Broadening its horizons, CASS continues to represent the very best in the telecoms sector
Behind every phone call, text message and internet search, there’s a dedicated team of engineers working tirelessly to keep the UK connected. From broadband to Wi-Fi, cabling to fibre, industry-leading telecom expert, CASS, plays an integral part in building new networks and supporting existing infrastructure. With offices distributed across the UK, the company is renowned for its comprehensive, client-led services and subsequent loyal customer base. Offering the full package, CASS’ expansive scope of capabilities covers the initial planning design right through to construction, testing and commissioning. Today, CASS has solidified its position as an industry leader, achieving significant growth particularly in home and business installations across the UK. The company is equipped with a legion of specialist teams all working collaboratively on project management, ensuring that the best possible service is delivered – the one that contributes to its stellar reputation – to each client.
With the company’s 30th anniversary on the horizon, Construction & Civil Engineering sat down with Mark McKinney, the founder of CASS, to discover the company’s backstory and learn more about how it continues to revolutionise the telecoms sector, in Britain and beyond.
Expanding capabilities
Mark begins by revealing his reason for establishing the business, a heartwarming tale of family strength and industry expertise. “The inspiration came from a personal place of sadness after my mum passed away at the age of 60. At 29, I wanted to give my dad, who was also 60, a new focus for the next 20 years,” Mark shares. “Both of us had extensive experience in the telecoms industry, with my 12 years and my dad’s nearly 40 years. After spending about 12 months preparing, we left our jobs and began trading in June 1998, becoming fully operational by October 1998.”
As the demand for digital transformation began to skyrocket, CASS saw significant growth and soon became one of the UK’s leading telecommunications infrastructure companies, forming partnerships with some of the biggest names in the industry. Mark elaborates further: “Over the past 27 years, we have specialised in installing fibre-optic networks and backbone infrastructure for telecom providers, supporting the growing demand for broadband and internet services for businesses and homes. We provide fibre-optic networks that enable telecom companies to offer mobile, broadband and Wi-Fi services. Our services cover both residential and business installations, ensuring that customers have the necessary fibre connections to support their PCs and broadband needs. We offer full turnkey solutions, including building boxes and chambers, laying underground tracks and clearing blockages in existing networks. Our major customers include Openreach and Virgin Media, through Tier 1 suppliers, as well as City Fibre, Glide, Full Fibre, Gigaclear, Airband, and other small outlets.”
Following the business’ success thus far, Mark is excited to unveil CASS’ latest endeavour: “We are leveraging our 27-plus years of infrastructure expertise to expand into the solar energy sector, offering turnkey solutions for EPCs. We have partnered with a leading solar farm mounting systems manufacturer to provide a full-service offering, covering everything from design and logistics to installation and project management.
“We are committed to expanding our capabilities across both telecoms and renewable energy,” he continues. “In telecoms, we continue to scale our operations, delivering high-quality infrastructure projects while investing in innovation, efficiency, and workforce development to support the industry’s evolving needs. In renewable energy, we are making significant strides in our solar farm construction services. We are currently finalising the last steps for projects that could deliver 80 to 100 MW of solar installations over the next 12 months, marking a major milestone in our journey.”
As a business dedicated to sustainability, continuous improvement and innovation, this expansion is set to be a strategic success for CASS, further strengthening its extensive portfolio. To support these capabilities, CASS has made major investments into its training facility to ensure that its team are fully equipped to meet the highest quality standards in both telecoms and renewables.
People first approach
Training and people development is a quintessential part of CASS’ business strategy. The CASS Training Academy, which has been operational for over 20 years, invests heavily in both the company’s existing workforce and the next generation. “My father, with his training and quality assurance background, laid the foundation for our success and longevity,” says Mark. “We ensure that everyone who joins CASS meets our high-quality standards, and we provide training to those who need it. Recently, we created a dedicated recruitment department, led by an experienced Head of Recruitment with over 25 years in the industry. This has already brought great benefits to our business.
“Our CASS Training Academy is one of the most trusted in the Midlands, and is now expanding into renewable energy training, equipping both our workforce and external professionals with real-world-ready skills. Our goal is to establish industry-leading quality standards and accreditations, addressing the current gap in recognised qualifications within the sector.”
Additionally, CASS is committed to maintaining a caring corporate culture that centralises its core values and harbours a positive environment for all. “Our core values are key to our success. We emphasise being decent human beings who treat others with respect,” Mark attests. “Our values are encapsulated in the acronym CASS: work Collaboratively, take Accountability, offer Support and be Sincere. We live by these values every day. We also believe in challenging each other politely and being open and honest. We have walked away from customers who do not share our values to ensure a positive working environment for our team.”
With lots of new projects and developments on the horizon, 2025 is set to be another successful year for CASS, paving the way for a continuingly prosperous future.
“Our priorities for 2025 include continuing to provide top-notch service with the best engineers and maintaining strong relationships with our customers,” Mark explains. “We are also focusing on our pivot to the solar farm sector, aiming to build 80 to 100 MW of solar farms with our excellent partner. In telecoms, we will keep connecting people with superfast broadband and hope to add a few new customers along the way.
“In five years, I hope we will still be connecting businesses and customers with even faster telecom products. I also envision significant growth in our solar farm operations, with substantial numbers and expansion into residential and business solar panels and EV charging units. We aim to focus on renewable energy while maintaining our commitment to telecoms.”
As our interview draws to a close, it’s clear to see that CASS’ story is nothing short of a Great British success, one that will continue to revolutionise the industry for years to come. Reflecting on the journey thus far, Mark reminisces on the business’ most important asset.
“I would like to emphasise that, over the 27 years of running this business, good and loyal people have been key to our success. It’s crucial to look after people, be respectful, and understand that everyone has different challenges,” Mark affirms. “Being flexible and supportive during tough times helps create a successful business. When you help someone in their hour of need, they often go the extra mile for you, which benefits the business in the long run.”