Introducing Mark King, our new Water Hygiene Manager

Mark joined Environtec in January and has taken charge of all our water consultancy, assessment, and control projects.

With his responsibilities ranging from quoting and sales all the way through to delivery and aftercare, Mark has come on board to help us grow our offering in this area and find innovative ways to maintain the quality and consistency of our water-related works.

We spoke to Mark to discuss his career to date and uncover his plans for 2024 and beyond.

Mark, welcome to the team! What attracted you to your new role here at Environtec?

I was intrigued by the opportunity to build on the great work that has gone before and use my knowledge and experience to put my own stamp on Environtec’s water division. I’m based in Tunbridge Wells, so knowing it’s only a relatively short commute to Environtec’s head office in Essex was a plus, too!

How did you get into the water industry?

It was a chance encounter with a previous employer that got me into the environmental consultancy space.

I left university with a BSc in Building Engineering and Management from the University of Ulster, so I felt my skills were wasted in the role I had in my early twenties as a bar manager. The company I was working for at the time owned and operated around a dozen different premises – hotels, shops, that kind of thing – and, knowing that I was looking for a role that was more relevant to construction, they invited me to come in to assist their building compliance department. I stayed in that position for a couple of years and learned a lot from my peers.

On several occasions, the external risk assessors that came in to review their sites were impressed by my in-depth knowledge of the business’s property portfolio. After a few fated conversations, I eventually ended up joining their business as an Environmental Technician before undergoing further training and going on to specialise in water hygiene and legionella management. I worked for several different employers as an Environmental Consultant, Regional Account Manager and later as a Senior Account Manager before deciding to join Environtec at the end of 2023.  

I have worked in almost all building environments throughout my career. On the industrial side, I have looked after clients with sites ranging from pharmaceutical to aggregate and mining, and, of course, more conventional manufacturing and processing type facilities. I have worked for local authorities, providing them with an overview of their social, residential, commercial, and corporate facilities, and within the medical sector I have managed clients and contracts both in the private and NHS sectors, but also working alongside FM companies who hold overarching contracts within these fields.

How are you looking to grow Environtec’s water division in the coming months and years?

I think it’s important to mention at this stage that my appointment has not changed what Environtec can offer on the water side. We will continue to provide a full spectrum of water assessment, sampling, and control services, along with water treatment and remedial works for clients that need them.

What I do want to do within my role, however, is establish Environtec as the go-to consultancy for guidance in these areas. I also plan to improve internal efficiencies so we can deliver an even more reliable and reactive service to the people who partner with us – and my ultimate goal is to grow the team from the ground up, so we have an even greater capacity for water-related projects across the whole country.

The leadership team here has grown a large and hugely successful asbestos division. I want to follow a similar blueprint to increase our market share in water services.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My schedule can change from day to day, depending on what’s happening within the business. I’m ultimately responsible for sales, operations, and quality control across the whole water division, so there are a few hats I need to wear – but I’m a bit of a control freak, so I enjoy having the opportunity to be hands-on in all departments.

My to-do list will include everything from creating quotes for new prospects to checking reports and getting them out the door. But my biggest focus is creating and maintaining strong relationships with our clients and suppliers. I want to make sure Environtec is considered the first port of call for any water-related issues – and to me, it’s vital that I am accessible to our clients and can react to their requests as quickly as possible. So, there’s a lot of scope within my schedule for attending last-minute appointments on site and preparing costings and recommendations within very short timeframes.

I spend a lot of time in the car in between meetings, but I enjoy getting out on site, as it allows me to speak with our clients directly and gain a better understanding of what they want and need from us.

What do you believe sets our water team apart from the rest?

Our flexible nature and nationwide reach combine to ensure we’re in a good position to support clients with all kinds of requirements in the UK. Practically, we’ve got everyone’s needs covered. However, having spoken to existing clients and learned more about the setup at Environtec in the short time I’ve been here, I can genuinely say that our ethos is what makes us stand out in our industry.

It’s very cliché to say that Environtec feels like a ‘family’ – but I can already see that, when you work here, you know you’re appreciated and that your input matters. These values come from the top down; our directors are very transparent with our staff and are always accessible, and they have created an internal culture that’s quite unique for a company of their size and standing.

As well as making Environtec a fantastic place to work, this very open and honest way of working appeals to our clients, as they get the sense they are partnering with a provider that will be upfront with them and will always work with their best interests in mind. We’re certainly not out to make a quick buck; we have a long-term approach to relationship building and are very careful not to oversell.

I also think the fact that we can adjust our processes to meet our clients’ monitoring and reporting requirements is a big draw. Our systems are not rigid. We have an excellent online portal that our clients can use if they need to, but if a company is already using a particular compliance platform, we can send them everything they need to bring their records up to date, in a format that works for them.

What does your life look like outside of work?

I’m at the age now where my main hobby is looking after my children! I have four-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, so they keep me on my toes. Our schedule is quite hectic; my weekends are often spent ferrying them between kids’ parties and finding other fun things we can do as a family. Personally, I try to stay active and enjoy running and working out at the gym when I can.

Any final words?

If you have a question or query relating to your water setup, just get in touch with myself or the team here at Environtec for advice. In the best-case scenario, we’ll be able to recommend the right way forward and help you meet your compliance needs. Otherwise, you’ll get the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’re on the right track, and that any works that have gone before have been carried out to the appropriate standards. There’s very little we can’t help you with! For more information or to get a quote for your upcoming water works, please call the office team on 01245 381900 or contact Mark directly on mark.king@environtec.com.