and the opportunity to showcase who we are and what we do to new people at events throughout the last 12 months has been really enjoyable. I look forward to seeing more faces on the road in the run-up to Hillhead 2024 and beyond.”

If you would like Ben & the team to visit your site for an in-depth demonstration you can contact him at ben.ashman@m-vis.co.uk or 07585 256831 for an initial consultation to better understand your needs & desires.

10 years of Tom: A Decade of Dedication and Innovation

Posted on 7th March 2024 at 10:33 am.

Written by Ben Kettell

Tom Hooton, MVIS’ Research & Development Manager recently celebrated a significant milestone in his career, marking 10 years of dedicated service to the company.
Tom’s journey at MVIS Ltd is a testament to his unwavering commitment, exceptional work ethic, and passion for the company’s mission and values. Tom’s tenure at MVIS began in 2014 when he joined the company as a maintenance and delivery driver. Tom quickly distinguished himself through his exemplary skills, dedication, and understanding of the company’s products and objectives. Over the years, he has ascended through various roles within the company, climbing the ranks and leaving a mark along the way.

Reflecting on his progression within the company, Tom said: “After transitioning from technical support to Research & Development Manager, I like to believe that I have grown alongside the company. When I first joined, MVIS Ltd was still in its infancy, and it has been incredibly rewarding to witness and contribute to its growth and evolution. I take immense pride in my role, knowing that I play a pivotal part in developing the innovative solutions that define MVIS Ltd.”

Anne Ashman, Group Commercial and Operations Director at MVIS Ltd, recalls her initial encounter with Tom and his subsequent rise within the company.
“In 2014, when I offered Tom a role as a maintenance & delivery driver, I quickly realised that his skill set and dedication were invaluable assets that would contribute significantly to the company’s growth.

“Having had the privilege of working alongside Tom for the past decade, I am delighted to witness his well-deserved recognition. Tom’s commitment to excellence, coupled with his willingness to support colleagues and customers alike, has been instrumental in shaping both our products and our company culture.”

Tom’s impact at MVIS Ltd extends beyond his technical expertise; he is widely admired for his willingness to go above and beyond to assist customers and colleagues alike. His efforts have earned him the respect of his colleagues, culminating in his recent recognition as the recipient of the company’s employee of the year award.
Commenting on the accolade, Anne added:

“It gives me great pleasure to present Tom with our recognition award at Christmas. The fact that Tom’s name emerged repeatedly during the staff voting process is a testament to the profound impact he has had on our organisation.”
As MVIS Ltd continues to innovate and expand its range of cutting-edge solutions, Tom remains at the forefront of driving technological advancements and delivering unparalleled value to customers.