News and Updates

Colleagues from across Arco have been volunteering their time in support of several environmental projects and initiatives. As a responsible choice of safety partner, Arco gives each colleague an extra two days of paid leave every year to give back to the things that matter to them - including protecting and enhancing the natural world.

Recently, two groups of colleagues adorned their gardening gloves and work boots to help the planet.

Alice Marren, Learning and Development Partner, was joined by colleagues Andy Hirst, Katie Train, Tracey Jackson, Emma Willison and Liz Farr for a day of tree planting at the PATT Foundation (Plant-A-Tree-Today) Centre in Hull.

Alice said:

"The PATT Foundation is an incredible environmental conservation organisation that is on a mission to save the planet, one tree at a time. They are relatively new to the Hull area, meaning the site they currently occupy is needing quite a bit of work to try and get it running more efficiently. We were delighted to be able to help and get to know one another better in the process."

The PATT Foundation not only plants trees, but also educates communities on sustainable forestry and the environment.

Steven Summerscales, Regional Sales Manager, and the Yorkshire and East Midlands Sales Team, also decided to help the organisation by planting some saplings.

Steven said:

"We chose to volunteer with them as it was a wonderful opportunity to support their 'One Hull of a Forest' scheme. We were able to plant over 1,000 saplings throughout the day which will now be safe inside greenhouses until their final planting next year."

Arco has been awarded a gold medal by EcoVadis, the world's largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings.

The gold award sees Arco improve on the silver rating it has held in previous years, with the fifth-generation family business improving its scores in areas like the environment, by improving energy performance reporting and setting of carbon reduction targets, as well as labor and human rights and sustainable procurement.

The gold rating puts Arco in the top 5% of the 100,000 plus rated companies assessed by EcoVadis. In addition, Arco was also recognised as an industry leader, overall, by making the top 2% of companies rated by EcoVadis in its industry sector, as well as in the areas of sustainable procurement (top 1%) and environment (top 2%).

Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco, said:

"As a responsible choice of safety partner, Arco is very proud to have secured a gold medal from EcoVadis and that our efforts to continuously improve in sustainability and ethical performance have been recognised.

"As a business, we are always striving to be the best at what we do, to lead in our industry and in the family business sector.

"We will continue to take steps to achieve our ambition of being a platinum-rated business in the future, including increasing our alignment to external standards and accreditations, such setting science-based targets, and further improving our reporting to stakeholders."

The EcoVadis methodology framework assesses companies' policies and actions as well as their published reporting related to the environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

Its team of international sustainability experts analyse and cross check companies' data (supporting documents, 360° Watch Findings, etc.) in order to create reliable ratings, taking into account each company's industry, size and geographic location.

Arco is donating IT equipment and sharing the expertise of its colleagues as part of a new employer-led project to mentor students at Ron Dearing UTC and offer them 'hands on' learning in cyber security.

Following an upgrade of systems across its network of safety stores, Arco will be donating several of its firewall units and a number of network switches to allow the students to learn using real-world technology.

In addition to the equipment, two Arco colleagues, Josh Thorpe, Cyber Security Analyst, and James Swinburne, Apprentice Cyber Security Analyst, both former pupils of Ron Dearing UTC, will be delivering presentations as well as mentoring students as part of the project.

Richard Martin, Arco Non-Executive Director and Chair of Governors at Ron Dearing UTC, said:

"As one of the college's employer partners, Arco is proud to be working with Ron Dearing on this exciting project, which will be the first of many of its type, to inspire the next generation of cyber security experts.

"At Arco, we specialise in health and safety and many lessons carry over well to cyber security, such as the need for appropriate protection, training and compliance.

"By providing a hands-on learning experience, we aim to nurture the students understanding of cyber security and develop the skills required to help promote cyber security as a potential career."

Mike Hudson, Cyber Security Manager at Arco, said:

"Arco has an excellent relationship with the students and staff at Ron Dearing UTC and this project will strengthen that partnership even further.

"It is exciting that we can involve Josh and James, as former students of Ron Dearing, in this project and help demonstrate clearly how their education at Ron Dearing has supported them in starting and developing their careers at Arco."

Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal – Employer Engagement at Ron Dearing UTC, said:

"This is an amazing project led by our very own alumni at Arco.

"The project will enable our computer science students to apply their skills to a real-world cyber security scenario with the guidance of industry professionals. This is another excellent example of world class employer-led learning."

This year has seen a mixture of both challenges and opportunities for Arco, our suppliers and our customers as the world emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2023, like other businesses, we will need to face into the challenges of the current economic climate.

However, Arco has strong foundations, built on multigenerational values and heritage, which will support us in our next phase of development and enable us to continue providing outstanding levels of service for our customers across the country as well as providing us with the platform to put in place the building blocks for the future.

The Board of Arco is pleased to announce that Guy Bruce has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding former MD, David Evison, who has recently retired, to help lead the company in its next phase of development and accelerate its ambitious plans for growth.

Guy joins the business from Equans, where he was the Interim Managing Director, and prior to that the specialist building materials distributor SIG plc. He brings with him a wealth of experience from the industry, with significant achievements in delivering transformative growth across distribution, retail, service and manufacturing businesses, both domestically and internationally, within private and public companies.

Arco is an expert in keeping people safe at work, focusing on joined-up safety solutions, which start with mitigating risks through to providing training and equipment. Arco plays a leading role within the industry, helping to shape the UK's health and safety agenda.

Arco's strategic plan, Destination 2025, sets out how it will grow over the next three years and adopt new and innovative ideas to futureproof the business.

Guy will develop this strategy further by maximising the potential of the significant investments undertaken by Arco over recent years and by accelerating digital transformation, enhancing customer experience and driving sustainability. As an advocate of collaborative working, Guy will also increase engagement between the business and colleagues, strengthen supplier partnerships and work closely with customers.

Commenting on Guy's appointment, Thomas Martin, Chairman at Arco, said:

"I am thrilled to have Guy in post at Arco to help take our family-owned business forwards. Guy is a proven leader and his experience in delivering transformational growth throughout his career will be very beneficial to Arco as we continue delivering remarkable and effortless experiences for our customers, and ultimately keeping people safe at work."

Commenting, Guy Bruce, said:

"I'm delighted to be joining Arco at this exciting phase in the company's history. The chance to lead the transition from family-run to family-owned is unique and the prospect of accelerating our plans for growth are exciting.

"As we re-focus our efforts following the Covid-19 pandemic, Arco, like other businesses, will need to face into the challenges of the current economic climate. However, our foundations are strong, built on multigenerational values and heritage, and will support us in continuing to evolve the business and build for the future."