As part of its commitment to support customers with a wide a range of specialist services, rapidly expanding County Durham-based, Asbestos Audit, has entered a strategic alliance with geoenvironmental and geotechnical consultancy, ERGO.
Operating across the UK, ERGO has provided services to over 900 clients and has extensive experience in many different sectors including contaminated land, geology, geotechnical testing, computer modelling and chemical testing services.
ERGO and Asbestos Audit have collaborated on a number of projects from start to finish, including initial site investigations, testing of materials, remediation and waste strategies, removal of hazardous materials, site remediation and validation and completion.
Recently, Asbestos Audit worked alongside ERGO, providing comprehensive supervision of all contamination, geoenvironmental and geotechnical aspects of the works to a brownfield site on Wearside. This included the initial site investigation, testing, chemical assessment of materials to determine suitability for reuse and the removal of hotspots and unsuitable materials identified within the discovery stage.
The joint team also designed and implemented a large-scale earth works cut and fill operation with hazardous materials incorporated into the design, at depth. The materials were safely identified, moved, capped and validated within the work. ERGO then produced accurate completion drawings showing the exact areas of contamination for future land users and the management of the area going forwards.
Asbestos Audit recently secured a second round of investment from the North East Small Loan Fund, which is paving the way for targeted and sustainable growth and the creation of a number of new jobs since the beginning of 2024.
Specialist services provided by the firm Include asbestos surveys, sampling and removal, contaminated ground testing and remediation, demolition and project management. The company is committed to achieving a £7 million turnover by 2025, through a strategic focus on key sectors, active participation in national frameworks and a strong emphasis on sustainable development.
With operations spanning 13 locations across the UK, Asbestos Audit expanded its workforce from 19 to 60 staff in 2023 and ongoing hiring initiatives will support the expansion of its specialist environmental, demolition and training services.
Ben Pickard, managing director, Asbestos Audit, said: “We have had a very strong first half of the year and we are seeing a wide range of new and interesting developments, as we follow our strategic plan.
“Increasing legislation, heightened environmental awareness and greater use of brownfield land, is driving the need for an enhanced level of knowledge and information. There are many scenarios where Asbestos Audit works with clients and where, in addition to our own specialist skills, there is a need for environmental and geotechnical services. Our clients are increasingly looking to us to provide a one-stop service and so we are delighted to enter into a strategic alliance with ERGO.”
James Nairn, managing director, ERGO, said: “We have seen strong growth year-on-year and are seeing an increase in crossover with the services of Asbestos Audit. We see this as a great opportunity to work together and provide our clients with a seamless service by forming a strategic alliance.”
ERGO recently moved into larger premises with plenty of room for further expansion and purpose-built space to accommodate its growing fleet of vehicles and testing equipment.
In 2023 Asbestos Audit relocated its headquarters from Sunderland to Peterlee, alongside an operational base in County Durham, for its growing asbestos removal and demolition departments and its asbestos consultancy has expanded its offering with a new in-house asbestos laboratory and air monitoring division. The company has also witnessed a huge surge in project engagement, scaling up from 5,000 to 25,000 projects. It has also achieved recognition on a national scale by securing significant frameworks with clients such as SITEC, City Fibre, Landmarc MOD, Esh Group and SCCI Alphatrack.
