Explore how HW Martin Group delivers diverse solutions while investing in the next generation of industry professionals
For over 50 years, the HW Martin Group of Companies has been successfully helping support the transport and waste recycling infrastructure of the UK with over 17 operations centres from Devon to North Lanarkshire, providing a truly national coverage. Throughout its history, HW Martin has continuously achieved its vision to deliver a fully integrated, seamless service, and is poised to continue doing just that. David Shaw, who serves as a Company Director at HW Martin, sits with us in an interview. He begins by providing a comprehensive overview of the group’s history and core services.
“Privately owned since its establishment in 1976, HW Martin began as a fencing company working for the National Coal Board. Significant contracts for major construction companies led to the formation of H W Martin Safety Fencing Limited in 1987. The 1990’s saw the Martin Group continue to grow in all sectors. Significant fencing contracts were successfully procured with Network Rail, who continue to be a major client today. Demand for our safety fencing and traffic management services drove growth thorough out the Group. Throughout the 2000s, we diversified further into waste and recycling, fleet maintenance, specialist vehicle engineering, and consulting as part of a national offering,” he opens.
Project portfolio
“As a result of this approach, we boast a diverse skill set across our businesses, operating in numerous sectors, working with clients such as National Highways, Network Rail, Local Authorities, Ministry of Defence, and undertaking major infrastructure projects like HS2. With approximately 1500 employees, we deliver these services from 17 depots across the UK, spread out from Glasgow to Cornwall, and covering London, Kent, and everywhere in between,” he continues.
In 2021, National Highways established its Scheme Delivery Framework (SDF), which brings together 50 supply chain partners to carry out up to £3.6 billion worth of motorways and major A roads renewals over a six-year period. As HW Martin Traffic Management is one of the selected partners, David is well-positioned to share insights into what this project entails. “Dating back to 2022, our involvement in the SDF involves delivering our traffic management expertise nationwide. Our role revolves around the maintenance and asset renewal of the entire strategic road network, as well as providing Vehicle Restraint Systems (VRS) services. It is probably our largest traffic management contract to date, and National Highways has historically played a significant part in aiding our growth and development as a business. Thus, we have aligned ourselves with their vision and priorities as a delivery partner,” he summarises.
Sustainability strategy
Alongside this significant project of national importance, HW Martin is actively working on the high speed 2 (HS2) scheme currently underway. David reveals how the project is progressing. “We have been involved in the HS2 project for several years, initially starting at London’s Euston Station. Transitioning away from this urban working environment, the scheme then took us through the Chiltern Tunnels and into Birmingham, offering more rural working conditions. In the Midlands, we worked across stretches of countryside, considering things like plant crossings, the most efficient way to build certain structures, and ensuring the proper management of stakeholders and customers while facilitating a project that can be built as efficiently and safely as possible. Beyond this, we have conducted trials on using solar-powered equipment for the project because given its rural location, changing batteries in traffic signals every week would be tedious. This is where our self-sustaining solar power solution comes in handy, as it has already enabled us to reduce maintenance interventions on traffic signals. Moreover, we have been providing fencing and ecology works on HS2, including ecology surveys. Overall, this has been a great project for our overall group of companies, enabling us to demonstrate many of the services we offer across each division,” he shares.
Supported by its innovative renewable energy strategies, HW Martin strives to promote sustainability both in the various sectors it covers but also within its operations. “In line with our unwavering focus on sustainability, which is a key driver for us, we have appointed a dedicated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) team which has supported us to gain ISO14064 and PAS2080. Therefore, we have strong resources and skilled professionals on board to drive our sustainability efforts and strategy across the group. Furthermore, we have a carbon roadmap in place and a Net Zero policy that we are currently working through. There are a few case studies we can highlight that illustrate our dedication to sustainable practices. 
Succession planning
“For instance, we purchased a new depot down in Essex, but with our net-zero targets in mind, we set it up as an energy efficient facility right from the beginning. This included making substantial investments in the property itself before even opening it, such as installing solar panels on the roof along with solar inverters so that the energy generated by the roof panels could power the needs of the depot. Additionally, we fitted electric vehicle charging points outside, which are also powered by the solar panels on the roof, to support our fleet electrification efforts. We also put a heat pump system in place to reduce our energy usage, and we installed rainwater harvesting systems throughout the facility for tasks like washing vehicles, thereby ensuring we are using rainwater efficiently. Positive outcomes have already been noticed as a result of these initiatives: the solar panels are able to completely power the needs of the depot, so much so that we even sold 2.2 megawatts of energy back to the grid. In other words, we did not only meet the energy needs of our Essex facility, but we also had a surplus of energy, which we were then able to feed back into the grid to support it.
“Some other notable things we are doing in terms of sustainability include our ongoing roll out of electric vehicles for staff use, alongside the implementation of the infrastructure to charge those vehicles so that they can always be operational. We undertook a trial with National Highways and the University of Bath as well to look at the viability of larger vehicles weighing as much as 3.5 tons, which showed us the benefits and constraints of fleet electrification. There is a lot happening around environmental sustainability at HW Martin, especially regarding Net Zero and energy efficiency,” he elaborates.
In conjunction with its investments in sustainable innovation, HW Martin constantly strives to give newcomers the best tools and training to succeed in the various industries it covers. David lays out the many ways the business invests in its people, thereby ensuring the future of the group is in safe hands. “We have invested heavily in both the professional and personal development of our people with over 100 apprentices within the business across a range of disciplines such as traffic management, fleet maintenance, and business support functions such as commercial management. Likewise, we have invested in Employee Assistance Programmes, health and wellbeing initiatives, and sustainability tools to ensure that our people go home safe, well, and happy every day. Through our own accredited training centre, the HW Martin People Development Academy, we are now exploring various training plans at a group level. We are investigating how we can invest in our people and put together tailored training plans that meet the needs of our diverse companies, and the multi-skilling required for our order book. Moreover, we are exploring apprenticeships and other strategies to ensure we constantly have succession planning in place,” he goes on.
If HW Martin’s current work is any indication of what the future may hold, the group is well-positioned for continued sustainable growth in the years to come. The business stands out through its diversified yet specialised operations, national coverage, strong partnerships, advanced personnel training programmes, and a steadfast focus on promoting social and environmental best practices across every aspect of its activities.