Name: John Walker

Role: Director

Tell us a little bit about how you came to join Hannan Associates and what it was like when you started.

The previous director decided to emigrate to New Zealand and I responded to a Hannan advertisement for an Electrical Director Designate.

I was interviewed by Bill, Heather and Ian and was lucky to land the position.

Hannan Associates was a successful business with a good reputation when I joined but I could see there were areas of improvement needed to underpin the success and move it forwards.

There was too much focus on Bill Hannan as an individual and not enough on the other talented people in the business so we began to market the wider skills base with clients.

How has the business changed since you joined?

The Business relocated to a new office in Denton which showcased some of the ideas and technologies we were recommending to clients at the time.

The design processes and the skills we require have evolved, driven by the availability of design software and faster computer technology.

Sustainability and the need to improve the performance of buildings has significantly enhanced our role within the design teams and our relationship with the architect.

The increased complexity of developments and buildings has resulted in more specialists being required within the team and we now offer a much wider range of services to clients to meet this demand.

We now operate successfully in a wider range of sectors some of which have been planned and some has been in response to repeat client requests.

What do you think has been the key to keeping so many long-term clients happy over the years?

Everyone in the business is aware of how important it is to keep repeat clients happy and has a good understanding of what it takes but I think it goes beyond that because our people are genuinely interested in delivering what is needed for success on the projects even if that means stepping outwith our scope and I think clients recognise this.

In terms of the process for us it includes; helping to define our own scope, self management, building relations with the team, flexibility, commercial awareness, technical competence, meeting deadlines, good communication and delivering value on fees.

What do you think the next ten years holds for Hannan Associates and the industry?

The focus on sustainability will continue to offer significant opportunities as we approach the worldwide carbon deadlines for 2030 and beyond.

The pace of change looks like it will be the main challenge for us over the coming years. If we are to take advance of the opportunities we will need to embrace and master the new technologies and design tools which are likely to include AI.

Construction needs to be more diverse and whilst we have moved forwards there is much more to do.

What are you most proud of in terms of your contribution to the business? 

The systems and processes which we have implemented to help us deliver our services.

The successes we’ve had with the people who joined us a graduates and trainees – even the ones who moved on.

The freedom enjoyed by the staff and the absence of red tape and bureaucracy.

The stability of the company and the way we have responded UK and World recessions.

Name: Ian Joyce

Role: Director

Tell us a little bit about how you came to join Hannan Associates and what it was like when you started.

Hannan Associates was formed after Bill Hannan left Thermal Transfer and i joined within 6 months of the inception when there were only 3 staff and we were working in Bills dining room at his house in Charlesworth. 

 We were working on various schemes involving Energy Efficiency schemes for factories including decommissioning Oil and Steam plant and replacing with decentralised gas fired plant.  We also worked on a quite a few projects in Saudi Arabia at that time including some historic Mosque redevelopments. For the first two years we stayed in Charlesworth but space became an issue and we had to find new accommodation.  Hannan’s initially rented then bought a building in Marple which required conversion to offices.  In a short space of time after that the staffing levels reach over 40 and i had a remote office set up in another building

There was a breakthrough into larger projects when we were invited to assist in early stages of a very large London Docklands development.  This was pre curser to the Canary Wharf scheme but it kicked off all the major development in the area of London.

Over the next few years after an initial scheme to replace the floodlighting at Old Trafford, we also got involved in numerous stadia projects for Bolton, Manchester United, Manchester City, Blackburn and others.

How has the business changed since you joined?

The world has changed and whilst we started with energy saving schemes that would also be saving carbon, the extent of change of emphasis and the responsibilities of the Building Services Engineer are much greater and more significant in the design of buildings.

Nearly all projects now have a multitude of targets, modelling and reports to meet the various standards. In the 80s for a typical office scheme we would just need to meet building regulations but now we have to consider much tougher building regulations, Development Briefs, BCO Guidance, BREEAM Certification, Wired Score, Well Building, Low Carbon Targets, NABERS rating, Passive Design, Indoor air quality, LCA reports, Fire engineering strategies and Specific Planning requirements.

Then there are new requirements under the Golden Thread which are starting to be included.

What do you think has been the key to keeping so many long-term clients happy over the years?

It’s about being thorough and listening to what clients want and dealing with any problems quickly and honestly.

What do you think the next ten years holds for Hannan Associates and the industry?

It difficult to imagine but the next planned changes to building regulations and the golden thread are going to make a big difference to the work in getting a job out of the door and built.  The services engineer is going to have to be even more  involved in building design strategies.

What are you most proud of in terms of your contribution to the business? 

It’s just great to know that we were part of developing buildings which will be around for years to come and are used by thousands of people.