Popularity of electric vehicles sparks increasing demand for Stratford business

TWO friends have turned their passion for green energy into a thriving enterprise.

Ben Windsor and Geoff Amos, who co-founded electric vehicle (EV) charging installation company FusionTek four years ago, are benefitting from the switch to eco-friendly transport.

The pair design, project manage and install EV charging units for clients including city councils, public car parks and schools.

Civil engineer Ben and construction project manager Geoff met eight years ago when Geoff joined Ben’s original company LBW Building Services.

Ben, 45, and Geoff, 49, who both live in Stratford, started installing EV chargers at construction sites about six years ago and quickly realised there was huge demand and potential.

Since then, they’ve fitted almost 3,000 commercial and domestic units.

Through the networking group Coventry and Warwickshire Champions, Ben was introduced to Warwick University science park’s free business support service Business Ready, funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Warwickshire County Council.

Business support adviser Mark Wisniweski helped with strategy, leading them to focus mainly on commercial rather than domestic EV installation.

Ben said: “We’re both very passionate about the environment and enjoy what we do, which is helping businesses move to a greener and more sustainable future.”

With a move to new premises in Alderminster in the pipeline, they are hiring locally based electricians to expand their team.

FusionTek is the preferred installer in this area for Norwegian company Wattif, which helps fund public-facing EV charge points in places like car parks by covering up-front infrastructure costs and later recouping the cost through a revenue split with the landowner.

The team can also help customers tap into other schemes which subsidise costs.

Ben added: “EV chargers are good streams of revenue for businesses and councils but the stumbling block is often the infrastructure and set-up costs.

“The government’s grant system OZEV grants are available to businesses, so they can get a reduction off the installation costs.

“For example, if a company wanted four EV chargers that were double twin sockets and twin chargers, they’d get a reduction from the government of £350 per socket, which we will claim on their behalf.

“It’s a heavily incentivised industry – there are grants available for schools that cover 75 per cent of the installation costs.

“Many schools rent out their sports facilities in the evenings and more are realising EV chargers can be another great source of revenue.

“It’s the way the world is moving so businesses need to prepare, and we’re enjoying the fact that we can help out with that.”

Cllr George Cowcher, planning and economy development portfolio holder at Stratford District Council, said: “It’s good to see such an up-and-coming company doing much needed work based in Stratford.

“The need for more EV facilities will continue to grow and it is great to see a local company satisfying this.”