A Year In Review

Growing Our Team

We were delighted to welcome several talented individuals into the Bensons’ family this year:

• Qasmin Hussain joined us as our new Sales Engineer, taking a lead role in preparing quotes and proposals for clients.
• Gemma Burkinshaw stepped in as our new Estimator, working closely with customers and our internal team to turn requirements into detailed, high-quality proposals.
• Richard Crowther joined later in the year as our Principal Engineer, strengthening our technical and engineering leadership.
• Mark Round joined us in December as our Manufacturing Manager, bringing leadership and expertise to our manufacturing team.
• We also saw continued growth in our apprentices. After joining our manufacturing team in 2024, Leon impressed us so much that in May, he began his Level 3 Electrical Fitter Apprenticeship. This brings our total number of apprentices to six, a milestone we’re extremely proud of.

Strengthening Our Purpose

This year, we unveiled our new vision panel, a refreshed expression of our purpose and the goals we are striving towards as a business. It serves as a daily reminder of what drives us and what we are building together.

On The Road: 

The first quarter saw our Director, Matthew Barton, travelling around the UK to connect with customers, prospects, and industry partners:

• Association of Manufacturers Power Systems conference
• Spatex Show
• Data Centre World
• Distributed Energy Show.

Later in the year, Matthew continued the momentum with visits to:

• EV Charge Live
• Solar & Storage Live

Leeds Manufacturing ‘How to Get Involved’ event, where he joined as a panellist to share our experience and benefits from involvement in the Leeds Manufacturing Festival and the great careers which manufacturing offers.

Awards, Recognition & Accreditation:

2025 was a year of celebration on many fronts:

• We were highly commended for Employer of the Year at the 2025 Leeds Manufacturing Festival Awards
• We were shortlisted as a finalist for the Manufacturing Excellence Award at the 2025 Family Business Community Awards
• We were nominated for the Make UK Energy and Sustainability Award for Yorkshire and the North East
• And once again, we proudly celebrated ISO9001 audit success, reaffirming our commitment to quality.

Developing Our Portfolio

Our portfolio of case studies continued to grow, with plans already underway to expand this even further. We also strengthened our presence in the clean energy sector, delivering more projects in solar PV and EV charging, building on our long-established expertise in distributed energy.

Supporting Our Community

This year, we combined our quarterly business update with a “Make, Bake and Grow” competition as part of a Macmillan Coffee Morning. We shared the positive business trajectory with the team, enjoyed some excellent homemade bakes, and raised £270, which Bensons will match, in support of Macmillan. 

Honouring Long Service

We said a warm and emotional farewell to two long-serving members of the Bensons team:

• Tony Rollin, our Lead Test Engineer, retiring after an astonishing 47 years
• Martin Burgess, a valued member of our estimating team, retiring after 43 years.

Their dedication has shaped Bensons, and they both leave behind a legacy we are proud to honour.

Looking Back to Move Forward

As we made space for the future, we unearthed some remarkable pieces of Bensons history – photos of our early control panels built long before digital cameras and social media existed! A fitting way to end the year, reminding us of how far we’ve come and the foundations on which we continue to build.

With a strengthened team, a clear vision, and continued momentum, we’re well-positioned for an exciting new year ahead.