A MAINTENANCE shutdown at one of the country’s biggest suppliers of fertilisers has yielded a major boost to Russell Taylor Group’s growth figures in temporary recruitment.

A record number of 50 technical specialist operators, from engineers and mechanics to industrial cleaning experts, have been involved in the three-month operation which is still ongoing at the CF Fertilisers manufacturing plant at Ince, near Chester.

Industrial Trades Division manager Stuart Watson said: “It’s a huge job and one which calls for intense knowledge of the specialist teams to be recruited for a such a project.

“Maintenance of a plant like CF Fertilisers, a major producer of nitrogen products, is vital for the plant and its equipment - putting faults right, preventing problems occurring in the future and making sure everything is working correctly.

“From everyone’s viewpoint, specialism and safety are two key words which are defining the whole operation.

“Recruitment to match these qualities has been rigorous. However, it’s paying dividends for this high volume project which, with a team of 50, has surpassed the normal supply volumes of a 10-plus workforce.”

Critical to the operation, explained Stuart, was the recruitment of a team of highly-skilled asbestos removal specialists.

He said: “At the time of construction of a 1970s site such as this, asbestos was not an unusual building component. Our men, fully qualified and certified to handle the material, were first on site so the huge maintenance job of could then get under way.”

With 30 men still on site, the maintenance work at Ince still has a few weeks to run.

Stuart added: “The men are working 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week which will give a massive boost to Russell Taylor Group’s 2018 figures.”