Business Stream has added to its team in Edinburgh, as the specialist water retailer ramps up preparations to compete in England’s non-domestic water market, in April next year.
Already the market leader in Scotland, Business Stream is set to become the third-biggest operator with an 11% share in the combined Anglo-Scottish market, having purchased the non-household customer base of Southern Water this summer. Following the deal, around 105,000 non-domestic customers across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will transfer to Business Stream.
Ahead of the transition, the company is strengthening its teams at its Edinburgh headquarters. In the first phase of recruitment, 15 new customer contact advisers have joined Business Stream, increasing its team of water and wastewater experts to ensure all its customers continue to receive the specialist support and care they need.
In addition to the new jobs in Edinburgh, the company has also opened a new office in Worthing, accommodating the team who will transfer from Southern Water as part of the acquisition.
Jo Dow, CEO at Business Stream said:
“Continuing to recruit and train the best talent to enable us to deliver great service to our existing and new customers is a key factor in our continued success.”
“Our new colleagues join us at an exciting phase in our growth. They will play an integral role in ensuring our new customers experience a seamless transfer from Southern Water, and our established customers continue to receive the support and care they need.”
“At the same time, our new Worthing base gives us a physical presence on the ground from which we can lay down roots with the neighbouring business community. In England, we have a new £2.5 billion market opening on our doorstep and we are ideally placed to take a share of it by leveraging our knowledge, capability and experience, gained from eight years of operating in the Scottish market.”
From April, around 1.2 million businesses and public bodies in England will be able to choose their water supplier, an option only currently available to the largest water users. Business Stream already looks after a number of large business customers based in England, including House of Fraser.
Business Stream is currently the largest operator in the Scottish non-domestic water market. Its most recent profit before tax was £31 million from revenue of £320 million. Headquartered in Edinburgh, it also has an office in Glasgow, and employs around 250 staff.
In June 2016 Business Stream announced it was buying the non-domestic customer base of Southern Water. The deal will formally take effect from 1 April 2017 when the English market fully opens for competition.
The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Scottish Water formed in 2007 for the opening of the competitive market in Scotland with its own board and independent management team.
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