Update

We are pleased to announce that Matrix’s holding company, Green Sky Energy, has acquired the ACME Group.

ACME was founded in 1991 by a team that had previously held senior management positions with the Swiss controls company Staefa Controls (now part of Siemens Building Technologies).

The business has a leading market position within the Building Energy services sector. It has enjoyed controlled growth since initial conception and now employs over 60 staff from a head office at Knaphill, Woking and a regional office in Olveston, Bristol. ACME is widely regarded as one of the most technical and professionally competent businesses within the UK Energy Management market.

The existing management team and shareholders will be staying with the business and it will continue to trade under the ACME name.

Ian Kelly, Chief Executive of Matrix Group, commented “I am delighted to welcome the ACME business and people into the team. This represents a key step forward in our plans to consolidate our position as the UK’s leading energy management company. The ACME management team have over 100 years of experience between them and we are pleased to have such high calibre individuals join the group, together with the team they have nurtured and developed over many years.”

"This deal brings to a close an extremely successful year for Matrix in which we have seen organic revenue growth of 26% and recruited 76 people. The addition of ACME takes our employee count to 310 compared with 106 in March 2010. It takes the combined group turnover to over £55m and further strengthens the key markets of London and the South East of England.”

"We expect 2012 to be another good year for growth on the back of major blue chip brand energy services contract wins, which include a large international win stretching across the Globe."

Sam Saunders, one of the founders of ACME, added “We are delighted to have joined forces with the UK’s leading energy management business. The integrity of the Matrix team and their commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service are very consistent with the approach which has made ACME so successful. The combination of the businesses provides security to all our staff and customers that the business can continue to develop and we are particularly excited at the opportunities created by access to Matrix’s Energy Management Centre”

http://www.acmetechnical.co.uk/

Matrix - the UK's largest energy management company - has launched the latest phase of its expansion plans by relocating and expanding two of its key bases in the UK.

The new offices - in Leeds and London - are based in the prestigious developments of Temple Point and the Tower Bridge Business Centre. The Leeds office, which covers 2,450 sq ft, is three times the size of its previous base in the city, whilst its London premises have doubled in size to 1,000 sq ft.

Ian Kelly, chief executive of Matrix, said: "The relocation of these two important centres is further evidence of our continued growth and development. Matrix has made major investment in these premises and they provide the ideal opportunity for us to expand in 2011."

He added: "Both public and private sector organisations across the UK are now understanding the importance of effective energy management. In addition to significantly reducing financial outgoings, it can also reduce the impact a company has on the environment. There is the potential for brand damage if companies aren't seen to be doing their bit for the environment. Matrix can help them avoid this and make significant savings at the same time."

The move to these new locations continues Matrix's major expansion over the last 12 months, following its merger with DWEC last August. It has recently opened a state-of-the-art energy management centre (EMC) in Glasgow and its national client base includes high-profile names such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco.

Steven Daniels, director of Matrix, said: "It's an exciting time for Matrix and the move to new offices will also create many job opportunities for experts within the energy management industry. We're actively recruiting for a number of positions, including project managers, energy auditors and service and commissioning engineers, and are very much looking forward to expanding our services across the UK and further afield."

Matrix - the UK's largest energy management company - has recruited Julian Miller to head up its expanding Unity Services division.

48-year-old Miller, from Calne in Wiltshire, joins Matrix at its head office in Manchester. He will be responsible for overseeing client operations in both London and Glasgow in order to deliver long-term energy management solutions for Matrix's client base, which includes high-profile names such as Marks & Spencer and Tesco.

Julian brings extensive experience to Matrix, having worked in the energy management industry for eight years. He joins from Uckfield-based AEC Environmental, where he delivered award-winning energy control strategies for clients including Barclays Bank, the BBC, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

For the last six years, Julian has been a council member of the Energy Services and Technology Association and is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars for the energy control industry.

Ian Kelly, chief executive at Matrix, said: "Julian's appointment comes at an important time when we're looking to expand our service operations throughout the UK and beyond. We're delighted to welcome him on board - his experience is unrivalled and, as a respected voice in the field of energy management, we're confident his knowledge will prove a real asset."

Miller added: "I'm delighted to join Matrix at what is an exciting time for the business and a period of unrivalled growth for the energy sector. I look forward to working with a company that has one of the largest portfolios of client assets in the country."

Matrix provides a national energy service that helps organisations meet their long-term energy goals. Following its recent merger with DWEC - a building energy management solutions provider - Matrix has also boosted its international capabilities to meet the demands of the 21st century energy market.

Matrix's position as an international expert on energy management was consolidated recently following its interview with a leading Korean broadcaster.

In January, a team from Korean Broadcasting Systems - the largest of Korea's four major television networks - interviewed chief executive Ian Kelly as part of its 'POWERing Ahead' documentary series.

Following the UN's 'State of the Future' report in 2008, which predicted that worldwide demand for energy will more than double in the next 20 years, the documentary aimed to give an insight into the energy challenges faced by countries around the world. KBS said it wanted to 'investigate the movements and changes in the power industry' and approached Matrix to provide an expert view.

Ian said: "The fact that Matrix was approached by KBS is testament to our status as the market leader for effective energy management. The documentary team was keen to explore energy consumption across the world and find out what the future holds in terms of smarter, more efficient, alternatives."

"Due to our diverse client base, we were perfectly placed to provide comments on these matters and proud to be ambassadors for the UK. Matrix is at the forefront of providing the most efficient use of energy through effective management and we were delighted to share our expertise with KBS."

Matrix – the UK’s largest energy management company – has opened the doors to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Glasgow, which will manage the energy outputs of some of the UK’s largest organisations.

Pioneered alongside key clients Tesco and Marks & Spencer, Matrix has invested over £1 million in the new Energy Management Centre (EMC) which covers over 4,200 sq ft.

Replacing Matrix’s existing facilities, the new EMC now manages over 30,000 assets for some of the largest property owners in the UK. Both Marks & Spencer and Tesco have several thousand sites connected to the EMC and have already made significant annual savings by using the remote service.

The new EMC – which is the largest of its kind in the UK – focuses on optimising energy usage for a site to deliver long term energy savings. A key problem for many large organisations is their ability to control when lights are on or off and the temperature of their buildings. After determining the optimum level for energy outputs, the EMC helps to regulate this in order to effectively manage energy investments. For companies like Marks & Spencer and Tesco, connection to the EMC is now a key part of their energy management strategy.

Steven Daniels, director at Matrix, said: “There’s been an increase in demand for Remote Active Energy Management (RAEM) services, as organisations now realise that it can help them significantly reduce their energy use and maintenance support costs. The RAEM system monitors a site’s performance against its energy efficiency profile 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whilst a support service from our team of dedicated engineers enables the EMC to react quickly to changes in demand. If the site or plant deviates from its profile, the EMC is notified and will immediately view the site remotely to diagnose and correct the problem. This passes on significant financial benefits to our clients. With the advent of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), companies understand that these systems also help them reduce their carbon footprints.”

He added: “Large organisations accept that it’s impossible to effectively control the lighting, heating and air-conditioning in every single one of their buildings, but linking up with the EMC allows us to determine the optimum levels of energy that clients need over a 24 hour period.

“Some of our existing clients see the cost of the service recovered within months, making it a very attractive commercial proposition for them. It’s also attractive to companies as the service sees them reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.”

Daniels continued: “Every day in the UK, energy efficiency schemes are delivered using, for example, upgraded Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) or new lighting systems. These schemes are healthy and responsible actions in reducing energy usage, but they often display performance drift. There’s only one effective way to avoid this and that’s by using remote active energy management.”

As well as providing benefits for organisations, the new Energy Management Centre will create over 30 jobs in the Glasgow area over the next 12 months. The EMC’s opening heralds an exciting time for Matrix, which has recently been awarded a contract from the National Grid to be part of its short-term operating reserve (STOR) programme. This scheme provides customers with a revenue stream for reducing its energy or providing power to the National Grid when it requires it.

Matrix, one of the UK's leading energy management businesses, has boosted its international capabilities by merging with DWEC and DWEC Europe.

DWEC and DWEC Europe operate in the Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) arena, predominantly in the South of England and Channel Islands. The Group is one of the UK's leading Systems Integrators and Managed Service Providers.

David Woodhams, Founder and Chairman of DWEC said: "We are delighted to be a major part of the UK's market leader in building energy solutions. The merging of DWEC and Matrix has created a business capable of national energy service delivery to meet the demands of the new dynamic energy market."

Ian Kelly, Chief Executive, said: "This is an exciting time for us all, allowing us to scale our already unique market position and continue our strategic partnering with leading UK brands that are looking for credible national managed energy services providers."

"The challenges of both rising energy costs and carbon reduction legislation across large property estates are really driving the market and it's key that we maintain and further develop our service capability for our clients in both reach and technical expertise and DWEC enhances our client services significantly."

One of our directors - Simon Oldfield - got on his bike to raise money for a variety of charities as part of the Tour de LDC, an ambitious charity relay ride which started on the 5th June at Land's End and finished 1,120 miles later at John O'Groats on the 19th June.

Simon rode the leg from Manchester to Leeds. After conquering the peak of Saddleworth Moor, he stopped for lunch at one of the charities supported by the ride - Hollybank School in Mirfield - before enjoying the long downhill into Leeds. Simon was enjoying himself so much he then decided to ride back home to Stockport, bringing the total mileage for the day to 120.

Matrix announces due to growing demand for its Energy Management Centre services it is to relocate to a new state-of-the-art building less than one mile away from its current location in Glasgow. "The new building will give us nearly four times the space we currently occupy and will give us a blank canvass to redesign the customer experience when visiting us" says Jim Rankin Regional Director for Matrix Scotland. The new site is expected to be operational in September 2010.

Matrix has recruited Matthew Howard to head up its Energy Analytics team based in Manchester. "Matthew's appointment is an important requirement for us and our clients as the market for Energy Performance Contracts and energy analysis around investment in energy efficiency projects increases. Matthew's experience over the last 6 years analysing energy usage data and charges is valuable experience we need to combine with our technologies and services to produce investment grade proposals" say Ian Kelly Matrix CEO.

Tesco the UK's largest supermarket chain has increased its sites connected to the Matrix Energy Management centre (EMC) by 50% to 2000 in a drive to further derive energy savings through more active management of site Building Energy Management Systems (BEMs) and plant. "Our EMC services are about the best return on investment of all the energy efficiency schemes available to major commercial property owners. Not only does our EMC save our clients millions on energy but we are saving significant savings also on maintenance" says Stuart Hutchison - Matrix Regional Director.