In celebration of 'Earth Week' here at NMITE, we've been speaking to a few of our partners and supporters regarding all things engineering and sustainability.
We caught up with Mike Gittoes, newly appointed MD at Arctic Circle through a quick Q&A. Take a look.
Can you give us a brief introduction?
"I’m Mike Gittoes and I have just become the new MD of Arctic Circle Limited, a privately owned manufacturing business based at Rotherwas, Herefordshire, designing and building heat transfer equipment typically for use in the cold food chain."
Why did you want to partner with NMITE; what is it about the organisation that appeals to you most?
"As a business we have always invested in the training and development of our people. For over thirty years we have also invested in technical engineering apprenticeships. By becoming an NMITE partner we have the opportunity to provide industry-based input into their CPD offering and give our apprentices quality development following their four years of training."
On an everyday basis, what has your organisation implemented to become more environmentally sustainable?
"Being active in an environmentally sensitive sector it has always been incumbent upon us as a business to make sure that we employ the most sustainable methods that technology allows. We apply this philosophy to all our product designs and encourage our people to review and understand the latest research."
What role do you think engineering plays in reaching current environmental sustainability goals?
"In respect of our own operations, capital purchase decisions are made whilst considering the environmental impact. We have invested in photovoltaic roof panels, LED lighting, we have an electric only vehicle policy, low water WC’s as well as a full range of recycling options. We have also set up a ‘Low Carbon Team’ that will be responsible for identifying and recommending other sustainable changes that the business can make on the journey to net zero carbon.
Our engineering team are instrumental in ensuring that the products we design and build are fit for today’s purpose without compromising our future. They hold a position of influence with our client base and use their knowledge to promote environmental solutions. Our team of engineers are passionate about designing products that are energy efficient as well as low carbon."
What environmental issues would you like to see engineers address in the future?
"Increasingly we see a convergence of different technologies and our future engineers will need to be multi-disciplined to be able to resolve the issues this presents and design equipment that minimises any waste and inputs while still delivering the required outputs."
