The year 2019 has gone out with a bang for Stewart Clague Services Limited, which reached its milestone 50th anniversary and celebrated other notable accomplishments including its managing director receiving an MBE.

From the moment Stewart Clague co-founded SCS Limited in 1969 as a sole trader with his wife Barbara, the company has grown from strength to strength, taking on challenging projects that prove it is more than just a plumbing company.

Today the Isle of Man-registered business possesses an impressive range of skills in all aspects of design: heating; electrical; joinery; ventilation; water treatment; boiler servicing and other specialist building works with a team of 108 staff members delivering quality service.

Alan Clague, facilities management director and the co-founders’ son, said: ’We are constantly investing in our people and growing our skill sets.

’We have delivered a multitude of projects across a magnitude of customers.’

During the 70s, a shift in the island’s economy from tourism to the financial industry meant SCS Limited had to look further than hotels.

A partnership was soon forged with a major UK contractor and this led to the company completing a large number of office blocks in the island’s capital.

It was quickly established by SCS Limited that these buildings would need routine maintenance on the state-of-the-art ventilation and building management systems.

Stewart set up a Facilities Management (FM) division, making his company the first FM solutions provider in the island.

As all trades were required to carry this out efficiently, the company began to expand further.

Fast forwarding on to this past decade, SCS Limited has drawn on these skills that have been developed into expertise while covering domestic properties as well as larger well-known organisations, schools, hospital wards and the National Sports Centre.

Most recently it provided all trades at Comis in Mount Murray which reopened in 2018, and completed fire strategy, plumbing and electrics at Mannin Hotel in Douglas, which opened in 2016.

Other Manx landmarks that the company has worked on in the past include Castle Mona in Douglas, which it helped refurbish in 1988, plus carrying out heating installation at the Gaiety Theatre in 1994. This was the same year SCS Limited hit its first £1m turnover. Its turnover reached £5m for the first time in 2005.

In 2017, the company achieved something very new - it completed work on the SES Satellite Earth Station on Carnane, Douglas.

Alan said: ’As the island has changed and evolved with the economy having gone from tourism to banking to finance and then e-gaming, we’ve stayed nimble and followed the market and the requirements people need assistance with - whether that be maintaining their infrastructure or installing new infrastructure as their own companies have evolved.

’We’ve seen it go full circle to the point that we are now stepping back to where we were in the 70s with new hotels being built.’

Last year more than 9,000 work requests were carried out by SCS Limited.

To mark half a century of going the extra mile for its loyal client-base, SCS Limited set itself a goal of raising £50,000 towards charitable initiatives within the Manx community.

Its main event was a benefit concert called the ’Extravaganza of Mann’, which took place within the iconic Gaiety Theatre in Douglas last July in aid of Rebecca House Children’s Hospice.

The company has maintained a strong connection with the charity and was a presenting partner for its Hospice Isle of Man initiative last year, the popular Wallabies Gone Wild art trail.

As part of the project, 26 large and 38 small decorated sculptures of the Australian-native mammal - that have also made a home in the island - were kept in secret at SCS Limited headquarters at Ballannette Country Park in Baldrine.

This was before they were taken to locations across the island for the public to enjoy.

Following SCS Limited’s last fundraising event of 2019, in support of The British Legion Poppy Appeal, the company revealed it had surpassed its target with a total of £81,240.

This amount went towards: Hospice Isle of Man and Rebecca House, Age Concern; Monitors4Kids, a parent-led campaign which aims to provide free continuous glucose monitors for type-1 diabetic children; Housing Matters; The Manx MSA Trust; Manx Motor Neurone plus the Laxey and Lonan branch of Isle of Man Anti Cancer Association as well as its continued support of the Ballannette Trust.

The amount raised during the challenge went towards Isle of Man charities as the business values the importance of building up your local community just as much as building up your own reputation and assets.

Early last year Stewart’s contribution to the Laxey and Lonan community was recognised by royalty.

On March 14 he celebrated his Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) investiture, which took place at Buckingham Palace in London.

The accolade was presented to him by Prince Charles.

Following the event, he said: ’Having Lonan and Laxey announced on the speaker at the Palace was very exciting.

’The MBE went to me, but really everything that’s been done has been done between both Barbara and me.’

A family man, Stewart has ensured as managing director that these qualities are echoed throughout his business to create a strong and friendly team.

Working alongside his son and Barbara, the director and company secretary, their board of directors is made complete with projects director Gary Crittenden and finance director Stephen Carter, who they also deem as family.

Gary holds the role of sector lead for construction with Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce and Alan is president of the Isle of Man Construction Federation - a position previously held by his father. The directors regularly attend the Department for Enterprise Cleantech Forum, which gathers together investors and companies that champion sustainable innovation. It is currently collaborating with Cambridge Cleantech Forum for a ’smartisland’.

This team is incredibly fortunate to overlook the stunning vistas of Ballannette in Baldrine from the boardroom most days of the year.

The whole nature reserve has been placed in trust for the future enjoyment of the Manx public with further lands at the Cairns in Laxey. It is dedicated to the memory of Stewart and Barbara’s daughter Annette, who sadly died in 1995, and is open to the public all year round.

Mr Carter said: ’After the land was acquired it was consequently developed to encourage wildlife to naturally arrive here. Whatever comes here has found its own way.

’Nearly 2,000 trees have been planted already and land is being added to it.

’Chief Minister Howard Quayle was delighted to hear about this as there is a government initiative to have as many trees planted in the island to match the number of residents living here.’

SCS Limited believes that, through educating the youth of the Isle of Man, nature reserves such as Ballannette can be maintained and protected for generations to come.

This year the company invited the whole of Laxey Primary School to go down with 191 of its students planting a tree each as a celebration of its milestone anniversary.

Alan said: ’It’s the next generation and it’s not just the students who get a lot out of something like this, we get a lot out of it too.

’Being in a close-knit community, if we’ve got anything to offer we’re more than happy to give that.’

He added: ’We’ve had a lot out of the island, so we’re happy to put a lot back into the island.

’We’re not embarrassed to say we’re Manx and are local. We strongly believe the corporate businesses here appreciate that.’

Stewart and Barbara were bestowed Honorary Life Membership to The Isle of Man Woodland Trust for their unfailing commitment to the regeneration of the Manx countryside

SCS Limited is known for its other green endeavours including the installation of a hydro turbine at The Salmon Lake Centre and Ballacregga Tea Rooms near the Laxey Wheel.

The company has supported Brunel University in past TT races by having their electric motorbikes charged using energy created by the turbine.

The overall green ethos of the company towards the environment resulted in it winning the 2019 UNESCO Biosphere Isle of Man Economic sustainability award in October.

Working with Professor Peter Bridgewater, the man instrumental in getting the Isle of Man Unesco Biosphere world status, the company will continue to adopt green strategies for its operations and those of its clients.

With 2019 bringing the company some excellent surprises and opportunities to connect even further with its local area as well as the wider community, SCS Limited now eagerly looks ahead with 2020 vision.

For more information, search SCS Limited’s website here: www.scs.co.im/