Renewed partnership has nation covered

Derek celebrates past 25 years by looking to the future

TWO widely recognised Oldham business names have got back together to re-create a partnership that is once again putting the borough in the forefront of repair work for national brands, including British Gas.

A and B Drains, at Seville House, Seville Street, Royton, which last year celebrated 25 years in business, has joined forces with insurance specialist IDA to set up a network of national coverage.

Derek Andrews (58), from Royton, who founded A and B Drains with Hammond Buckley, also from Royton, in November, 1984, has teamed up with Gill Hughes, from Royton, to recreate the IDA business and network which was bought out in 2002 by Lees-based Ansa.

A and B — which specialises in drainage and underground works — continued to work for Ansa until two years ago when the business, now in Preston, took all the contract work in-house.

Derek’s business had to downsize from a work force of 25 to 11, working in Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire and West Yorkshire for a number of prestige clients, including Manchester University.

“We have worked on the Oxford Road site for 20 years,” said Derek, adding: “They own Jodrell Bank and we have often worked on the site there, too.”

Working underground, his lads often dig up some odd items and, when his men once returned to Royton with a rusty piece of metal, they discovered a fragmentation shell which had to be removed by Army disposal experts.

“We got on the front page of the Chronicle for that,” recalls Derek, who fondly remembers one of his men taking a hammer and chisel to the shell to chip away clinker and rust.

Looking back on 25 years, he has fond memories, but he continues to plan for the future — sadly without long-time partner Hammond who is taking early retirement through ill health.

This long-term planning took him back to Gill Hughes, who founded IDA in the 1990s.

They have reactivated the business with a string of shareholders throughout the UK and can now offer national coverage from Scotland to the South coast and into Northern Ireland.

IDA works alongside huge insurance businesses to carry out excavation works and many former clients and customers are returning to their IDA roots.

Gill said: “We offer a complete emergency service to national brands and we are growing at a good rate. We have experience of working with the big players in the insurance industry and they recognise the quality of our offer.”

Derek is also looking to market a new porous product which he argues will save organisations hundreds of pounds.

He said: “Now that United Utilities are charging for surface water drainage, many organisations like churches and schools with big tarmac car parks are finding the costs onerous.

“We can relay these areas with a porous product that incorporates a membrane support below ground that allows surface water to soak away — savings all these additional costs.”

The past 25 years have been good for this little gem of an Oldham business and the next 25 are looking bright, too.