bts Group grows from strong roots
June 07, 2021Hal McCallum, Managing Director of bts Group, an RSK group company, recently spoke to ProArb magazine about the continued growth of the arboriculture business, in particular utility arboriculture.
As a specialist in utility arboriculture, bts Group is a leading provider of arboriculture and vegetation-management services.
Hal established Broadleaf Tree Specialists in 1987, which became bts Group in 1993. Since its inception, the business has grown from a team of two to having a 600-strong workforce.

Hal recalled that early work following the great storm of 1987 enabled him to see the opportunities available in the utilities sector and the scope these offered the business to grow. Working on the clear-up after the severe weather, Hal said, โwas a chance to show we could work to get things back up, not just power lines, but trains as wellโ.
This recognition of the wider role of arboricultural services in managing infrastructure was an opportunity. It enabled bts to approach a broader client base and to strengthen its core offering by establishing specialist services. A strong, specialist skills-base expanded growth capacity, clearing the way for bts to take on higher-risk work covering a wider slice of the utilities sector. No longer bound to a small service offering, the company invested in a niche set of skills to best support its clients.
bts Group is now principal contractor for four of the seven UK utility companies, with teams in Scotland, the West Midlands and East Anglia. The company also maintains a commercial and domestic arboricultural team that works across the country.
Expansion enabled the business to acquire tbf Scaffolding and tbf Traffic, which augment the companyโs offering by providing complementary, integrated scaffolding and traffic management services.

Hal told ProArb that utility arboriculture goes beyond the typical abilities of the mainstream sector. Utility tree surgeons are required to have additional competencies on top of the National Proficiency Test Council certification of arborists, he explained. This high-regulation environment can be โoff-putting to some firms,โ but it is btsโs speciality.
Hal stressed that compliance โis absolutely core to what we doโ and is a driving force in the business and among employees. Training starts โon the groundโ, and staff progress through โa clear development pathwayโ.
Investment in comprehensive training and a focus on communication have fostered a strong work ethos at the business, creating an environment where โwe share common goalsโ, Hal said. โEveryone โฆ does their best to ensure this is a safe, secure and successful place to work.โ
Hal plans to expand the business further and noted that being part of the RSK group has โprovided us more opportunity to growโ.
Halโs interview with ProArb magazine can be read in full in the spring 2021 issue.
๐ณ๏ธโ๐ RSK is proud to stand alongside members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
๐ People deserve to be their authentic selves and love freely without fear.
You can read Graeme and Abigail's full stories next week in RSK insights. Keep an eye on our social media for more information.
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Ryan Dunderdale, Senior Surveyor at Central Alliance, providing technical support and on-site training to datum plate install teams down in Bristol.
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๐ In the June edition of our #employeespotlight, we spoke with with Rosie Pearce at Stephenson Halliday and Carmen Snowdon at WRc Group to find out about their recent achievements ๐
๐ Congratulations to you both!
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๐ In our latest edition of #ADayInTheLife, we spoke with Ellen Lapworth-Maisey, Wellbeing, #Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at RSK โ a fascinating position that helps to create an inclusive and empowering #culture for all RSK staff.
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Some pictures of the Envireau Water staff on site.
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๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐
#RSKSteps came to an end on Tuesday 31 May after a month of stepping adventures.
๐๐ป ๐ป๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐:
โ๏ธ1449 participants
โ๏ธ332,268,416 steps
โ๏ธยฃ1500 raised for our chosen charity, MIND!
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๐ Join Dirk Van Look and Chris Hughes on our webinar all about #PFAS โ perfluoroalkyl substances, which are both human-made and known to be harmful to humans.
๐ก We will showcase real-life examples to demonstrate how RSK is responding and developing capabilities to assess these emerging #contaminants.
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๐ข RSK is pleased to announce it has further expanded its presence in Ireland by acquiring one of the most reputable tree care companies in the country.
๐ณ Dermot Casey Tree Care was founded in the 1970s by Managing Director Dermot Casey and is one of the most highly regarded tree surgery companies in Ireland, with more than 50 years of experience.
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