Isle company's expansion leads to job creation

The expansion of an Isle business has led to 12 new jobs with more vacancies being advertised currently.

Epworth man Roger Priestnall invested in renewable energy solutions three years ago. He has run his Rolec business for 17 years and in the past 12 months has increased his work force from two to 14.

As people seek to reduce their energy bills by installing solar panels, his new venture has taken off, leading to the expansion of his company.

Demand has continued to grow and Mr Priestnall, 38. is now seeking office staff and sales advisors, with future plans for a call centre employing 15 people.

His fiancee Jayne Anderson has joined the business due to the surge in workload, although her background originally is in nursing and health visiting.

She said: “Roger branched out after identifying gaps in the market and a general lack of customer knowledge about the Government’s financial support for homeowners.

“Solar panels are a fantastic investment and with Government pay back schemes they ensure a profit for customers. Roger has been to Germany recently to personally see how solarworld solar panels are made, to ensure his products are of premium quality.”

All staff employed by the company are from the Isle, and include two apprentices from Haxey and Westwoodside, who were taken on this year.

Mr Priestnall’s sister has joined the staff too as one of the installation team.

The take-up of solar panels locally in the Isle mirrors that of the national picture, added Jayne, as over 500,000 home owners are generating their own electricity across the country, and taking advantage of the current subsidy that rewards those who do so.

Mr Priestnall said that strong reductions in the cost of solar panels have helped the growth of his business too, while enabling home owners to reduce their energy bills.

“We have plans for the call centre and have acquired new premises to facilitate expected growth,” said Jayne. Rolec has serviced over 65 homes within the Isle, and has a scheme offering cash rewards for referrals to other customers.

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Isle company"s expansion leads to job creation