Companies news BT to convert street cabinets for EV charging BT Groups start-up and digital incubation team, Etc., is to conduct technical and commercial pilots to convert or upgrade its street cabinets for electric vehicle (EV) charging units. The pilots will take place over the next two years and provide critical insight into the viability of scaling EV charging to more locations across its estate. The cabinets are currently used for providing copper-based broadband and phone services, and will be decommissioned as the ambitious nationwide upgrade to full fibre progresses. Back to parking school Alpha Parking is running courses on notice processing, advanced notice processing including a course for Scottish authorities only and training for civil enforcement officers, team leaders and supervisors in October. See aparking.co.uk Smart Parking celebrates 30 years Technology company Smart Parking is celebrating 30 years in the parking business. The firm began life as a small parking operator, trading under the name of Perth Car Parks. The business prided itself on providing clients with a service they could rely on. In 2003, it became established in New Zealand, which paved the way for the back-end solutions that are developed in-house and now offered to clients. In 2012/13, the company rebranded to Smart Parking following the acquisition of Town and City Parking, many members of which are still with Smart Parking today. Long-service awards of more than 20 years are not uncommon for team members within the business. Paul Gillespie was appointed as CEO in January 2013 and, under his leadership, the company has continued to grow at great pace, setting up new operations in New Zealand and Australia in 2021, and in Germany at the beginning of 2022. During the same period, new acquisitions were made through the purchases of Enterprise Parking Solutions in 2021 and NE Parking in 2022. A few weeks ago, Smart Parking also announced the acquisition of German-based Park Innovation. Smart Parking has experienced exceptional growth and development over the years, said Gillespie. Moving forward, our focus will remain on offering our clients an unrivalled system and service that they can truly rely on. The business is nothing without its people and its the people who will take the company to the next stage in our journey. GroupNexus appoints new talent to strengthen its board and senior management team Lord Austin of Dudley has joined GroupNexus as a non-executive director. He will sit as an active member of the board, helping guide the future growth of the business across a number of sectors. Ian Austin is an active member of the House of Lords, and a non-executive director for Homes England, among other journalism and consultancy roles. He began his career in journalism and was appointed as an adviser to Gordon Brown from 1999-2005, going on to be elected as MP for Dudley North in 2005. He served as a minister for housing and planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government and as minister for the West Midlands. He also served in various frontbench roles under Labour leader Ed Miliband. In 2019, he resigned from the Labour Party and became an independent MP, and was appointed to the House of Lords in 2020. I am delighted to have joined GroupNexus as a non-executive director, said Austin. I have been very impressed with the focus and values of the business, from the way it supports its clients, through to its desire for constant innovation to help motorists, landowners and public and private sector customers across the country. Following the launch of GroupNexus in 2019, the business has invested heavily in the development of services and solutions that maximise the contribution that the car park can make to an asset and its owners. Ellis Green, GroupNexus CEO, said: We have established GroupNexus to become one of Europes leading providers of parking management and technology services. It is testament to our success that we are able to announce that Lord Austin has joined us as a non-executive director. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be invaluable as we look to drive our business forward. Austin is the latest in a number of senior appointments at GroupNexus. Earlier this year, Ashleigh Lewis joined the business as chief financial officer and member of the board, and Kulvinder Maingi was appointed chief technology officer. 10 PN Sept 2023 pp10-11 Companies News.indd 10 24/08/2023 11:00