Meet the team

Paul Withers BSc (Hons) - Managing Director

I entered the professional world of Civil Engineering following graduation from Nottingham University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Applied Science. My subsequent career has been primarily in the field of Civil and Structural Engineering Consultancy although I spent one year on secondment to a Civil Engineering Contractor in order to gain site experience. I obtained chartered status with the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1984.

I have always regarded my career in Civil Engineering as a vocation and have through application, reading and continuous professional development endeavoured to achieve a fundamental understanding of the designs that I have undertaken. In addition I attempt to produce designs and details which are buildable.

I have developed a broad range of detailed expertise ranging from geotechnical engineering to marine works to heavy civil engineering and commercial building design.

I have also developed a broad range of detailed expertise in the field of cold store design including the design of heavily loaded floors supported by polystyrene insulation.

I am proud to be heading a young and dynamic team of engineering professionals and I believe in encouraging up and coming talent to seek out challenges and to take real ownership of their work.

I look forward with confidence to what the future holds for HBPW.
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Chris A Clarke BSc (Hons) - Executive Director

I graduated from Nottingham University with a BSc Hons in Civil Engineering.

After 8 years with Burks Green & Partners, a Consulting Engineering practice, I moved to a Construction based PLC with 40 subsidiary companies, to widen my understanding of the industry.

Following several years of working within the PLC for HB Projects Ltd, I took the opportunity to buy the company.

Paul Withers and I had worked very successfully together for many years on Design and Build construction projects, and we decided to form HBPW Consulting Ltd to service the design requirements of HB Projects Ltd and a broad range of other clients.

The company has grown consistently ever since, from a foundation of supplying a thorough professional service, and innovative, value engineered solutions.
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Elizabeth Withers - Office Manager

I have been with HBPW since the beginning, providing financial, secretarial, administrative and human resources support to the business and I was responsible for setting up and implementing quality assurance procedures.

With the great support team in place and the business growing, I am now focusing on the marketing and strategic planning for HBPW. It is an exciting time for us and I enjoy the spirit and enthusiasm that everyone brings to the organisation.

Being from Retford, I am also proud to be a part of such a successful local business that reflects so well on the area.
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Helen Haynes BSc (Hons) - Finance Manager

Since joining HBPW as a CAD Technician I saw my career develop in a wholly unexpected direction and I am now principally involved with client account handling and financial management of the Company.

My brief technical career has provided me with an informed perspective of a consulting civil and structural engineering business which is really very useful.

The need to balance the business outputs and keeping all projects on financial track is always demanding and forms a big part of my role. With the future growth plans for the business I am sure that I will definitely be kept very busy!

I have seen the team growing all the time and we are lucky to have a really lovely group of people who all get on well both at and outside work. There is also a great sense of everyone pulling together to get the job done.
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Paul Jacklin BEng(Hons) CEng MIStructE - Associate

I graduated from Sheffield University in 1990 where I gained a BEng(Hons) in Civil Engineering. I became a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers in 1996 and obtained an award for the best candidate in 1996 to take the Institute of Civil Engineers examination.

I have worked in the construction industry for over 20 years and have been employed by Consulting Engineers and Local Authorities predominantly carrying out building structure designs for industrial, commercial and domestic clients. For a brief period of my career I undertook difficult access inspections of high rise structures and bridges using roped access techniques.

I joined HBPW Consulting as an Associate in October 2005 and turned my hand to management of the office and administration of the increasingly large and complex projects which HBPW Consulting is undertaking.
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Emyr Parry BEng (Hons) - Senior Graduate Civil Engineer

After graduating from Leeds University in 2003 with a BEng (Hons) in Civil and Structural Engineering, I wanted to stay in the North and when the chance to join such a young and growing business presented itself, I jumped at the chance. The work at HBPW Consulting is wide and varied and I have been exposed to a full spectrum of civil and structural engineering design work. I have acted as a project engineer from the very earliest stage of my career and HBPW Consulting have encouraged me to develop my interpersonal skills by having direct and detailed contact with our Clients.

I am especially proud of the work I have been involved with on the complex alteration works at Hull Paragon Station, which required detailed liaison with Network Rail and more recently the state of art Oasis Academy at Wintringham near Grimsby, which is due to finish in 2009.

There is a great balance between having a challenging and fulfilling job and being able to enjoy the benefits of family life in a great location.

I am currently working towards being a Chartered Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and I am fortunate to have the full support of HBPW - including individual mentoring by a supervising civil engineer whose sole role is to support training of graduate civil engineers.
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Paul Monaghan BEng (Hons) - Senior Graduate Civil Engineer

Prior to joining HBPW in November 2006, I worked for the major civil engineering contractor Mowlem (now Carillion), for eight years. I graduated from Dundee University in 1999 with a BEng(Hons) in Civil Engineering and this, combined with a pretty extensive hands-on knowledge of the industry, means that I have been able to get involved in a good range of projects including road and bridge structural builds.

Some of my work to date with HBPW has focused on the Doncaster Waterfront Marina, Milton Keynes Railway station and re-modelling the Rugby Western Relief Road. To date there has not been one piece of work that I have not been excited and challenged by.

I still enjoy getting out and about to project sites but I also appreciate the chance to stay in one spot and focus on forming longer relationships with clients. That is one of the great advantages to being on the "contractor" career track.

One of my short term career goals is becoming a member of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers - which I should achieve in the near future.
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Rob Flanagan BEng (Hons) - Graduate Civil Engineer

Originally I started my career as a surveyor in 1999, then retrained at Sheffield Hallam University where I studied for my Civil Engineering degree. Graduating in 2005 I then joined the HBPW team and have worked on a real mix of projects both large and small ever since.

I have been impressed with the ability of the firm to take on some very large scale projects, and as such I am actively encouraged to push myself professionally to ensure that we "get the job done".

The level of access that I have to Senior staff has been refreshing - at HBPW I'm treated as an individual not as a number. It is by working alongside these very experienced professionals that I can grow my knowledge and expertise in a supportive environment.

I am working towards gaining membership of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineers - my target for 2008. I have found a role with a great work life balance and I look forward to my future at HBPW.
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Luke Waldron - Structural CAD Technician

When I was asked by a recruiting agent to consider applying for an engineering firm in Retford I had no idea where Retford actually was. But having spent three years at my last job, a company of over 400 staff based in the South, I felt ready for the chance to move to a smaller firm where I could make a real impact - and I was happy for a change of location.

Since I have made the move to HBPW, in 2007, the variety of work that I have been exposed to has been greater than in my previous 3 years elsewhere. It is this variety of experience which will allow me to gain further qualifications with more mentoring support. I have provided CAD support for both bridge and buildings work and each project is unique and challenging.

I work closely with everyone in the office and there is a great dynamic between departments - it makes the internal communication much easier, which in turn makes the job easier.

The region offers me a great change of pace and I am enjoying living in the Sheffield area - it is a short commute to the office and this is another plus for the move north.
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Garry MacShane- Senior Technician

I have been associated with the construction industry all my life, [my father was a builder] and I was looking for a new opportunity. I was introduced to HBPW through a friend who knew I was looking for a new challenge in a progressive company.

HBPW are a young, energetic company with a broad portfolio, they look for and provide innovative designs, and I hope to be part of this process and contribute to its continuing success.

I was impressed to see that HBPW had plenty of work and were recruiting staff during a difficult time for the industry. 

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Stephen Gregory BEng (Hons) - Structural Engineer

 Since graduating from Loughborough University 5 years ago, I've worked in both Sheffield and Derby and I was looking for a new position in the area when a recruitment agency told me about HBPW Consulting.

Not only was Retford a great location, but I was able to see from the HBPW website that they continually work on a wide range of interesting projects. In particular, I was attracted by the prospect of increasing my experience and knowledge of bridge design.

I had received a couple of other job offers before I accepted the position at HBPW, however they were within larger more impersonal firms. At this stage in my career it is important that I work for a company where my achievements and contributions can be recognised as opposed to being a small fish in a large firm where you can rarely make a noticeable difference.

Job security was also important to me and I feel confident as HBPW are recruiting even more staff and they still have plenty of work at a time where other engineering firms may be struggling.

I was also very impressed when I first visited the offices for my interview, not only were the location and offices brilliant, but the team were very nice and there was a really good feel amongst them.

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone better and having an opportunity to get really involved with the projects.
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Jerry Yong Yue MSc - Graduate Engineer

After I completed my Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering in Guang Zhou, China, I came to study an MSC in Construction Management at the University of Birmingham. After I graduated I wanted to find a role that would help me with my ambition of becoming a project manager by gaining some hands on experience.

I was attracted to the idea of working for HBPW due to the great variety of work in their portfolio, particularly the work in marine studies, building and heavy civil engineering.

When I came for my interview, I was immediately impressed by the warm atmosphere and I loved the office. Paul Monaghan gave me a lift back to the railway station and I knew then that HBPW would be a welcoming team to work with so I accepted a job offer and joined the team in April 2008.

I've found that the office environment is full of energy and everybody here is very helpful and supportive which ensures that I can progress and gain more confidence with each project that comes along. I believe that what I have studied fits really well into the company and that I will learn a great deal more from HBPW as they support my growth and also my ambition to become a project manager.
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Alistair Reid BEng (Hons) - Structural Graduate Engineer

I have always been interested in the built environment and therefore chose to study Structural Engineering with Architectural Studies at the University of Sheffield. The degree gave me a practical and good base for the career I wanted to pursue.

I grew up not very far away from Retford in Ranskill and by chance my parents met Paul Withers and mentioned that I was looking for an engineering position. As HBPW were looking for graduate engineers, I was lucky enough to be invited for an interview.

My first impressions of the company were brilliant, the offices are great and I immediately felt that it was the perfect place to start my career. I have always preferred the idea of working for a smaller company as opposed to a big corporate one as I feel that I will be given greater opportunities to get involved on many different types of projects here, plus its great to feel a part of the whole company as opposed to just a department.

I've already worked on a really good variety of projects in the short space of time I've been here and its been great to get stuck right in. The team are really great to work with and Paul Monaghan especially has been showing me the ropes and giving me plenty of support.
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Richard Collumbine MEng (Hons) - Graduate Structural Engineer

Following graduation from Nottingham University, I worked in Sheffield for Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, a small structural engineering practice that gave me a solid start to my career. I decided to take a year out to work and travel around New Zealand and Australia and I was lucky to get a position at Holmes Consulting Group in Queenstown, New Zealand where I gained more engineering experience plus a perspective of the industry from the opposite side of the world.

When I returned to Sheffield I found HBPW through an agency. Their offices in Retford seemed an ideal location as it was very accessible and a quaint town to be working in.

I instantly felt at ease when I visited the HBPW offices for my interview as I prefer the intimacy of smaller companies. HBPW's portfolio was especially attractive as I had hoped to expand my knowledge of engineering and this is the perfect place to do this with the amount of experience that HBPW offer. My first project was to help design and create drawings for a bridge in Sheffield. I haven't worked on bridges before so it is an exciting challenge that will help my knowledge and benefit the city I live in.

My first impressions of the team are that they are friendly, intelligent and approachable. My first few weeks within the company have been challenging and interesting with Paul Withers getting me involved with projects, offering valuable advice and kickstarting me into gear after my travels.

For the near future I'm looking forward to becoming even more incorporated into the company and moving up the ranks. I wish to gain enough responsibility to run projects myself, meet clients and become a well rounded engineer. I also hope to achieve my goal of becoming chartered and I'm sure that HBPW will be a brilliant place to receive support towards this.  

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Shirley Bell - Administration Assistant

I have worked for more than thirty years for specialist engineering firms - providing Administrative, Secretarial and Business Operations support.

When I joined HBPW in 2005 I slipped straight into that role again - although I am also now responsible for the traffic of project documentation between the clients and the engineers. This means that I often liaise with clients and I enjoy this part of the role immensely.

I know that I am valued by the team here and it is nice to be acknowledged as performing an important function - I appreciate that.

There is also a family atmosphere here and I really enjoy the mix of ages and backgrounds that everyone has. HBPW organise frequent outings such as white water rafting, horse racing, golf days etc., often in the working week to allow the members of staff to form the bonds necessary for a successful and motivated team.
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Rachel Burdett - Secretary

Before coming to HBPW, I had what could be considered a varied career - I have a strong corporate background having worked as a PA at an oil trading company. I also worked as assistant to international artist, Damien Hirst, and spent time in Africa as an animal conservationist!

My role at HBPW is to provide administrative and secretarial support to the business. HBPW being a medium sized company means that I am in direct contact with all parts of the business. The communication is open and direct at HBPW at it all helps things run smoothly.

There is a good rapport among all the staff here and a level of mutual respect that I appreciate - it means I enjoy coming to work!
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Joshua Wallwin - Trainee CAD Technician

After my brother had completed a work placement at HBPW, I was impressed by his feedback of the company and especially by the type of projects he had been working on. I'm originally from Retford and I was excited at the prospect of working for a company that has such a good reputation here.

I studied Product Design at A Level and I knew that a CAD design-related career was something that I wanted to pursue. I applied for a trainee position at HBPW as I was attracted by their commitment to developing their employees and I wanted to work for a company that would be willing to support my professional development. I hope to further my education at university and study for a Graduate Engineering degree and I know that HBPW will support me with my ambition.

I've only been here a short while but already the team have been extremely friendly and helpful and I am looking forward to learning from them and getting involved with more projects.

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