Yorkshire-based high-voltage engineering and contracting firm Smith Brothers continues to expand its workforce with the appointment of a new operations manager.
The latest onboarding also coincides with promotions for existing colleagues too, with Liam Smith moving into the role of technical director.
Joining as operations manager, John Rowland — who boasts an established and varied career in the industry — will support on the delivery of all design projects, services, and infrastructure as well as orchestrating the day-to-day running of all site staff. Having worked on a range of notable projects, including helping to deliver the Northern PowerGrid’s first-ever full Active Network Management (ANM), John brings decades of expertise to the business.
Prior to his time at the Northern PowerGrid, John spent 22 years as an electrical engineer in the military. He then worked for Powell (UK) Ltd (formerly Switchgear & Instrumentation Ltd) where he delivered HV and MV switchgear projects in the Oil and Gas and Petrochem sectors across the UK, Middle East, Far East and USA.
Commenting on John’s appointment, commercial director Dave Ogen said:
“John joins the business as we continue to focus on building on our industry-leading engineering capabilities, and we look forward to him supporting the wider team with his vast experience and knowledge.
“This business has had a prosperous year so far, and we required an operations manager who could effectively navigate the needs of the business as we continue to expand and build our reputation within the electrical engineering sector. John’s wealth of experience made him the obvious candidate, and he will provide invaluable support to the team as we continue to deliver a portfolio of projects in an exciting time of growth and new technologies.”
Established in 1999, Smith Brothers has worked with a vast range of organisations ranging from major nationwide utilities providers and blue-chip brands to local SMEs and construction partners.