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igem news

SPOTLIGHT ON...
ENGTECHS

Continuing our series of case studies, we’ve
been talking to some of our EngTech members,
asking them about their careers to date, the ways
IGEM has supported them so far and what their
thoughts are on the future of gas. Marc Owen
is an EngTech member of IGEM, a member of
the Large Business Forum (LBF) and currently works in Gas
Compliance at Derry Building Services

MARC’S CAREER IN gas began UK. After about five years, there was a
while he was still at school, working small drop in work, and I was owed a
weekends for his father. When he left lot of money from the letting agents, so
school at 15, he went to work for his I decided to work for a company based
father full-time, where most of the in Stratford-upon-Avon called Orbit
work was council house contracts, Housing,” he says, adding that it was a
installing either full heating systems or very uncertain time in the industry.
bathrooms. At this time, most houses After about a year, his contract was
did not have central heating, so they taken over by Kent-based company
were all new installations. Swale Heating and, within two weeks,
“The favourite one to be installed Marc had been made Contracts
was the back boiler and fire unit with Supervisor, working closely with
a cylinder and tanks,” Marc says. “I Operations Director Chris Riley.
remember spending nearly six months “During this time, I covered and learnt
just lagging roof spaces, then I moved a lot about larger business needs and
on to pipe and tank lagging. All the bigger projects, getting more involved
work we were completing was signed with the gas compliance side of things
off by the council clerk of works, and and checking paperwork,” he says.
they just loved giving the apprentice a
hard time and having a joke.” “I think it’s rare that you find
When his father sadly passed away
in 1995, Marc went to work for GDA, a job that you can honestly Large Business Forum. Marc describes
formerly Hotpoint Creda Cannon, where say you enjoy, but that is true Colin as his engineering role model,
he says the main role was looking after for me. It does help when saying: “His knowledge was vast, and
anything gas-related within white goods he was always there to support anyone.
(cookers and fires, gas tumble dryers, you work for a company He pointed me in the direction that my
etc). He describes this time as a big that knows how to retain its path has taken up to now.”
change, having gone from boilers to employees long term” His next career move was to Swale
other gas appliances, but ultimately “a Heating, where his role as Regional
very good learning experience”. Technical Manager meant he covered
After a long stint at GDA, Marc moved Marc then went to work at Robert the Midlands, which Marc says was a
on to the N-Power Home Team – or Servo Heath Heating as Technical Manager. great opportunity, as was the chance
Warm, as it was called at the time – to During this time, Marc worked to work alongside GCS Gas Contract
undertake mostly household insurance alongside Morgan Lambert, the Services, an audit company that Marc
work, repairing and servicing appliances. company contracted to assess the met with weekly to go over technical
Marc then branched out to start his level of gas paperwork and work being issues relating to work and paperwork.
own company, Service and Management, carried out. He says that, at this point, “I was then at a point in my life
covering domestic and commercial he felt he was learning something new where I wanted to try and work for
appliances. “I won some contracts on a daily basis. myself again, so I gave it a go, building
with letting agents and took over the At this time, Marc was also working a good business supplying information
management of the only privately- alongside Colin Childs, who was the and support to building companies
owned high-rise block of flats in the QHSE Manager and a member of IGEM’s and other gas engineers to help build

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