TriConnex

As a major employer in the Braintree area, at TriConnex we recognise and support opportunities to give something back to the communities in which we operate.

In recent years we’re delighted to have developed a strong relationship with the Edith Borthwick special day school in Braintree, which has led to TriConnex supporting various improvement projects at the school.

In 2020 TriConnex purchased items of new playground equipment, which learners at the school are very much enjoying. Now, TriConnex has drawn on the construction expertise within the business to build a new pathway.

This new pathway connects the main playground area to some of the most popular pieces of play equipment. Before the construction of the path, learners needed to walk across the grass – fine in the summer months but muddy and difficult for wheelchair users at other times of the year. Now the learners can enjoy simpler and safer access to play equipment like the trampolines!

David Topping, Managing Director of TriConnex, said:
“Once again we’re delighted to support the Edith Borthwick school with the construction of a new pathway. We knew that access to some of the most popular play equipment could be difficult in certain weathers, so I’m really pleased that TriConnex has been able to help”.

Vicky Faulks, chairperson of the Friends of Edith Borthwick commented:
“We are enormously grateful to our wonderful friends at TriConnex, their ongoing support for our school is incredibly valuable to us. Regular use of the play equipment enables our learners to get exercise and fresh air, regulate their sensory needs, build social development into their recreation, and most of all have FUN!

The new pathway will make a massive difference enabling safe and easy access all year round, in particular for those who have mobility challenges. We very much hope to continue to develop our relationship with TriConnex into the future. On behalf of everyone at Edith Borthwick School, thank you!“

With TriConnex celebrating its 10th anniversary this month we planned a few activities to mark the occasion.

One such event was the “Power of 10”, a challenge for the business to collectively accumulate 10 million steps over a 10 day period, which if achieved would result in the business making a £10,000 donation to charity.

Monday the 26th April was judgement day, with the 10 day period having ended on Sunday the 25th. And after lagging behind the necessary run-rate (or walk-rate!) earlier in the week, a determination to achieve the 10 million target coupled with glorious spring weather over the final weekend meant the teams were inspired. The final result? Nearly 11 million steps being completed in total – 10,939,674 to be precise.

So well done to everyone who took part and we’ll now make the £10,000 donation to charity. The “Power of 10” is clearly a powerful force!

David Topping, Managing Director

This April TriConnex will reach its tenth year of trading, a moment that everyone connected with the business is immensely proud of.

Having launched in 2011, the completion of our first full decade is a landmark moment. When starting a new business venture, you never quite know what the future will hold yet 10 years later TriConnex continues to build on solid foundations and go from strength to strength.

Two of the current Directors, Mick Hine and Chris Doré led the team that started it all. Their mission – a clear brief from CEO Mike Morris – to create a utilities connection business that developers could trust because it delivers connections on time, every time.

As Mick will mention, TriConnex has been successful for a variety of reasons, but the fact it started out with a heritage in construction rather than traditional utilities was a distinct advantage. TriConnex’s sister company Tamdown has been providing civil engineering services to housing developers since 1976 so the creation of a utility connections division within the Group was a logical step to take. This deep understanding of developers then shaped what TriConnex was to become; a business that simplifies utilities for developers, speaks their language and ultimately delivers what others consistently fail to do – make connections on time.

It was a steep learning curve in the early days. The ethos for the business was set on day one of the first job with Bellway Essex, that being to never lose a customer. Consequently, no two days were the same and Chris has many stories of how a hands-on approach was needed from everyone, simply to get the job done. But from our humble beginnings of just a handful of people, we’ve now grown to employ nearly 250 staff operating out of offices in Braintree, Bristol and Leicester covering the South East, South West and Midlands regions.

And the learning curve never flattened! Once established as a provider of gas and electric connections, we set about developing our next connection offer and when Self Lay Provider status was obtained, water was added to the portfolio. Welcomed by developers as a refreshing alternative to the service provided by host water companies, the number of water connections we make has increased rapidly ever since.

Since adding water, we’ve further expanded our portfolio of services with the inclusion of fibre and electric vehicle charging connections, completing a full multi-utility offer.

As an Independent Connections Provider (ICP), we’ve been relentless in the pursuit of delivering service excellence. Ultimately, we thrive on our reputation and the relationships we create with our customers. We recognise that customers can choose where to place their business, so over the years, the mission has been to make the decision to place business anywhere other than TriConnex as difficult as possible.

Of course, our success over the last ten years would not have happened without the wonderful team we have here at TriConnex. We’ve grown together and developed together, evolved by staying open to new ideas, and for sure learned from any mistakes we’ve made along the way!

And finally, none of this would have been possible without our customers being willing to give us a try, believing in us and trusting us with their connections. We’re eternally grateful, as without customers we wouldn’t be a business at all, let alone one that has successfully completed its first decade and is now looking forward to many, many more.

David Topping, Managing Director