?>

Welcome to Acumen.  We are leaders in Waste Management, providing tailored and cost-effective waste management, treatment and transfer and industrial site services solutions.

We are experts at solving both difficult and routine waste management problems. Working in both the public and private sectors, we ensure safe and compliant waste solutions.

From total waste management to treatment and transfer at our own facilities, from hazardous waste removal and emergency waste clean-up, to contracted waste collection, Acumen deliver expertise across a range of sectors. Our clients include social housing associations, retailers, local and national government bodies as well as manufacturing, industrial and construction companies.

As well as removing waste, our Industrial Site Services team works on-site with the world’s biggest petrochemical and oil and gas businesses, ensuring safe and efficient waste processing that minimises the environmental impact.

All our processes are completely transparent. We work to the highest health and safety standards and we create detailed performance reports, giving you peace of mind that the very highest industry, legislative and regulatory standards are met.

 

Our Values

Service

  • Recognising the importance of all customers and the role that every Acumen employee plays in influencing the customer’s perceptions.
  • Understanding that the customer comes first and strive to exceed their expectations.
  • Providing innovative solutions, backed up with robust technical knowledge.
  • Providing a superior service in a timely and responsive manner.
  • Maintaining cutting edge thinking and processes to ensure that we are at the forefront of our industry.
  • Striving to make it easy for our customers, by getting it right first time.
  • Delivering value to our Customers.

Integrity

  • Being professional, reliable, credible, responsive and friendly in all aspects of communication – both internal and external.
  • Making sure this communication is prompt and honest.
  • If a problem arises, we view it as an opportunity to improve. Solving problems will allow us to raise the quality of our service.
  • Listening to what is required and being responsive. Acumen understand that how you say something has a significant impact on the way it is received by others.
  • Striving for improvement. We don’t just “do it because we’ve always done it this way.”

Safety

  • Acumen have developed and engendered a safe culture amongst all employees.
  • We have an open and free-speaking environment, where everyone is encouraged to speak out on items of health and safety.
  • We also ensure that our employees are expertly trained, with ongoing development, to carry out the tasks expected of them.
  • We will continue to report and investigate all near misses, to identify trends and to implement changes as required.
  • We will monitor the well-being of our employees and encourage two-way communication.
  • We have a zero-tolerance attitude to those that do not adhere to our safe working practices.

Business Principles &
Corporate Social Responsibility

We have long held the belief that as a company we have a responsibility to promote good citizenship within and without the Company.

A sense of responsibility for the environment and the communities in which we work has been part of our culture throughout our trading history, we always work in line with the highest environmental principles and fully embrace the concept and practice of sustainability in terms of economic, environmental and social responsibility.

We will always;

  • Respect people, their local community and the local environment in which we work.
  • Observe our Corporate Social responsibility by supporting the economy of the communities where we work.
  • Monitor measure and review our performance against agreed targets and benchmarks to facilitate continuous improvement.

HSEQ

Health

We seek to protect the health and well-being of everyone. A healthy business needs a healthy work- force. By identifying health hazards, reducing exposure to danger and specific training sessions we aim to reduce occupational illnesses.

Safety

Acumen engage and consult on all matters related to safety with our employees on a day-to-day basis to ensure sufficient risk assessments have been conducted and suitable control measures are in place. We promote the use of a low-level hazard reporting scheme to help protect our work-force by considering the associated task hazards and helping to eliminate the risks.

Environment

The Company is committed to continual improvement on environmental performance and the prevention of pollution by the setting of objectives We monitor the; generation of waste, reduction in the use of natural resources such as water and fossil fuels, replacement of lighting with energy efficient lighting. Re-use and recycling where ever possible.

Quality

The Directors, Management and Staff are responsible for the quality of our service provision through the Integrated Management System seeking improvement by constant review, with suppliers and sub-contractors being encouraged to co-operate. The Company is committed to achieving customer satisfaction by the use of quality procedures which will be operated to meet or exceed the requirements of ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

Our approach to review, includes a proactive monitoring system which incorporates a series of internal and external audits and inspections mapped out throughout the course of the year and set as part of our annual HSEQ Plan.

Our
History

  • In 1994, Limpia is founded
  • In 2001, Lloyds Development Capital invest in the business
  • In 2004, the business is rebranded as Acumen
  • In 2006, a Management Buyout acquires 100% of the shares in the business
  • In 2009, the business acquires the 2 acre Wolverhampton hazardous waste facility
  • In 2010, Acumen founds sister business Acumen Energy (AEL), specialising in the collection of waste oils
  • In 2011, current Acumen Group Holdings Managing Director, Leon Kirk joins the Board of Acumen
  • In 2012, Acumen relocates headquarters to newly acquired 2 acre site in Knottingley, West Yorkshire
  • In 2012, current Finance Director Kris Sutton joins Acumen
  • In 2013, current Managing Director Andy Crossley joins Acumen
  • In 2014, Acumen divests partial interests in AEL to Avista Oil AG
  • In 2014, Acumen establishes its fully Permitted Waste Recovery Park at Escrick, near York
  • In 2016, Acumen are recognised as one of the fastest growing hazardous waste focused businesses on the Catalyst CIWM Fast 50 list of 2016, which was reviewed against almost 1,000 businesses across the waste industry
  • In 2017, Acumen acquires the business and assets of Highspeed Group, including its subsidiary companies, staff, headquarters and hazardous waste transfer and treatment facility in Keighley
  • In 2017, Acumen’s salaried workforce becomes >50% female for the first time
  • In 2018, Acumen completes the planned divestment of the property and interests in Avista Oil Services (UK) Ltd
  • In 2018, Acumen opens its fully Permitted hazardous liquid waste treatment facility at Rufforth, near York
  • In 2018, Acumen receives a RoSPA Gold Award which recognises our dedication to employee’s safety and the ongoing work to continuously improve in all safety-related areas.
  • In 2018, Acumen undergoes a Management Buyout with the company’s existing Executive Board of Leon Kirk, Andy Crossley and Kris Sutton taking full control of the business alongside Jon Morris, who continues in the role of non-executive Chairman
  • In 2019, Acumen completes the landmark contract with the Environment Agency to repatriate 4,000 tonnes of illegally exported waste material from Poland

  • In 2019, Acumen receives a second consecutive RoSPA Gold Award, recognising our continued efforts to drive safety performance
  • In 2020 Acumen completes the significant and technically complex contract with Sunderland City council, under the guidance of the Environment Agency to clear nearly 28,000 tonnes of mixed residual waste from the former Alex Smiles waste site
  • In 2020 Acumen receives a third consecutive RoSPA Gold Award together with the internationally-recognised RoSPA ‘Commended in Waste Management and Recycling Industry Sector’ Award. Both these awards demonstrate the absolute commitment to consistently performing at a high standard, ensuring safety practices are truly embedded as part of the Company’s DNA
  • In 2020 Acumen is awarded the ‘We invest in people’ silver accreditation by Investors in People, demonstrating the importance placed on ensuring people feel invested in and creating a culture where people feel they belong.
  • In 2020 Acumen acquires the share capital, sites and associated assets of Chemwaste Ltd.
  • 2020-2021 Acumen successfully navigates the Covid-19 pandemic, helping our Customers to provide safe continuity of service throughout the various national lockdowns
  • In 2021 Acumen is once again recognised by RoSPA as Winner of the Waste Management & Recycling Sector Award for health and safety achievements. This overall award is enormously gratifying given it was achieved for standards during a Covid year. This overall award cements Acumen’s position as #Leaders
  • In 2022, Acumen completes a second Poland repatriation contract with the Environment Agency dealing with over 1,500 tonnes of illegally exported waste material in Poland
  • In 2022, Acumen successfully wins a further Contract with Places for People for TWM services, extending the trading relationship beyond 10 years
  • 2022: Acumen becomes part of Macquarie Asset Management backed Beauparc Group.