Innovate Access Solutions (IAS), established in 2020 by former colleagues Rob Foyle and Alf Taylor in Manchester, has rapidly emerged as a prominent leader in the Rope Access Industry across the UK. With over 25 years of combined professional experience, Foyle and Taylor have steered the company to remarkable growth, now operating additional offices in Darlington and High Peak. IAS’s unwavering commitment to excellence is reflected in its prestigious accreditations, including SafeContractor, and ISO 9001, positioning them as a trusted name in the North West and beyond.
Highly skilled abseilers are indispensable in the industrial industry due to their ability to safely, efficiently, and effectively manage tasks in challenging and high-risk environments. We spoke to Alf Taylor, who elaborated on the extensive expertise and experience that he and Rob bring to the industry.
“Both Rob and myself have been working on the ropes for over 15 years, and are extremely competent in all facets of access within our trade. It is our skills in site management that we have gained over the years that enable us as a company, to run projects so successfully. Rob is highly experienced in working in the industrial sector, and has always excelled in finding access solutions within the hot and tricky environments of power stations. He has the ability to find access into the hardest to reach places, whilst maintaining immediate access to his operatives in an emergency. I have refined my expertise in project management and collaboration with various trades to minimise site disruption and keep projects on track. I have successfully managed teams of up to 20 rope technicians, ensuring smooth operations and timely completion of projects.”
IAS provide access solutions to a wide variation of clients within the construction, industrial and commercial sectors. Its main speciality lies in giving clients access options that enable them to complete their projects when other conventional means of access are not suitable. IAS provide skilled operatives to complete many facets of work which can be anything from industrial cleaning and painting, to glazing and heavy steel installation, as well as signage installation, inspection and survey works.
Despite launching in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, IAS has achieved consistent year-on-year growth, building an impressive portfolio of high-profile clients such as Dublin Airport and British Gypsum. This success underscores its unwavering commitment to a client-focused approach in every contract. “We will never waver on our health and safety commitments to ourselves or our subcontractors – we are a premium company that provides quality and assurance to every client.”
Alf continued, “Ashleigh Signs was our first client, and are still our most prolific client. Rather than just being a contractor that carries out site work, we have built a close working relationship that has led to us to getting involved right at the early stages in some of their larger projects. We attend the preliminary site visits with Ashleigh Signs and their clients, and if required, provide input in the manufacturing stage of their products. This helps to ensure that the complexities of rope installation are understood and taken into consideration.”
IAS adopt a customised and tailored approach for every client, ensuring that their specific needs are met from the initial contact through to the completion of the project. Alf Taylor and Rob Foyle are hands-on and actively involved at every stage. “We always meet with clients to establish our main focus, which at the beginning stages is to gather all the necessary information regarding site-specific health and safety requirements, exclusion zone specifics, third-party protection, and any working restrictions,” Alf explained.
Although IAS has only been established for four years, its steady growth is paving the way for a promising future. “Our plan is to maintain this steady growth and expand the company to secure a future for our families. We also aim to provide well-paid, stable jobs for our friends in the industry and to develop into a highly regarded, premium access solutions company that outlasts us. We have worked extremely hard to build a business that reflects our reputations as subcontractors. We would also like to extend a special thanks to our Office Manager, Hannah. Hannah joined the team in 2022, at a time when Rob and I were spending nearly as much time on paperwork as on-site. She has since streamlined all our behind-the-scenes processes, ensuring everything runs smoothly. We honestly don’t know how we would have managed without her,” stated Alf Taylor.
For more information about IAS’s services and future initiatives, please visit the IAS website below:
T 01618 505059
info@innovateaccesssolutions.co.uk
www.innovateaccesssolutions.co.uk