The Hills Group magazine Issue 36 September 2015

New workshop partnership Two year contract for FAUN Zoeller at

the Purton workshop

- see page 4

Record sales for Homes Sales records are broken as home

buyers choose Hills

- see page 9

Setting the standard Quarry Products celebrates 10 years

of ready-mixed concrete sales

- see pages 10 and 11

£270,000 granthelps to protectWiltshire’s wildlife– read more on pages 14 and 15

G R O U P

Publishers Noteintouch is published by The Hills Group Limited. It is distributed three times a year to employees, pensioners, shareholders and friends of The Hills Group.

Issue No 37 will be published in December 2015Please submit news and photographs (if possible) to the Communications department, either to the address opposite, by telephone 01793 714977or via email to info@hills-group.co.uk

The Hills Group Limited, Wiltshire House, County Park Business Centre, Shrivenham Road,Swindon, Wiltshire SN1 2NR

Tel: 01793 781200

Email: info@hills-group.co.uk

Web: www.hills-group.co.uk

@HillsGroup /HillsGroup

The Hills Group Limited

The Hills Group Limited makes every effort to verify all

information contained within intouch but does not

warrant to its accuracy. No view or opinion expressed

within intouch should be considered to be that of The

Hills Group Limited, its associated companies or any

director or officer in its employment.

Butterflies andskateparksRarely does the process of how a tax is raised andspent receive praise. However the Government’sdecision nearly 20 years ago to allow a proportionof the landfill tax raised by operators to beretained and donated to eligible local causes isdefinitely an exception.

The stunning cover picture of an Orange Tipbutterfly on a bluebell relates to a recent donationto local wildlife conservation (which is featured onpages 14 and 15). The accompanying articleregarding the donation to a skatepark in Calnedemonstrates the breadth of support that isenabled by the Landfill Communities Fund.

Mixing with the right peopleCongratulations to all those involved in thecompany’s ready-mixed concrete business forreaching its 10th anniversary. You can readabout how this operation has grown impressivelyover the last decade to form a very important

part of Quarry Products’ activities on pages 10 and 11.

Partnering successGood business is all about building partnerships and you can readabout two diverse examples in this issue. The outsourcing ofvehicle repair and maintenance at Waste Solutions’ Purtonworkshop is covered on page 4 – and should lead to cost savingsand greater operational efficiency of the truck fleet. On page 12you can read about how Quarry Products is actively partnering withcolleges to develop quarry industry specific courses for potentialengineering employees of the future.

Best wishes, Michael Hill, chief executive

view

poin

tContents

2 intouch intouch 3

03 Shareholders’ tour• Shareholders visit key operational sites

04 Waste Solutions news• Workshop partnership at Purton• TyreWatch trial• Trevor Tuck retires• Wiltshire contracts update• Melksham top HRC recycling table

06 Waste Solutions news• Aspire 'Safety First Always' event• Dave Long MBE• Commercial sales update

07 Cerney Wick• Cerney Wick update• New Quarry website

08 Homes• Developments update• Record sales

10 Concrete• 10 years of ready-mixed concrete• Newbury concrete plant improvements

12 Quarry news• UTC Swindon curriculum• Work placement• Wessex FM visit Woodsford

14 Cover storyCover image of Orange Tip butterfly courtesy of ©Stephen Davis WWT.• £270,000 for Wiltshire’s wildlife reserves• £50,000 for Calne Skate Bowl

16 Sporting connections• Supporting sport and the arts• Golf round-up

18 Group news• Remembering Robert Hill• Obituaries• Hills history brochure• Getting to know... Dawn Jennings• Swindon Town news and ticket offer

20 Back page • Spot the difference for 4 x £25 prizes• Spot the ball winner• 'Allo ’Allo

Hills’ shareholders enjoyed a busy, sun-drenched day visiting a selection of key operational sites. Following the Hills UKBoard meeting shareholders set off to theCotswold Water Park to see the new Cerney Wick Quarry before calling in toHomes’ recently completed development at Battlewell, Purton. Family members were able to catch-up over a lunch at The PearTree restaurant in Purton before further visits in the afternoon tothe Lower Compton MRF and Homes’ popular Station Meadowsdevelopment in Calne. Shareholder Nick Hill, commented: “I mustsay I thoroughly enjoyed the recent shareholders’ meeting andtour and found it very informative.”

Sun shines on the shareholder tour

Mike Hill chief executive (right) with his cousin and shareholder Charlie Hill.

Peter Andrew explains how the Cerney Wick Quarry site is developing.

Shareholders take a look at the impressive properties at Battlewell, Purton.

Shareholders Anna Ozberk and Sarah Scarlett enjoy their

tour of the Battlewell development.

Nick King, Group director HillsHomes shows the shareholderparty around the Station Meadowsdevelopment in Calne.

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The agreement means FAUN Zoeller has taken responsibility forscheduled maintenance and repairs, MOTs, servicing, LOLERCertification (Lifting Operations and Lifting EquipmentRegulations) and on-going task management.

After a comprehensive review it was decided that the mostefficient and economical solution would be to refurbish and re-equip the Purton workshop facility. New specialist diagnosticequipment was purchased, so chassis servicing could be kept inhouse creating further cost savings and convenience. Theworkshop has also been equipped with an imprest stock facilityensuring that sufficient parts and stock are available at alltimes. If for any reason stock is not available, FAUN Zoeller cancall on a next day delivery service should specialist parts beneeded from Germany.

The existing three workshop technicians, one supervisor andone administrator have been supplemented with a further twotechnicians to support fleet repair and maintenance operations.

FAUN Zoeller also appointed a regional account manager, basedat the Purton depot, with sole responsibility for the Hillscontract. With the extra team members, shift patterns wereadjusted and operating hours extended to offer a more flexibleservice. Reflecting after the first months of the new contract,Gary McKinnon, commercial manager Waste Solutions said:

“FAUN Zoeller has enhanced the skills anddependability the Purton workshop wasknown for. I want to thank all the workshopteam members for making the transitionfrom Hills to FAUN Zoeller such a smoothone. Their skills and commitment are helpingto minimise down time and to keep ourtrucks on the road.”

W A S T E S O L U T I O N S

Following on from the success of the priceper kilometre contract signed with fleetmanagement specialists Tructyre, fourvehicles from the Waste Solutions fleet arenow trialling an innovative tyre pressuremonitoring system – TyreWatch.

Under-inflation is the leading cause of tyre failure, as heat canbuild up which may lead to a dangerous blowout. Correctlyinflated tyres last longer and help to maintain fuel efficiency byreducing rolling resistance. As a tyre can lose up to half of itsinflation pressure and not appear to be flat, accurate monitoringof tyre pressure is imperative. The TyreWatch system uses asensor/transmitter fitted on each wheel which provides realtime reporting to the driver and transport managers, helping toprevent roadside breakdowns whilst maximising vehicle uptime.

Treading carefully–TyreWatch system is trialled

…a new workshoppartnership at Purton

Trevor Tucks in to farewell meal

Congratulations to the MelkshamHousehold Recycling Centre teamwho recycled 84.2% of the wastereceived at their site betweenMarch and July 2015. Melkshamnarrowly pipped Trowbridge tothe top position in the leaguetable. As recycling manager,Henry Newbery commented: “Allof the HRC teams have workedreally hard to ensure thatmembers of the public arerecycling as much as possible ofwhat they are bringing to thesites and this is reflected in the impressive recycling results.”

1 Melksham HRC 84.2% 2 Trowbridge HRC 83.95%3 Warminster HRC 83.6% 4 Marlborough HRC 82.6%

Team effort secures first three Lots ofWiltshire contractWaste Solutions has beenawarded contracts for Lots1, 3 and 4 following theprocurement process forWiltshire Council’s wastemanagement services.

• Lot 1: Management of Recyclingand Transfer Services (includingthe operation of material recyclingfacilities and waste transfer stationsand two household recycling centres)

• Lot 3: Garden Waste CompostingServices

• Lot 4: Treatment and Disposal of Residual Waste (hazardous, non-hazardous, municipal and inert landfill)

Each of these contracts will startfrom 1 August 2017 and will run foreight years, with the option for theCouncil to extend each contract by afurther eight years.

A dedicated team of Waste Solutionsand Group employees workedincredibly hard to put together whatwere ultimately successful tenderproposals for Lots 1, 3 and 4 of thecontract. Reflecting on the success,Mike Webster, Group director WasteSolutions said: “I would like to takethis opportunity to thank everyonewho was involved in the contractretender bid. Waste Solutions iscommitted to continue providing thesame high levels of service anddelivery for the remainder of theexisting contract with WiltshireCouncil.”

A decision regarding the award ofcontracts for Lot 2 (management ofremaining HRCs) and Lot 5 (wastecollection services including kerbsidecollection of recyclate, black baghousehold waste and garden waste)will be made at a Wiltshire CouncilCabinet meeting later in the year.

Top spot for the Melksham Household Recycling Centre

The service and maintenanceof Waste Solutions’ commercialfleet has been outsourced tovehicle repair and maintenancespecialists FAUN Zoeller on atwo year contract – with Hills’Purton workshop teamtransferred over to theemployment of FAUN Zoeller.

Nick Goddard, site operative and Robin Pearse, site supervisor at theMelksham HRC site (Shane Flexon, not pictured).

Colleagues said goodbye to long-serving recycling areamanager, Trevor Tuck with a farewell lunch at the La Carbonararestaurant in Swindon. Trevor worked at Hills for 17 years and helped to set up a number of key Waste Solutionssites including the Lower Compton Materials Recycling Facility and the RecyclablesManagement Facility at Amesbury. Reflecting on his career with Waste Solutions, Trevorsaid: “I have been with Hills for 17 years and have enjoyed my time working with you all.I would like to thank all my colleagues in Waste Solutions for all the help and assistancethey have given me and I wish the Hills Group success in the future.”

Pictured left to right are vehicle technicians Huw Treharne, Dave Barrett, Bill Wills and Robert Abel workshop supervisor.

Trevor Tuck hands over to his replacement Daniel Everson.

Waste Solutions’educational event praised

It's been a busy time for Waste Solutions'sales team. Here are some of the latestdevelopments:• Valuable contract secured to supply a range of waste and

recycling bins at the £26 million Cirencester Retirement Village.

• Expansion of waste management work with Churchill ContractServices at the Regents Circus development in Swindon.

• Main waste management supplier supporting BritanniaConstruction at the Swindon Orbital Retail Park redevelopment.

• Contracts starting with three new schools in Chippenham,Royal Wootton Bassett and Malmesbury.

• Recent new business win managing asbestos transportationand disposal for Maylarch Environmental.

Commercial sales update

Dave Long MBE, Aspire service manager andRichard Bond, contracts manager

before the start of a very busy day at Waste Solutions’ stand.

Waste Solutions joined other Aspire Defence Services Limited(ADSL) contractors at an educational event held at the TidworthOval. Ten teams of six from across Ministry of Defence garrisonsvisited each contractors’ tent to take part in a competitive series ofexercises to promote safe and efficient working practices.

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What willCerney WickQuarry produce?

10mm, 20mm & 40mmaggregates

0-4mm concrete sand

0-2mm fine washedsand

New Vs previousQuarry website:• The average sessions per month

(the number of times the websiteis visited) has increased by 60%

• Visitors are spending longerexploring on the site

• Visitors are also looking at morepages on each visit.

The washing plant takes shape at Cerney Wick.

As we go to press, the 85 hectare CerneyWick Quarry, in the Cotswold Water Park isnearing completion with commissioningtrials underway and the first salesexpected in a matter of weeks.The aggregate washing plant will be capable of processing180 tonnes per hour of extracted materials and will produceconcreting aggregates and sand for supply to the localmarket and Hills’ own concrete plants. Look out for anupdate on our latest quarry in the next issue of intouch.

Waste Solutions set two timedchallenges for the teams. A quiz wherecontestants had to ‘fish’ for the correctanswers to ten recycling relatedquestions; and a practical wastesorting exercise using litter pickerswhere contestants had to put differentitems of waste into the correctrecycling containers.

Dave Long MBE, service manager,Waste Solutions commented: “Thefeedback has been that everyone enjoyed the event and they are looking forward to what we will donext year. I still get people asking me for some of the answers, so it did have a memorable impact.”

Dave Long’s work as servicemanager for the Aspireaccount has attracted praisefrom the customer andcolleagues alike over theyears – but it is a little knownfact Dave is also a ‘Memberof the Most Excellent Orderof the British Empire’ (MBE).

Dave was awarded his MBEin the Queen’s birthdayhonours list of 1993, for‘outstanding contributionand excellence to the unitand regiment' (RoyalPioneers) in his role asTraining Sergeant Major atthe regimental DepotHeadquarters.

Cerney Wick – progress report

New Quarry website generates customer enquirieswww.hills-quarry.co.uk – Quarry Products’website was relaunched in May with afresh, contemporary design and visitors tothe new site are spending longer browsing,viewing more pages and sending more sales enquiries.

Clear product photography is complemented by examples oftypical uses. There is a new section showcasing the products

supplied to the various industry sectors Quarry Products serves,including construction, agriculture and builders merchants.There’s even a concrete calculator which works out how muchready-mixed concrete you will need.

Commercial manager Stuart Allen said: “The new website looksvery professional and has been very well received by ourcustomers. The ‘add to enquiry’ feature is proving particularlypopular attracting numerous sales enquiries every day.Customers can simply click on the products they are interestedin, add their contact details and one of the telesales team willcall them back.”

The weighbridge and office are now in place.

Q U A R R Y P R O D U C T SW A S T E S O L U T I O N S

“The waste segregation exercise was enjoyable,informative and most importantly fun. Dave’sknack of being able to turn a fairly mundane(although not all of us share that opinion)subject into an interesting and fun one is a greatattribute and should not be underestimated.From a business point of view, waste recyclingand segregation is an area we get a hugeamount of buy-in which continues to grow fromstrength to strength.”

Rick Pembleton, Support Services Manager, ADSL

Hills’ homes are proving very popular with advance reservations suggesting that sales for2015/16 are going to be close to pre-recession levels. This builds on the results for 2014/15which saw annual sales of Hills’ homes at the highest level since 2007.Group director Nick King commented: “We take pride and care indesigning our housing developments using quality materials tocreate highly desirable homes. We are pleased that homebuyersrecognise this and that we are experiencing this level of interest

and demand. It is fair to say that the government’s Help to Buyscheme for property values under £600,000 has helpedstimulate demand, along with the changes to Stamp Duty whichcame into force on 4th December 2014.”

Buyers are sold on Homes’ quality

Home sales in April 2015 totalled an

impressive £2.75 millionintouch 9

H O M E S

The Orchard, South MarstonConstruction is progressing well at the site with two of the fourplots already reserved and a number of prospective buyershaving already registered their interest.

Stembridge Close, BurghclereFollowing the release of Hills Homes’ latest brochure, three ofthe six plots have already been reserved as the foundationsbegin to set in this charming rural village.

Station Meadows, CalneAll properties in phases one and two of this populardevelopment have now sold, with just a few houses remainingin phase three.

Battlewell, PurtonTwo of the four bedroomfamily homes are already reserved at thisdevelopment. The ‘Pry’ viewhome is open from 10.00am– 2.00pm every Saturday.

Cow Bridge Mill, MalmesburyBuilding work hasn’t even begun and a number of prospective buyers have alreadyregistered their interest in this exclusive development. A stylish brochure is indevelopment showcasing the 13 new homes.

The completed phase 2 of area of Station Meadows (and below).

‘The Fox’ house type at Battlewell, Purton.

What a view from the view home!

Developments update ...

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Quarry Products’ ready-mixed concretebusiness is celebrating a decade of trading.Since the first concrete plant opened atShorncote Quarry in October 2005, thebusiness has gone from strength to strengthand now boasts five state-of-the-artproduction plants supplying customers acrosscentral southern England, from Oxfordshire toDorset and Somerset to Berkshire. The company had a brief foray into the ready-mixed concretesector in the 1980’s as ‘Hills Readymix’. In 2005 the boarddecided to once again enter the market, rebranding as HillsConcrete Limited under the stewardship of the late Paul Dixonas general manager. The industry recognised accreditation ofQSRMC membership (Quality Scheme for Ready-MixedConcrete) was achieved at the first time of asking – givingcustomers a mark of quality assurance which continues in themodern business.

From ‘Mini-mix’ deliveries for smaller applications to specialistconcrete pumping projects (see pictures right), Quarry Products'ready-mixed concrete business continues to seize opportunitieswhen they arise.

Group director, Peter Andrew was keen to praise the QuarryProducts team: “The concerted efforts of a tight-knit teamfrom sales and the office staff, through to the concreteoperations and our dedicated franchisee drivers has seen theready-mixed concrete business thrive in a competitivemarketplace. Our shared commitment to give our customersthe very best products and service leaves us well placed tomaximise future opportunities.”

Quarry Products’ ready-mixed concrete plant in Newbury hasreopened following a substantial refurbishment programme.

The brand new plant operates with botha dry batch and pan mixer offering awider product range and a morecomplete service for customers inNewbury, Berkshire and the surroundingareas. Whilst the Newbury plant stilloffers the usual reliable deliveryservice, customers can now load theirown vehicles with ready mixed floorscreed and semi-dry concrete mixeswith loads as small as 0.5m³ available.

Concrete business manager StuartCordy, said: “We would like to thank ourcustomers and owner driver, Ivan Hannington for bearing with us during theworks. The investment means we now have a state of the art concrete batchingfacility which is delivering increased volumes and new products to our customersand better returns for Hills Quarry Products. In addition noise and dust suppression and water recycling efficiency have been improved.”

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Q U A R R Y P R O D U C T S

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Setting the standard The ready-mixed concrete business celebrates10 years

NewburyConcrete PlantNew and improved!

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Quarry Products’ first ready-mixed concrete plant takes shape at Shorncote in 2005.

Ready-mixedconcretebusiness innumbers:• In the first full year of trading

(2005/06), Shorncote and LowerCompton plants supplied 65,000m³of ready-mixed concrete

• In the last full year of trading(2014/15), 5 plants supplied166,000m³

• The ready-mixed concrete businessstarted with four mixer trucksservicing one plant - there is now afleet of 20 franchised mixer trucksand Quarry Products’ own mixer.

Significant projects include:

• Infrastructure support for theOlympic sailing venue in Weymouth

• Town centre redevelopmentDorchester

• Redevelopment of former RAFLyneham base

• New St Johns School, Marlborough

• New complete farm unit for theRothschild family.

• Increased cement capacityfrom 80 tonnes to 180 tonnes

• Increased productioncapability from 22m³ per hourto 60m³ per hour

• 2m³ pan mixer facility expandsproduct range to includetraditional screed, collectionsand other value addedproducts

• 24/7 working available

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Wessex FM visit Woodsford

Q U A R R Y P R O D U C T S

Oliver Thompson with Andrew Liddle, divisional director for Quarry Products.

UTC Swindon students will be visiting a number of Quarry Products' sites as part of their course.

An undergraduate studying Appliedand Environmental Geology at theUniversity of Leicester, has joinedQuarry Products on a three-monthwork experience placement.

Ollie says hello to Quarry

The team at Woodsford Quarry got a visit from the radio station Wessex FM to acknowledgetheir fundraising efforts for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance on ‘Bring A Pound To WorkDay’. As you can see the Woodsford team were delighted to help such a worthy cause!

Oliver Thompson who lives in Swindon,contacted Quarry Products with the aimof gaining some industry experiencewithin a quarry environment. A detailedthree-month programme was establishedfor Ollie’s placement includingdeployments to a number of quarries,and activities introducing him to areas ofthe business including environmental,technical, sales, accounting and haulage.

As Ollie entered the last month of hisplacement with Hills he said: “I havereally enjoyed this experience.Interacting with everyone across thequarry division and being involved in theweighbridge and data samplingprocesses has given me invaluableexperience and a real feel for theindustry. I learn a lot about materialssuch as oil, gas and metal at university,so it has been really interesting tounderstand more about aggregates andquarrying and I am hoping to learn asmuch as I can before I go back touniversity.”

Working towardsapprenticeships In addition to developing the UTC Swindoncurriculum, Quarry Products is also liaisingwith Wiltshire College, Lackham to explore thepotential of developing quarrying-specific

apprenticeships for roles including mobile plant operatives. Lookout for more news on this in future issues of intouch.

Committed to professional development Quarry Products is equally committed totraining existing employees. A close

relationship with University of Derby’s Centre for Mineral ProductsProfessional Development has seen a number of employeesachieve work-based professional qualifications in subjectsincluding concrete technology and construction materials.

Quarry Products and UTC Swindon syllabus 1. Introduction to the Mineral Products industry

2. Identifying a quarry

3. Planning and design

4. Setting up a new quarry

5. Operating a quarry

6. Restoration and aftercare

7. Added value products

8. Concrete technology

9. Concrete production

10. Asphalt technology.

Quarry Products will play a leadingrole in helping to shape the engineersof tomorrow following a partnershipagreement with University TechnicalCollege (UTC) Swindon. UTC Swindon is one of 30 UTCs across the countryhelping to fill the UK skills gap through the provisionof high quality technical education for 1 4–19 year oldsinterested in pursuing an engineering career.

Quarry Products has devised a broad rangingcurriculum (see right), which will help UTC Swindon studentsprepare for the world of work through a series of quarryindustry-specific projects. Quarry Products’ managers will belecturing at the £10 million state-of-the-art UTC facility laterthis year, whilst students will visit quarry sites as part of theircourse.

Peter Andrew, Group director – Quarry Products who has beenthe driving force behind this initiative said: “Our industry has aproblem recruiting young engineers, as they are choosing othercareer paths as a result of not understanding what we do orhow we do it. The partnership with UTC Swindon is an importantfirst step in addressing the lack of training for engineering rolesin the quarry industry which will hopefully help us to recruittalented work-ready young people.”

New curriculum will help train tomorrow’s engineers

Watch an interview with Peter Andrew, Group director – Quarry Products (filmed for UTC Swindon TV) on Hills’ YouTube channel www.youtube.com/TheHillsGroup

Wiltshire’s wildlife reserves get £270,000 funding boost

Calne skaters bowled over with Hills’grant

The funding from Hills will be used by the Trust to care for itsinternationally important meadows and downland reserves likeMorgan’s Hill, between Calne and Devizes, Clattinger Farm nearMalmesbury, and Coombe Bissett Down near Salisbury.” Dr GaryMantle MBE, the CEO of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust said: “Wiltshire

remains a national stronghold for both downland and lowland haymeadows. For 25 years The Hills Group has provided financialsupport for the Trust’s nature conservation work. Their generosityand consistent support has been hugely important in helping tokeep Wiltshire special.”

G R O U P

The Hills Group has granted £270,000 through the Landfill Communities Fund to helpWiltshire Wildlife Trust manage its 40 nature reserves across the county.

A £50,000 Landfill Communities Fund grantfrom Hills has helped turn dreams of a skatebowl in Calne into a reality. Steve Burns, divisional director Hills Waste Solutions, said:“Previous consultation with the young people of Calne hadidentified that they needed a skatepark facility in the town andfor Hills it is a real pleasure to see that they have achieved thiswith our help.”

William Kay, Wiltshire Council youth development co-ordinator,Calne, said: “To see the young people’s hard work realised throughthe construction of a new skate bowl is fantastic. Good times!”

Calne Mayor Howard Marshall added: “For three years theyoungsters have worked hard as a group to achieve this. They are policing it and maintaining it themselves."

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(l to r) Mike Hill, chief executive; Alan Pardoe, chairman, with Dr Gary Mantle (MBE) CEO Wiltshire Wildlife Trust on a visit to Morgan’s Hill Nature Reserve.

Calne’s skateboard and scooter enthusiasts test their skills at the finished skate bowl.

Fragrant orchids are abundant at

the Morgan’s Hill Nature Reserve.

Steve Burns, divisional director, Waste Solutions(2nd left) presents a plaque celebrating the

opening of the Calne Skate Bowl to Jake Brockchairman of the bowl project and Calne Town

Mayor Howard Marshall with Mary Hardwidgegrants officer for Community First (right).

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G R O U P

Golf round-up

The 30th annual Hills Wiltshire Junior Golf Championships

Hills’ guests enjoytheir time in the sunTen teams made up of Hills’ employeesand guests took to thecourse for 18holes between the Professionals’ rounds. The quality of play wasn’t quite up to professional standardsbut everyone thoroughly enjoyed their day. The teamcaptained by Waste Solutions’ commercial manager GaryMcKinnon (above right) won the overall team prize whilst thelongest drive competition was won by James Lodge fromTuckwell & Sons and Gary Brown from Image Styles wasnearest to the pin.

Play-off gives Langdon second winat Hills Wiltshire Professionals’ GolfChampionshipsPerfect conditionsprevailed at MarlboroughGolf Club for the 35thstaging of the HillsWiltshire Professionals’ Golf Championships, as 26of Wiltshire’s professionalgolfers took part in the 36 hole competition.

Ross Langdon ofGloucester Golf Club (previously South Cerney Golf Club ) andAndy Beal of Salisbury and South Wiltshire Golf Club faced eachother in a sudden-death play-off to determine the winner.

After 36 holes Langdon and Beal both finished on level par toforce the play off over holes 10 and 18. Langdon’s birdie on thepar 5 10th hole secured him a two-shot victory.

A record 69 young golfers from various clubsacross Wiltshire took part in this year’s HillsWiltshire Junior Golf Championships at BroomeManor Golf Club on 27 August.

In the Boys Championship three players pencilled an impressive

score of 75 to force an exciting three-hole play off which waswon by 14 year old Kyle Campbell, Wrag Barn GC (centre).

Seona Mauchline, High Post GC (right) won the GirlsChampionship with a gross score of 77, seven shots ahead ofher closest rival.

The best nett score came from 13 year old Sebastian James,Wrag Barn GC (left) who carded 67.

In addition to Landfill Communities Fund grants,Hills also supports a number of local sportsteams and community arts events with directfunding. intouch takes a look at a selection ofthis year’s sponsorship deals:

Calne Town Football ClubThe start of the 2015/16 season saw Hills extend its sponsorshipdeal with Calne Town Football Club for a fifth consecutive year.Simon Gardner, chairman of Calne Town FC said: “Hills’ continuedsupport since 2010/11 has been a key contributor in maintainingthe heartbeat of this football club.”

Westbury RFC & Marlborough RFCHills’ commitment to the Westbury community was extended thisyear with a kit sponsorship deal for Westbury Rugby Football Club(RFC). Hills’ logo will appear in a prominent position on the players’shorts. Hills has also renewed its longstanding shirt sponsorshipdeal with Marlborough RFC.

Barbury International Horse Trials and Horseless SteeplechaseHills sponsored events for both four legged and two leggedcompetitors this year. Hills sponsored the Stonehenge fence at theprestigious Barbury International Horse Trials and was also one ofthe main sponsors of the Horseless Steeplechase in which runnerstake on the same Barbury course as the horses.

1st –11th OctoberThis year is the 40th anniversary andpromises a diverse programme of local andinternational talent.www.calnemusicandartsfestival.co.uk

25th September –11th OctoberHills is sponsoring the festival for a third year. For more information visit www.wmafestival.co.uk

Marlborough Jazz FestivalThe Hills Group has sponsoredthe Marlborough Jazz Festivalsince its inception in 1986 –and The Lamb Inn was onceagain bedecked in Hills’branding to host aneclectic mix of musicaltalent over three nights.

One of the highlightswas the high octaneChicago-style bluesquintet ‘Built forComfort’. A greattime was had by all.

Showing our support

Sponsored events coming up…Hills is also sponsoring two community music and arts festivals this Autumn.

The 2015/16 Calne Town FC line-up for their first game of the season in their newkit with Gary McKinnon, commercial manager Waste Solutions (centre).

An equine competitor draws the eyeto Hills’ advertising banner at theInternational Horse Trials.

One of the Horseless Steeplechasecompetitors ‘digs deep’ to passBarbury’s Stonehenge themed area.

Hills Group chief executive Mike Hill presents Westbury RFC with their Hills branded shorts ahead of the new season.

Ross Langdon receives the Hills trophy from Barry Sandry, Captain of The PGA

England and Wales West Region.

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G R O U P

Geoffrey CottleShareholder, Beverly Hillshares his recollections of acompany stalwart who sadlypassed away this year.

"Geoffrey Cottle joined Hillsfollowing the company'sdecision to enter the wastedisposal sector. Geoffrey wasinvolved in this new activityfrom day one, setting up themain landfill sites at Badburyand Purton brickworks. Withhis usual enthusiasm, senseof humour and leadershipqualities he directed the plantoperators and drivers involvedto the satisfaction of the localinspector of landfill sites.Over time he devised methods which came to be accepted bythe authorities as best practice for later landfill sites. This initself was a tribute to Geoffrey's capability, expertise andsuccess in landfill site management. He will be rememberedwith affection and gratitude by all who knew him."

Dave Wakefield We were also saddened to hear of the sudden death oflongstanding Quarry Products’ contractor Dave Wakefield.Dave was never directly employed by the company yet over40 years of service he became an indispensable member ofthe team and a good friend to many Quarry Products’employees. Group director Peter Andrew commented: “Davewas one of the nicest, most dependable people you couldpossibly meet. We were all shocked to hear that Dave hadpassed away and our thoughts are with his family.”

'Top Man Up Front'

Obituaries

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It is little more than a year ago that our formerchairman Robert Hill passed away, marking theend of an era for The Hills Group.

Robert’s charisma and leadership will be long remembered, as will thepivotal role he played shaping and developing the company. A canvasprint of Robert hangs in the head office lounge area which is namedafter him, together with a plaque showing the Ode which chiefexecutive Mike Hill wrote and read at the service of remembrance.

A new brochure ‘The Hills Group, from the ground up’ has been produced celebrating thecompany’s rich 115 year history.

This publication is a substantial update on a brochure originally produced in 2000 to celebrate Hills’ centenary. ‘From the ground up’,focuses on the formative years which shaped The Hills Group, aswell as exploring the current businesses and looking ahead to thefuture direction of the company. The brochure includes someamazing photographs from the Hills archives including a brickdelivery lorry from the 1920s and a Hill family portrait from 1943(shown right). The full brochure is available to download from theHills Group website.

Geoff Cottle visited Wiltshire House in November 2014 to present chiefexecutive Mike Hill and Group director, Waste Solutions MikeWebster with a painting of the old Badbury brickworks.

Hills history brochure updated

In a new feature, intouch willbe profiling a Hills employeein each issue to find out alittle more about what theydo both inside and outside ofwork. In the first of the series we get to know DawnJennings, who has worked asan accounts assistant at theSwindon office for a year.

Describe your role… I work as part of the purchase ledgerteam on the ground floor of WiltshireHouse, County Park (turn left atreception) and report to finance directorDave Bevan. What takes up most of mytime is the processing and payment of

Hills Group invoices for all expenses/costsand services. I am also responsible forcross charging costs, reconciling inter-group accounts and delivery tickets toinvoices for Hills Homes. This all requiresmeticulous attention to detail especiallywhen preparing the Hills Group monthlyaccounts and management reports.

Dawn’s life in the fast lane…I went to my first Formula 1 GP in 1995. I was immediately hooked and havecontinued to go to races at Silverstone. I have also been to races in Belgium andSpain. In 2010 I visited MelbourneAustralia to watch the race and wasthrilled that Jenson Button won there. ThisOctober, I am travelling to Austin, Texas towatch the Grand Prix.

Getting to know... Dawn Jennings

Hills support pre-match Wembley mosaic

Dawn hangs out with Lewis and Jensen.

Question time…What’s your favourite food?Anything chocolatey.

If you won the lottery, what is thefirst thing you would buy? Annual pass to all F1 races for a year.

What’s the one piece of advice youwould give others about life? Someone said to me once: “Travelwhilst you can. Climb the mountainand don’t just sit and look at it.”

What is your dream car? Aston Martin DB9.

What was your first job? Waitress in a fish and chip restaurant.

If you would like to feature in an intouch ‘Getting to know…’ profile, contact the Communications team or email info@hills-group.co.uk

The Hills Group joined forces with other Wiltshire businesses to fund a pre-match display for Swindon Town’s League 1 playoff final at Wembley.

Sadly the ‘STFC’ mosaic didn’t inspire the team, as they were comprehensivelyoutplayed by Preston North End, finally losing 4-0. Waste Solutions’ divisionaldirector and lifelong Preston fan Steve Burns (pictured top-right) gave a brutal butaccurate summary of the game: “Your boys were never in the game and wethoroughly deserved the victory.” Well done Preston (and Steve).

Swindon Townticket dealextendedHills has extended its excitingdiscount deal with Swindon TownFC for home matches at theCounty Ground during the2015/16 season.

Hills’ employees are able to purchasetickets for friends and family withadult tickets priced at just £10, over65’s £4 and under 15’s £3. It’sbound to be another rollercoasterseason at Swindon so don’t miss out.Email info@hills-group.co.uk for moreinformation.

Dawn hangs out with Lewis and Jensen.

20 intouch

Keep up to date and keep in touch via @HillsGroup /HillsGroup The Hills Group Limited

Spot the 10differences towin one offour £25vouchers!To be one of the four winners all you haveto do is spot the 10 differences in thesetwo photos from this year’s Hills WiltshireProfessionals Golf Championship atMarlborough Golf Club. The image showseventual winner Ross Langdon teeing offin his play-off versus Andy Beal.

When you have circled the 10 differences,add your name and location and then either scan and email your entry toinfo@hills-group.co.uk or send via theinternal post to the CommunicationsDepartment at County Park. If you wouldlike a separate sheet to complete your spot the difference on please email thesame address with your request. Entriesmust be received by Friday 23rdOctober, 2015.

Name

Location

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

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H

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

G R O U P

Waste Solutions’ administrativeassistant Sam Douglas was the only oneof 70 spot the ball competition entrantsto correctly guess that the ball had beenremoved from square G11. Thanks to allwho entered and enjoy spending your£75 Tesco voucher Sam!

Sam scores withspot the ball guess ‘I will say this only wince’...

your eyes are notdeceiving you, thisreally is chief

executive Mike Hilldressed as Officer

Crabtree (thebungling‘undercover’

English agentmasquerading as a French

gendarme) from the1980s/90s sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo.

Mike ‘trod the boards’ for three nights withthe Broad Hinton Amateur Dramatic

Society in their recreation of thepopular show. Clearly this was a role

Mike could get his teeth into!

‘Allo ‘Allo Mike