Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of facilities services and solutions

Latest News

Great success for Bidvest Noonan at the IWFM Impact Awards

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Bidvest Noonan celebrated an amazing evening at the IWFM Impact Awards, the most prestigious event in the UK’s FM industry. Held at the luxurious Grosvenor House, the event saw all of the industry’s leading players vie for top honours.

In front of an audience of over 900 people, Bidvest Noonan was recognised for three incredible achievements:

  • We won the Product and Service Development Award for Dynamic Workplace. Huge congratulations to Peter Smyth.
  • We also took home the Frontline Heroes Award for our exceptional work at Kings Cross. A massive well done to Liz Cummins, Raj Pradhan, Ali Hussain, and everyone involved.
  • We were also Highly Commended for Team of the Year for our outstanding team at St. Vincent’s. 

With 95 finalists, this recognition highlights the dedication and impact of our teams.

Many congratulations to our winners!

Bidvest Noonan celebrate multiple key wins at the ICCA Awards 2024

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Bidvest Noonan celebrated great success at the 2024 ICCA Awards, with wins in several key categories.

The highlight of the evening came when our team at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre was crowned Overall Best Cleaned Site in the entire competition, the biggest prize of the event! A huge congratulations to Nick O’Connor, Louise Ryan, and the entire team. Liffey Valley also took home the award for Best Cleaned Retail Premises.

A massive well done to our team at the University of Galway (NUIG), who won Best Cleaned Site in the Education Sector. Congratulations to Lorraine Monaghan, Dzmitry Simanovich, Nerijus Gudaitis, and the whole team.

We also had tremendous individual success, with our colleagues winning several awards in their respective categories:

  • Best Operative (Education) – Alice Rocha Carmonho Border, NUIG
  • Best Supervisor (Education) – Julia Brito, NUIG
  • Best Operative (Manufacturing) – Lenka Slajerova, Alexion
  • Best Supervisor (Manufacturing) – Alex Escalante, Alexion
  • Best Supervisor (Retail) – Edit Szucs, Liffey Valley S/C

A special mention to Edit Szucs, who also took home the Overall Best Supervisor award, winning the top prize in the Supervisor category.

Well done to all our winners!

Bidvest Noonan first to introduce SAO Technology in the Healthcare Sector in Ireland.

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Bidvest Noonan has introduced Stabilised Aqueous Ozone (SAO) technology at St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH), the first time this innovation has been brought to the healthcare sector in Ireland. This marks a major step forward in both cleaning efficiency and sustainability.

SVUH, renowned for its strong focus on infection control and innovation, has adopted SAO technology to further improve its cleaning processes and environmental performance. We worked closely with hospital stakeholders to conduct thorough testing before implementing the system. The results showed outstanding effectiveness in maintaining hygiene standards and controlling infections.

SAO, produced on site from ordinary tap water, acts as a highly effective cleaning agent and disinfectant. It’s been proven to outperform traditional cleaning products and meets Green Seal Standards for industrial-grade cleaning. After use, it naturally breaks down into water and oxygen, making it completely safe to dispose of with no negative impact on waterways.

Additionally, SAO eliminates the need for single-use plastics and requires no rinsing, significantly cutting water consumption. For hospitals like SVUH, which are committed to reducing their environmental footprint, SAO is the ideal solution.

Olivia Doyle, Assistant Director of Nursing for Infection Prevention and Control at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, stated: “St. Vincent’s University Hospital is committed to promoting best practice in terms of sustainability. SAO provides an innovative alternative, reducing the number of chemicals being used. By using this technology, the high levels of cleanliness throughout the organisation are maintained without the use of toxins. The benefits include no odours, no chemical residue, and a simplified cleaning routine. Many of the benefits relate directly to the operatives and how it has simplified their processes.”

In healthcare, effective cleaning is essential for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC). The introduction of SAO at SVUH is expected to further strengthen the hospital’s IPC protocols, offering a powerful and environmentally friendly cleaning solution that’s safe for use in sensitive environments.

Susan Howard, Director of Operations in Healthcare at Bidvest Noonan, added: “We are proud to support St. Vincent’s University Hospital in leading the way with this innovative cleaning technology. SAO has proven to deliver excellent results and has helped the hospital achieve its infection control and sustainability objectives.”

Bidvest Noonan Promotes Darren Martin to Director of Operations for Security Division in Ireland

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We are pleased to announce the promotion of Darren Martin to Director of Operations for our Security Division in Ireland. Darren’s significant contributions to our business and the industry, along with his dedication to delivering exceptional service for our customers, have been key factors in the decision to appoint him to this role.

Darren joined Bidvest Noonan in 2019 as a Strategic Account Manager, bringing over 20 years of experience in security, operations, and account management. His expertise has played a crucial role in effectively managing service delivery and driving exceptional performance for our blue-chip corporate and retail accounts. Darren’s proactive approach and problem-solving skills have consistently led to effective contract management and risk reduction for our customers.

Darren has an impressive track record in security and has been honoured with several awards, including the prestigious OSPA’s Outstanding Contract Security Director of the Year Award in 2023.

Reflecting on his promotion, Darren said: “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity at such an exciting time for our business. Our goals for the future are ambitious, and I look forward to helping achieve them.”

Mary Kealy, our Managing Director, commented: “Darren’s promotion to Director of Operations is well-deserved. His expertise and commitment have been key to our success in the security space. I am confident that with his leadership skills and expertise, our security services will continue to excel and provide outstanding results for our clients.”

Bidvest Noonan Achieves Milestone with First Comprehensive Carbon Footprint Assessment

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We are delighted to announce the completion of our first comprehensive carbon footprint assessment. This landmark achievement underscores our commitment to sustainability and our mission to create safer and healthier communities.

“Our first full carbon footprint assessment is a testament to our transparency and accountability,” said John King, ESG Director of Bidvest Noonan. “Our footprint demonstrates the work we have done in recent years. Understanding our emissions allows us to take meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact and provide sustainable solutions for our clients.”

The assessment adheres to the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) standards.

The process involved a detailed analysis of emissions from the supply chain, employee commuting, fleet operations, and more. By engaging with suppliers and various departments, we identified key impact areas and opportunities for emission reductions.

“For customers, this signifies that Bidvest Noonan offers not only market-leading services but also environmentally conscious solutions, aligning with the growing demand for sustainable practices,” added John King.

Key findings showed that the supply chain and employee commuting are primary contributors to emissions, accounting for the vast majority of our footprint. Our business, which has adopted an electric-first policy for our fleet, has also implemented local recruitment policies, cycle-to-work schemes, and public transport initiatives to promote sustainable commuting for our 27,000 people. Additionally, we are working collaboratively with supply chain partners to further reduce scope 3 emissions.

Andrew Doyle, Procurement Director, commented on our efforts to assist the supply chain in becoming more sustainable: “We are actively working with our suppliers to enhance their sustainability practices. By collaborating closely and sharing best practices, we aim to reduce the overall environmental impact of our supply chain.”

Bidvest Noonan’s Altius VR onboards 1,600 officers in phase one

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We are delighted to announce the launch of our VR training programme, Altius, with more than 1,600 security officers onboarded for phase one of the programme. Altius see security officers train in virtual environments using VR headsets. These environments are perfect replicas of their actual workplaces, each recreated from real settings with advanced 3D camera technology.

The training immerses officers in highly realistic simulations where they are challenged to resolve a wide range of security issues, developing their skills, and honing their reactions in a low-risk environment. Through the creation of vivid deeply engaging experiences, Altius aims to close the gap between training and the real world.

The officers are using VR headsets, which have been designed by Meta to be lightweight, ergonomic highly performant. The headsets and their accompanying wireless handheld controllers are shipped to our sites, enabling officers to access bespoke immersive training where they work. This means the programme can scale to tens of thousands while the company can measure performance down to the individual level, pinpointing specific aspects of training an officer needs help with, and ensuring each officer can get the best possible outcome.

There is robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of VR training. According to a PwC study, VR not only enhances participant confidence by up to 40% compared to traditional methods but also achieves significant cost savings and greater emotional engagement when scaled. Learners complete training four times faster and are substantially more focused and inclusive post-training.

Raj Pradhan, Operations Director and Altius lead said “our Altius programme delivers an unparalleled learning experience and unmatched results. We have found that our officers are eager and excited to participate. They emerge from their training with more skills and confidence than can be achieved through conventional classroom and online approaches. Our programmes have been carefully designed to ensure our officers have all of the skills they need to perform at the highest levels and we are very impressed with the improvements we have seen in officers who have completed the programme.”

Liz Cummins, Managing Director “this technology is enabling us to close the gap between the training room and real-world situations. We are excited about the difference it is making for our people and the benefits it is delivering for all the customers who adopted it. We believe that in the coming years, more companies in our industry will develop and deploy VR training programmes and this will substantially improve security and service quality across the industry.”