Double award-winning Burgess Electrical Services on growth, innovation, and apprenticeships

Now almost a decade into its certification journey with NICEIC, BES is going from strength to strength, working primarily in the office fit-out, commercial and industrial spaces. We asked the team what factors they believe have contributed most to the business’ success – and allowed them to pip so many other excellent businesses to the post at the ECN Awards.

Reactiveness and taking ownership

“Reactiveness is definitely a big factor,” says Jonny. “If someone phones up, the call is taken promptly and if somebody needs something quickly, we prioritise it. It’s very rare we don’t get back to a client on the same day.”

He adds: “It doesn’t mean the answer’s always a yes – we’re not yes men by any means. But we’ll take an hour, find some answers, and get back to the client with a solution.”

Another key quality the business has instilled into its ethos is taking ownership when things go wrong.

“We all make mistakes,” says Jonny. “So if something does go wrong, we put our hands up, take ownership, rectify the mistake immediately, and move on.”

“Don’t chase the pound, chase the reputation”

Client trust and satisfaction is top priority for BES. For the business, this means a strict adherence to the regulations and a commitment to doing the job right – even if that means lower margins for the company.

“Don’t chase the pound; chase the reputation,” says Jonny. “You can finish a job at a higher margin but have a very upset customer because you’ve cut a load of corners. Or you can finish at a lower margin and have a client who’s over the moon, will entrust you with more jobs, and will recommend you to others.”

Craig Buist, Precon and Technical Director at BES, adds: “Over the years, our clients have developed trust and confidence in our skill, knowledge, and ability to deliver projects from conception to completion.”

He continues: “Because of this confidence, our clients have grown with us, choosing BES over larger competitors for bigger contracts involving more complex technical systems.”

Craig knows better than many the importance of doing jobs by the book. He sits on JPEL/64, the committee directly responsible for developing BS 7671 (the national standard governing electrical installations in the UK). He’s also a member of the Wiring Regulations Policy Committee, an industry forum that offers advice to the IET’s Knowledge Services and Solutions Board on whether the UK should adopt new regulations.

Woody Long, BES Project Director (who was himself Jonny’s apprentice before rising through the ranks), adds: “Within a year and a half, they’ve taken on the company ethos and with five years gone, they’re qualified. We’ve now got an electrician with a solid foundation of skills and the right attitude, who’s set up for a successful career."

Which brings us nicely onto Jay Bamford, ECN’s 2025 Apprentice of the Year. The 19-year-old, who “lives and breathes the industry”, is three years into his apprenticeship with BES and has blown the team away with his commitment and desire to learn.

He’s also a perfect example of how apprentices can help electrical firms keep up with new technologies and roll with the times.

“Jay is a great example of the value of apprentices, in terms of keeping us up to date on what’s going on in the industry,” says Woody, “He’s the best on health and safety, he’s the best on new technologies, he’s the best on learning the regs. Apprentices are generally the best on any evolving change in the industry because that’s what they’re learning in their training. So actually, there’s a mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge going on: the apprentices come in and teach the older guys what they’re learning, and the older guys train them in our way of doing things.”

Jonny summarises: “Without [apprentices], you don’t have a company. When you invest in apprentices, you’re investing in the future of the company. You’re investing in the future of these young people and steering them in the right direction.

NICEIC: “Your reputation helps our reputation”

Through all the ups and downs of BES’s journey, NICEIC has been there to support.

“We follow NICEIC and always have done because it’s the top level,” says Jonny. “If you’re an NICEIC Approved Contractor, you automatically have the right to tender for most projects. It’s good backing.”

He adds: “It’s the name on our workwear, it sits beneath our logo and, to be honest, it’s just a part of our business strategy now.”

In particular, the company has appreciated NICEIC’s technical support and our role as a “second pair of eyes” to ensure they remain as sharp on the regs as ever. “We use NICEIC’s CPD resources – like The Wire – to keep the team as sharp as we can and then our assessment ensures we’re always learning and staying up to date,” says Jonny.

The firm greatly appreciates the face-to-face time they get with NICEIC’s technical experts at their annual assessment. Of one of their assessors, Paul Gallagher, Jonny says: “Paul was unbelievable. He kept our standards so sharp and at every assessment I learned something new. So having NICEIC on board has been great.”

He concludes, “We’ve never been with anyone else and we probably never will go with anyone else, because it works for us and the support we get is great.”