MP's visit to heating specialists
Leading commercial heating and ventilation specialists Lord Combustion Services gave the West Bromwich West MP Shaun Bailey an overview of its work for the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic when he visited the headquarters in Oldbury.
Mr Bailey had the chance to meet staff who had responded to emergency calls from health facilities for support maintaining hot water and other services during a tour of the premises in Dudley Road East, ahead of Lord’s 40th anniversary year celebrations.
Managing director Stuart Smith introduced Mr Bailey to senior colleagues within the business who had ensured clients in healthcare and other public services had full access to heating and hot water supplies during the national health crisis.
Launched in 1982, Lord support more than 1,000 sites across the Midlands, including Edgbaston cricket ground, 300 schools and hundreds of health sites. With a team of 45 engineers and support staff, they made sure all customers received an emergency callout visit within two hours during the successive national lockdowns.
Mr Bailey was able to speak to the team when he was given an overview of Lord’s work during his hour-long visit on October 12. The MP also saw Lord’s training facilities, used to develop skills within the workforce, and had the chance to meet apprentices starting out in their careers.
MD Stuart Smith updated Mr Bailey on Lord’s public campaign warning building owners and facilities managers over safety around legionella after lockdown saw sites closed and their water supplies left to stagnate, increasing the risk of contamination.
With Lord named as finalist in nine national and regional business awards over recent months, including four categories for leading industry title H & V News, Mr Smith briefed the MP on the company’s success story.
As well as providing commercial heating and hot water services for landmark buildings such as Edgbaston and leading Midlands Premier League clubs, Lord have installed work at the most famous political address in the country. When Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, Lord installed the heating in the study at 10 Downing Street.
Stuart Smith said: “We are proud to have been a Black Country success story for 40 years, so having been based in Oldbury throughout this time it meant a lot to our staff to be able to speak to the MP for our area first-hand about the work we continue to deliver.
“The Covid pandemic tested our business like no other period in our history but we rose to the challenge, working with our partners in the NHS and throughout the public sector to ensure continued access to hot water, which proved so vital around handwashing and other health issues.
“We appreciated Mr Bailey taking the time to visit and welcomed the opportunity to brief him on the part we will continue to play in Oldbury and the wider Black Country economy.”
Mr Bailey said: “It was fantastic to visit Stuart and his team at Lord Combustion Services on Tuesday. I was fascinated to learn of Lord's coveted 40-year history in Oldbury, in particular how the company installed heating at 10 Downing Street for Former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.
"I am pleased to see Lord investing in the future of the Black Country, by training apprentices with their cutting-edge in-house facilities. I look forward to supporting them in expanding their apprentice scheme, and giving skills to more residents of Wednesbury, Oldbury, and Tipton in the near future.”
