6 minute read
Marlin Environmental
James Neno Richard Neno
Have you ever asked yourself the question – how do aircraft carriers clean out their bilge tanks? Probably not but the answer is they don’t - they call Marlin Environmental Services.
Brothers James and Richard Neno purchased the company, headquartered in Chichester, from their father Alan in 2018, to carry on the family business. Marlin Environmental Services is a truly family-run business established in July 2003, combining more than 30 years of experience serving specialised segments of the marine and related industrial markets.
Formed to harness the vast experience of its directors and managers, to fill gaps identified in the industry, their goals then were as they are now - to provide their customers with a professional and cost-effective service at sites and locations across the UK and beyond. To survive in the competitive marine sector, they recognised they had to diversify and fill as many market gaps as possible, and they certainly achieved that goal. Quite apart from the services such as tank and bilge cleaning, exhaust clearing, ultra sonic cleaning, vapour blasting and waste management with a fl eet of eight vacuum tankers offering a capacity of 100,000 litres, they also recognised the need for total health and safety compliance, achieving UKAS standards 9001, 14001 and 18001 and full IOSH training. This satisfied the needs of their largest client, the Ministry of Defence.
Then they were hit with the pandemic and had another major job on their hands. To survive, they split the business in two parts and ran two shift patterns of 14 days each, thus allowing
the second team to be isolating whilst the first team was hard at work. This allowed them to fulfil all their obligations and to keep their entire team on full pay, and fulfil all clients’ needs. Like all forward-looking companies, they then set about expanding.
They recently purchased a new industrial unit of 13,000 sq.ft containing work shop and offices, invested in three new vacuum tankers therefore allowing them to work on the aircraft carriers, a major new paint booth and a new 3-tonne crane – and this really is just the tip of the iceberg of what they have achieved in such a short time.
Now they have to deal with Brexit and the highly probable parts supply chain issue. The answer their clients have come to expect from Marlin was swift and effective. They invested in 3D printing technology and plan to ‘print’ many of the required parts.
And it doesn’t stop there. They also care for leisure vessels along the
entire south coast, merchant marine vessel maintenance for companies such as BAE, Babcock, Carnival Cruises, Brittany Ferries and many more and an entire safety training division. Working on multi-million pound boats with highly sophisticated equipment and dangerous chemicals is something they take very seriously and now train all manner of teams for these taxing jobs.
Getting through the pandemic has been a challenge for just about every sector across the UK and it takes two main components to achieve this – forward-thinking Directors who see it as a challenge to adjust and expand their services and a highly supportive bank. They were fortunate in the latter to have David Greenough, Senior Commercial Manager for NatWest in West Sussex on their side.
James stated: ‘We are always looking into different areas to ensure our business is robust and efficient, even in the face of the pandemic and Brexit, and we really could not have done it without David and the team at NatWest. Not only did they assist my brother and l with the purchase of the company from my Dad but they got us through the worst of the pandemic. We could not have done it without them’.
Marlin is a significant success story at a time when they seem to be few and far between and if you had never given a thought to how they clean the tanks of aircraft carriers, you might now.
Marlin Environmental Services
Head office: Unit 4A, Chichester Marina, PO20 7EJ Tel: 01243 513657 Web: www.marlinsvs.co.uk Mail: info@marlinsvs.co.uk
Portsmouth 3/231A 5B East of 3 basin, Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, PO1 3NJ
Plymouth Unit 5, Scott Business Park Beacon Park Road, PL2 2PB
Residents living in flats on the outskirts of London are celebrating after predator birds helped to remove hundreds of pigeons that were making people’s lives a misery.
BIRDS OF PREY MAKE PIGEONS TAKE FLIGHT
When Cleankill Pest Control carried out a survey of the property, the company’s surveyor found a very serious pigeon problem that was creating a health hazard. There were nests in bushes, pigeon mess on walls, balconies and walkways, fly problems, nasty odours and hundreds of birds roosting on rooftops. Residents were unable to use their balconies and or the communal gardens safely and the problem was getting worse.
Investigations found that pigeons were being fed at the pond opposite and then flying over to roost on the apartment buildings.
The solution was to bring in Cleankill’s Harris Hawks to scare the birds away. Other recommendations included landscaping work to remove the low-level bushes that offered harbourage for the birds and an ideal nesting place. As soon as the hawks, Rooster and Reginald, started visiting there was an immediate reduction in bird numbers. Work then started to clean up the pigeon mess from the area, sanitise, and remove any nests and eggs. Flower beds were mostly covered with dressing and new shrubs were planted and well spaced so they couldn’t be used as hiding spaces by the birds.
In a matter of weeks, the site has been transformed. Residents can enjoy their balconies and hang out their washing, while children can now play in the open spaces without risking contracting diseases.
A spokesperson for the company that manages the site said: “Since Cleankill started working at the site we have seen a significant improvement and there should be a real, long-term benefit for the residents. We’re really looking forward to seeing what the situation will be like in six months to a year’s time.”
Cleankill surveyor Mark Hobbs added: “The residents have been thanking us for what we have done. The work had changed their lives and they can now enjoy where they live and do simple things like open their windows. It is hugely satisfying to have been able to help people in this way.”
Cleankill Technician and bird handler Alan Day added: “The pigeons had literally taken over the site. It was horrendous especially the smell. The conditions were perfect for the birds to multiply - people were feeding them and the birds had lots of places to hide. Since the residents have stopped feeding the birds and we’ve been visiting with the hawks the difference is incredible.
“I am so pleased we have been able to help. Using predator birds is a natural method of pest control and very effective. The bonus is that people really love seeing them on site and are so grateful for what we have achieved.”
The hawks will now be visiting the site three times a week to make sure the pigeons do not return.
