This new company will mirror the capabilities of its parent company while focusing specifically on Commissioning and Completions within the energy sector.

Supporting the new UK government’s plans to transition from a carbon intensive energy sector to becoming a clean energy superpower, COMS Energy Ltd. will target several key industries, including:
• The decarbonisation of Oil & Gas
• Green Hydrogen & Storage
• Wind, Solar, and Wave Energy
• Carbon Capture and Storage
• Biomass Energy & Biofuels

Nuclear will remain the clear focus of Parent Company, Cumbria O&M Services Ltd, which will continue to provide its high levels of customer-aligned services in the Nuclear Sector.

Cliff Woodman will take the role of Chair and Non-Executive Director to the Executive Board whilst Grant Taylor and John Garratt become Executive Directors.  A new Operations Director for COMS Energy will be announced in due course ensuring the operations of both companies remain independent and aligned to their chosen sectors whilst benefiting significantly from the synergies of a group structure. Grant Taylor and his operations teams will remain fully aligned to COMS and its activities in the Nuclear sector.

COMS Energy Ltd. will build on the reputation of the COMS brand and offer the same levels of customer focus, specialist services and excellence in delivery, in the delivery of Pre-Operations, Commissioning, Completions, Handover, Operations and Maintenance services.

Cliff Woodman comments
“It has long been the intention of our parent company to increase our geographical footprint whilst keeping our core business based in our Cumbrian offices. We have taken a massive step forward in our plans for a UK commissioning and pre-operations centre of excellence based right here in Whitehaven.”

Grant Taylor comments
“Our ten years’ experience in delivering high quality professional services within the nuclear sector has built a solid foundation that has enabled us to create COMS Energy. The opportunity to transfer our skills, expertise, and experience to support the UK’s plans to be a clean power trailblazer is a tremendous opportunity”

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Natasha Banks, specialist fundraiser at GNAAS, said:

“We are thrilled to receive a donation of more than £10,000 from COMS and have them as one of our Corporate Partners. As a charity, we do not receive any government funding and have to raise approximately £8.5m to remain operational, so we are very grateful for their support. This generous donation will help our doctors, pilots and paramedics continue to help critically ill or injured people across the region.”

COMS’s dedication to community welfare is also reflected in our environmental initiatives and support for local youth through work experience and apprenticeship programs.

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Company Background: 

Ten years ago, in 2014, Cliff Woodman and Dave Garratt laid the groundwork for what would become Cumbria O&M (Operations & Maintenance) Services (COMS). Their journey began earlier when Cliff sought new career opportunities after working in the pharmaceutical industry. Around the same time, Dave, who had recently transitioned to a contract position after a long career at Sellafield, proposed Cliff join his team on a short-term project in the nuclear industry.

Their combined expertise in maintenance and asset care, having jelled from that successful project, sparked the inception of COMS. With the launch of Sellafield Ltd’s Small to Medium Size Enterprise (SME) initiative and a discernible gap in the market, COMS embarked on its maiden project in December 2014, collaborating with Atkins Ltd and Sellafield Ltd on the Site Security Enhancements Programme (SSEP). The addition of Grant Taylor, bringing operational insight, solidified COMS’s foundation.

Milestones and Achievements:

The inaugural contract with Sellafield proved pivotal, propelling COMS towards remarkable growth and garnering business essentials such as ISO quality, safety and environmental certifications and all required security clearances. Amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, COMS showcased resilience by fortifying agile working practices and developing bespoke procedures. Having doubled in size annually for the initial years and again, post pandemic, expanding its workforce and capability, COMS now boasts a team of over 80 experienced nuclear professionals and capable business support team members.

Growth and Expansion:

COMS’s tailored skill sets have seamlessly aligned with the nuanced demands of the nuclear and regulated industry sectors. While opportunities beyond this realm beckon, COMS remains steadfast in its commitment to nuclear civil and nuclear defence projects, prioritising safety and stringent standards. As the industry continues to expand, COMS is a valuable asset, helping to ensure safe, efficient, and responsible nuclear operations plus economic growth in West Cumbria.

Impact on Customers and Community:

COMS distinguishes itself by addressing client challenges within defined scopes, delivering solutions autonomously to minimise disruption to clients and their workforce. The numerous long standing client partnerships in place, repeat contracts and positive references are testament to that and something the team are very proud of.

Beyond business endeavours, COMS actively supports the West Cumbrian community through various local Social Impact initiatives and having contributed circa £40,000 to charitable causes over the past decade. In honour of their 10th anniversary in the Summer of 2024, COMS are pledging all proceeds from a series of events to the Great North Air Ambulance. Engaging in environmental initiatives and offering opportunities for local youth, via work experience and apprenticeships, underscore COMS’s dedication to community welfare.

Employee Perspective:

Employees at COMS appreciate the autonomy and integrated work style that empowers them to build strong relationships with clients. This approach enables them to focus on specific projects and support clients effectively. Team leads engage in local business development, fostering organic growth within their areas of expertise and positive working relationships.

Future Plans:

Eyeing a permanent residence at Westlakes Science Park, near Whitehaven, COMS aims to accommodate future expansion while exploring new avenues within the nuclear market, locally and nationally, including potential partnerships with several industry giants in the pipeline. A recent collaboration with three other Cumbrian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) — Forth Engineering, React Engineering, and CORE Nuclear Solutions’ – is an exciting and promising development. This joint venture, named ‘Resolve Engineered Solutions’, is a strategic partnership that provides end-to-end engineering services, bringing together the unique strengths and capabilities of each company.

Plans for making inroads to different market segments, more diverse career pathways into COMS, as well as achieving ambitious sustainability goals are also in development.

Reflections on the Journey:

COMS has faced numerous challenges over the years, particularly as a startup in the nuclear industry, known for its high standards of regulatory compliance and thorough procurement processes. The support of, and collaboration with, established companies was crucial in helping COMS navigate these early hurdles, which lay a strong foundation for the rapid and continued growth that followed. Occasional budgetary constraints, project disruptions and national resource shortfalls posed further obstacles along the way. It can also be challenging to disclose some of COMS activities in the public domain to raise awareness of the excellent work the team does, especially when there are so many security and confidentiality aspects relating to projects that need to be considered. The reputation COMS has within its industry as being professional, reliable, skilled and adaptable, has overcome this and enabled its remarkable organic growth.

Focussing on its core offering by outsourcing non-core activities has ensured that their full attention is on client satisfaction and that local specialist resources are on hand to support their growth projections.

Working within the nuclear industry has taught COMS many lessons and that the willingness and ability to adapt to challenges is essential. Clients and projects are all unique. COMS prides itself on its high standards of understanding client requirements. We excel at defining and scoping work, establishing what is required and when. We’re committed to delivering against what has been promised and adapting when unforeseen circumstances arise.

As COMS commemorates its ten-year milestone, the journey thus far serves as a testament to resilience, innovation, and community spirit. With eyes set on the horizon, COMS remains poised to conquer new frontiers, guided by a steadfast commitment to excellence and collaboration.

The post Celebrating and Reflecting on a Decade of Success: The Story of Cumbria O&M Services appeared first on COMS Staging.

The awards ceremony provided a unique opportunity to join forces with fellow members of the Supply Chain family and clients to celebrate the collective successes achieved through collaboration. The evening showcased outstanding contributions across various categories aligned with Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s five ‘Total Commitments’ that underpin their approach to being a responsible business.

Among the accolades presented, COMS proudly claimed the title of SME of the Year. This achievement reflects our dedication to delivering exceptional services and our role as a valuable partner within the supply chain.

Expressing gratitude for this remarkable achievement, Cliff Woodman, Business Director at COMS, said, “Winning SME of the Year is a tremendous honour, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone in the Cumbria O&M Services Ltd team for their continued hard work and professionalism. Our clients’ trust in us and the outstanding services and products provided by our own supply chain have been integral to this success. This win is a testament to the collective efforts of the entire team—a true team effort.”

The Morgan Sindall Supply Chain Awards covered a range of categories, including New to Nuclear, Outstanding Contribution to Innovation, Perfect Delivery Achievement, Outstanding Contribution to Responsible Business, Protecting People, Improving the Environment, Enhancing Communities, Pre-Construction Support, Excellence in Quality, Innovator of the Year, Perfect Delivery, and Supply Chain Family Member.

Cliff extends his congratulations to the other winners and nominees, acknowledging the shared success and celebration within the industry. Looking forward, COMS remains dedicated to continued growth and excellence, with a commitment to delivering top-notch services to our clients.

“We’re on an upward trajectory at COMS, and this recognition motivates us to aim even higher”. Cliff added.

To explore how COMS can benefit your project or package of work, contact us for a free consultation.

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The collaboration comes at a time when the demand for integrated engineering solutions is on the rise. With Resolve’s inception, the four firms are set to create a straightforward and effective route for clients to access key project and engineering skills. The combination of the specialist services offered by the four partners, into a complete package, provides a simple way of accessing key capabilities, based locally to client sites.

Each partner in Resolve Engineered Solutions brings a distinct skill to the table. React Engineering specializes in strategic project planning, Forth Engineering is known for its innovative engineering solutions, PAR Systems contributes expertise in mechanical handling, and COMS serves as a specialist in pre-operations, commissioning, and integration.

Cliff Woodman, the Business Director at COMS, highlights the importance of Resolve in broadening the range of services available to the nuclear sector and other regulated industries: “Resolve allows us to offer a wider service offering to meet client needs, leveraging existing relationships and helping Cumbrian companies to compete at the national, and in the future, international level. Together we can be a global player, delivering from Cumbria.”

Resolve Engineered Solutions marks a milestone in the collaboration of Cumbrian SMEs, showcasing the collective commitment to providing high-quality engineering services on a comprehensive scale. The joint venture is positioned to enhance the region’s competitiveness in the engineering sector and offer a robust platform for national and international projects.

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COMS, are a Leading UK Provider of Operational, Maintenance and Engineering Services to the Nuclear Sector and Regulated Industries Nationwide. Based on the Westlakes Science Park in Whitehaven they employ 58 staff. This team includes specialist operations, maintenance and system engineers who often work on complex and high hazard regulated industry sites.

“Health & Safety of our team and all those we work with is paramount. COMS is proud of what the team has achieved and we will continue to strive for Health & Safety excellence!” Matthew Garratt, HSE Director at COMS

Maintaining a safe working environment for their personnel, clients and general public is one of the core values COMS have embodied at all levels of the business. They hold the ISO45001 certification for Health & Safety Management. This demonstrates how COMS have built an effective H&S management system for assessing risk and monitoring workplace activities, they proactively prevent ill-health and harm wherever possible and integrate employee wellbeing and wellness through initiatives.

As expert problem solvers it’s not surprising COMS now have these 500,000 hours without an LTA, as a safe way of working can always be found, no matter how complex the site and project.

To explore how COMS can help you get results, contact us for a free consultation.

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Waves is an internal awards scheme set up by Sellafield Ltd to recognise and celebrate the work of employees, teams, and partners across the business. The ‘Significant Electrical hazard reduction in SNM’ is the winner of the category ‘Safe, secure, sustainable site stewardship: Exemplify proactive, safety, security and sustainability’, which is a great result for all involved, including our own consultant, Mike Gill. This work is great example of what we can offer nuclear and similar regulated industries. So, what exactly was the challenge and what part did COMS play?

The Problem…

A legacy Electrical Distribution System (EDS) within a Sellafield Cat-1 Nuclear facility was installed in the 1950’s when the building was first constructed. The building was extended further in the 60’s and 80’s where additional electrical infrastructure was installed. This legacy EDS system was made up of over 190 distribution boards with approximately 80% of these boards and associated cabling installed in the 1950’s.

A Project to replace the legacy EDS system was initiated and registered as a high risk Office of Nuclear Regulation (ONR) Level 1 Project due to a number of factors, such as:

• Being deemed electrically unsafe due to age
• No longer meeting the requirements of modern electrical regulations
• The system exceeding its operational life expectancy of 25 years
• Obsolescence and degradation of the equipment and infrastructure
• Differing system/component specifications and manufacturers
• Recent failures with a realistic expectation of more failures over time.

The solution…

The EDS Project utilised a vast range of resources and stakeholders to complete a highly complex electrical system installation overlay and changeover of electrical distribution within a fully operational Cat 1 facility. The scope was implemented using a task by task, phased approach to minimise impact on plant operations.

The result…

The EDS Project has been successful in removing the risks associated with the legacy system, whilst exemplifying proactive Safety, Security and Sustainable Site Stewardship Sustainability with a significant Electrical Hazard Reduction.

Our input…

COMS were engaged to deliver various scoped packages of work for the EDS Project and over the last few years our Engineers have provided integral support. They have were instrumental in developing and delivering:

• Overarching Strategy Paper
• Plant Modification Proposals (PMP)
• PMP Hand-over & close-out
• Complex Interruption of supply statements (ISS) (capturing all affects and mitigations that isolations will have on critical systems, Safety Case, Health & Safety, Operations etc)
• Safety Method Statements (for all tasks – instructing how the changeover of supplies from old to new were to be implemented)
• Pre-Operations, including Computerised Maintenance management System (CMMS) and Operations & Maintenance Instructions

We are proud that our contribution has delivered such impressive results and being part of an award winning project team is a recognition of that fantastic work.

To explore how COMS can benefit your project or package of work, contact us for a free consultation.

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Over the last 18 months, we’ve pulled together a host of local SMEs to help us identify development areas across the business and implement improvements. Essentially, to realise significant value from our own assets, people and processes.

The companies and the areas they have assisted us with include:

• Acorn Marketing – Establishing our brand and marketing strategy, including marketing and PR material as well as our digital and social media requirements.
• Energy Coast West Cumbria (Properties) BEC – Increased office premises at Westlakes Science Park with flexible arrangements to support future growth.
• Dave Polkey Associates – Strategic alignment of our Business Development Strategy, facilitation of partnerships and review of our organisational structure to ensure it meets our long term aims.
• West Lakes Recruit – They have become our first, and only, source for recruitment services aligned to our functional hierarchy and opportunity pipeline.
• Realise HR – Development of our People Vision and Employer Branding. Has included the recruitment of our Business Support Coordinator, Amy Sutherland, in place to further develop our marketing, HR and Social Impact Strategy.
• Burnetts Solicitor’s – For legal support and advice on the structure of all our contractual arrangements and for supporting our collaboration activities.
• Lamont Pridmore – For improved financial performance reporting plus general tax and business guidance

And most recently, we have partnered with Plain Purpose to review all our various activities over the past 18 months to ensure our efforts are focused and aligned across the business. Emma-Jayne Gooch, CEO of Plain Purpose has guided us through the following:
• Directors Workshops – To provide a balanced Board of Directors view of our company vision, to align their priorities and develop a targeted action plan.

• Development of our Social Impact Strategy – To support the expansion of our existing strategy, map it to key regional objectives and provide a platform for growth alongside our existing business activities.

• Cultural Enquiry Workshops – To assess the current culture of the organisation against our Core Values to ensure we stay aligned to our beliefs and vision.

These activities have been the culmination of our partnership work and have reaffirmed our focus and conviction, to ensure the future success of COMS.

It has been a pleasure developing a range of initial ideas into tangible business improvements, with such skilled, knowledgeable, and like-minded people. It has also enabled us to strengthen our networks and support the local economy. We are looking forward to building on this strong foundation, as COMS goes from strength to strength

Find out more about what we do and how we work with our clients here

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The alliance was first set up in 2012 with Sellafield Ltd as an alliance partner working as one team alongside AXIOM (a 4 entity joint venture comprising Assystem, Jacobs, Mott MacDonald and Progressive (Aecom and Cavendish Nuclear)). 

COMS, who have been working on Axiom projects over the past five years on a sub-contract basis, have secured this new framework agreement and will be delivering Engineering and Maintenance, Operations Support, Commissioning and Start-Up as part of the DSA Framework which will continue over the next five years.  

COMS provide specialist operations, maintenance and engineering services and help businesses within the nuclear industry realise significant value from their assets, people and processes.  The business began in 2014 and has grown considerably over the last eight years and as a result of the new framework has influenced their decision to relocate to larger offices within the Westlake Science Park, employ new local talent from outside the industry to train and up-skill, and also to take on an additional apprentice in the coming months.  

Grant Taylor, Operations Director at COMS was delighted to hear the news 

“It is fantastic to be awarded further work as part of the Design Services Alliance.  We have worked closely with Axiom over the last five years on various projects and the new framework is testament to the hard work of our team and the services we provideto our clients.  We are pleased to be continuing this great relationship over the next five years and excited by the opportunities this brings to our business for even further growth” 

COMS began work on this project at the beginning of April 2022 and as a result of new contracts like this have moved into larger premises at the Westlakes Science Park.

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Amy Sutherland joined us in April 2022.  With an expanding workforce and the additional workload this brings to business functions, we were looking for someone who could work closely with the Directors, hit the ground running and free up our management time to focus on other areas of the business.

Having set up and managed two separate businesses in the private care sector, Amy’s skill set brings a fresh perspective to many of the COMS business functions.

Amy, who is originally from Kilmarnock, started working in the private care sector aged 17, and in 2012 founded and developed the organisation Living for Life Cumbria Ltd.  The organisation provides a range of services in Supported Living, Residential, Crisis support, Employment and Education in purpose-built properties in Cumbria to individuals with learning disabilities, Autism and Mental Health disorders.

In her new role as Business Development Coordinator, Amy will work closely with the Directors at COMS to deliver a range of management, business support and administration activities.  This includes delivering the COMS corporate strategy, HR policies, quality management and contract management processes.

Amy commented,

“I really enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at COMS, and everyone has been really welcoming. I am embracing the challenge of the new role, which has enabled me to apply my transferable skills and put them to use in an entirely new sector. The team have also been really accommodating with my childcare needs as a single Mum and that kind of flexibility and support within a company is greatly appreciated.”

With new contracts, projects and expansion come more employees and as the team expands in the future, the directors of COMS made the decision to move to bigger office space within the West Lakes Science Park.

Cliff Woodman, Business Director at COMS comments,

“Our offices were starting to get a bit cramped, and we realised if we were to grow the business, our office space needed to grow too.  During the pandemic, we all worked from home, but now as we are gradually all start working in the office again we needed more space. 

We work with a team of over fifty, including external consultants, but as we start employing more people, taking on graduates and developing our apprenticeship scheme the old office was no longer viable. It’s been great that we could move to a bigger space at Westlakes as this provides a great base for us and aids further expansion into the future.”

Moving forward, we are looking to create an opportunity for a school leaver to start a career in Business Administration through an appropriate apprenticeship scheme.  We’re also looking to develop our HR processes, career progression and development to attract new talent to Cumbria and the Nuclear industry.

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