msp Tenant Case Study: Cascade Consulting
Starting with philosophy was somewhat unexpected, but one of the first things the MD of Cascade Consulting, Kieran Conlan, wanted to emphasise was his business philosophy: “We really believe in our philosophy: it’s not just PR. It’s the basis of all our activities and it’s how we try to differentiate ourselves”. This philosophy embraces technical excellence, professionalism, a sense of responsibility, establishing trusting relationships – and enjoying what they do. This doesn’t sound a bad recipe for business success, and Cascade’s story underlines its effectiveness. Kieran has a PhD in environmental science and was involved in a big engineering company. He started Cascade Consulting in 2000 because, he explains, “I got weary with the unwieldy way big business did things, and felt I could do better myself. I also wanted to get back to doing technical things.” It was a good decision, since Cascade now have 3 UK offices (the main one being in msp) employing around 25 people. Their principal activities are in hydrology, water quality, geomorphology, ecology, environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessments. True to their philosophy, they like to be innovative. They themselves learn from each of their contracts, constantly adding to the range of new ideas which they can then apply generally. They engage in little marketing since their customers, which include many big businesses and local authorities, come to them. They admit they are not the cheapest, but their quality enables them to win around 70% of the contracts they tender for, in a steadily expanding market. With this activity level, Cascade has been able to grow organically, with no need to seek major investment. However, the management are currently engaged in restructuring, so they can respond to the increased demand. Their biggest problem is getting good staff – of the calibre, skill and commitment they need. It has been important for Cascade to develop links with universities, although – perhaps disappointingly – there are no current activities linked to either of Manchester’s universities. On the other hand, their Science Park location is seen as a significant advantage. They like its flexibility: they have had to expand twice since arriving, and the Park has always been accommodating - literally so! For Cascade, msp is seen as convenient, accessible, having a good image, and ‘it’s a good environment’. From a company which has the environment at the heart of its philosophy, this sounds like a pretty good recommendation. |
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