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2021 in Review - A year of innovation

2021 in Review - A year of innovation

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been reflecting on an extraordinary twelve months here at SRL.

It began with the announcement in January that we’d achieved three ISO certifications; ISO 14001:2015, ISO 45001:2018 and ISO 9001:2015, which set out our intention and ability to deliver the very highest standards across all our operations. And it ended with the exciting news of a major investment in SRL by 3i Infrastructure earlier this month, but a huge amount happened in between too.

Perfect Partners

There was so much to celebrate on the partnership front. All our customers, suppliers and other partners are vital to our success but there were some milestones worthy of a specific mention, including:

  • A new partnership with Solar Gates UK, bringing their unique Instaboom security barriers to SRL’s extensive customer base

  • A new partnership with Innovative Road Safety Solutions, enabling the arrival of our new Switching Service

  • The achievement of SWARCO Strategic Hire Partner status, bringing the best-performing VMS to the UK hire market

  • A new partnership with North East Ambulance Service Unified Solutions (NEASUS) around the maintenance of our vast fleet of vehicles and equipment

At the beginning of the year, we also joined the Association for Road Traffic Safety & Management (ARTSM) in a move that reflects our desire to play a key role in the conversations shaping the traffic management sector for the years ahead. 

Smart Products

As usual, demand for our innovative intelligent transport systems (ITS) products and services drove the business forward and we were involved in some high profile projects including the A46 Binley roundabout upgrade and the M6 Junction 19 upgrade. We also launched our pioneering Multiphase Adaptive Detection System (ADS),  engaging independent consultants IRConsultancy / Bryan G Hall to prove its benefits for road users.

July saw the launch of the new INSTABOOM Lite in partnership with Solar Gates UK. The little brother of the award-winning INSTABOOM work zone protection vehicle barrier, its lighter weight making it ideal for short duration traffic management.

We continued to consolidate our position at the forefront of the variable message sign (VMS) market with our Smart High Speed Messenger in high demand throughout the year. These dynamic signs helped local authorities across the UK keep the public informed with timely COVID-19 messaging. And in October, we were delighted to deploy 20 variable message signs to St James’s Park where they signposted runners in the London marathon to their starting points.

The second half of the year saw the launch of our new smart Switching Service which makes the process of switching from permanent to temporary traffic lights more cost-efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. Find out more here.

In November, our SWARCO-manufactured VMS were the first to be awarded the TOPAS TR2516C and TR2516D accreditations and if that wasn’t enough we were shortlisted for Product of the Year and Best Use of Technology (for both Urban64 and Multiphase ADS) at the Highways Industry Awards.

We were also shortlisted in the Automotive, Aerospace and Rail award category of the prestigious Made in the North West Awards.

Future-facing investments

Throughout 2021 we continued to invest in our infrastructure and people to underpin the achievement of our ambitious growth plans.

We employed new recruits across many areas and made some key appointments including Adrian Murphy (now CEO) as Chief Operating Officer, John McLaughlin as Chief Financial Officer, Matt Felce as Technical & Products Manager, two Business Development Managers and more recently Stuart Coleman as Marketing Manager.

Our unrivalled national network continued to grow with the opening of our 30th depot in Bodmin in July and in the new year we will be announcing more future-facing investments in our physical infrastructure.

And finally…

In December, 3i Infrastructure plc acquired a 92% controlling stake in SRL. This substantial investment reflects our strong market position, asset intensive model and extensive depot network and we are excited about the next phase of growth it will enable.

Looking forward to 2022

Undoubtedly this is a year the SRL team can be proud of. And next year we can expect more of the same: more growth, more innovation, more strategic partnerships, more success.

But for now, we would like to thank our colleagues, customers, partners, and suppliers for an outstanding team effort in 2021 and wish you a happy and healthy Christmas and a prosperous year in 2022. 

Cheers!

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