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Greenfields energised with strong first year and two new hires

A fledgling energy management consultancy that is disrupting the marketplace has enjoyed a promising first 12 months.

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Liam Conway, left, Neil Freeman and Rich Clark, right

Greenfields Energy Group, which was set-up by Liam Conway and Rich Clark, has gained 72 clients in its first year, with the majority coming from the intensive sectors of manufacturing, hotels and leisure.

The duo now manage more than 361,172,009 kWh of contracts and this is growing due to exciting partnerships with the Surface Engineering Association and the Confederation of British Metalforming providing support with technical webinars, seminars and advice for members.

With demand for its services growing, the Brierley-Hill based firm has pressed the button on a major recruitment drive, successfully securing two prominent hires in Neil Freeman and Lindsay Williams as account director and head of energy bureau respectively.

“There has been a real appetite for our services, which is basically an alternative approach to energy and utilities management,” explained Rich Clark, an experienced energy procurement specialist.

“We’re all about people and relationships – getting to know the management teams, their businesses and how we can use our knowledge of the industry to ensure they are well placed with electricity and gas contracts.”

He continued: “This approach has been welcomed and we have more than 70 companies currently under our management, with energy spends ranging from £100,000 to £5 million per annum.

“Management teams are turning to us because of our straightforward approach. We don’t try to bamboozle them with jargon and empty promises, instead understanding where we can use our knowledge of the market and bespoke energy strategies to deliver them significant savings.”

Greenfields Energy Group’s first year has surpassed Liam and Richard’s expectations, with many clients moving with them from their previous roles, not to mention a significant number of new accounts.

The pipeline for the rest of 2024 is looking extremely strong and the firm has responded by making two strategic appointments that will help it attract more customers and continue to deliver industry-leading performance.

Neil Freeman has 20 years’ experience of running accounts in the energy sector. His brief will be to focus on strategic client management.

He will be joined next month by Lindsay Williams in navigating the complex world of bill validation and back-office systems.

Mr Conway concluded: “These are two high-profile appointments that will really make our sector stand up and take notice of what we’re doing and how fast we are growing – whilst all the time maintaining our same high levels of performance and service.

“There’s definitely an increase in clients moving back to the more traditional method of fully fixed contracts, keen to operate with a known cost, especially now they are slightly more palatable.

“For larger clients, bespoke risk management strategies are still in place, with regular interaction covering market and business risk. There is also demand for a collective flexible product, which gives slightly smaller clients the ability to access the same market as bigger firms.”

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