As Enspec CTO Tim Rastall celebrates his 10th anniversary with the business, we sat down with him to talk about his incredible decade of career and business growth.
Tell us about your timeline at Enspec.
My journey with Enspec began in 2014 when I started a summer internship while completing my MEng in Electrical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. Motivated by a strong interest in Power Quality and Power Systems, I reached out to Enspec, recognising their significance in the evolving renewables sector.
Enspec welcomed me into their consultancy department, where I initially worked on P28 and G5/4 studies using software like PSCAD and IPSA. Following my placement, Enspec generously sponsored my MEng and offered me a full-time position upon completion of my studies.
As an Electrical Engineer, I had the privilege of supporting clients such as UCPC, Woodgroup, Verdant Engineering, Grupotec Renewables, and Burnell Switchgear and Control with power system studies, electrical design, and testing, often managing projects independently. I also gained practical experience in manufacturing products like Harmonic Filters, Power Factor Correction, and Reactive Compensation, along with hands-on engineering work during commissioning and site services.
In 2017, after completing international training in advanced software and the Vizimax SynchroTeq, I was promoted to Senior Electrical Engineer. This role allowed me to develop my career further through client and project management, and I began training a team, which contributed to the growth of our consultancy department. I also delved into the business side of Enspec, starting to quote for work and building my own client base.
By 2019, I was promoted to Director, where I supported the development of HV manufacturing client bases and facilitated the rapid expansion of our consultancy department. This role provided opportunities for international travel, public speaking on thought-leadership topics, and media appearances. In 2021, the original founders offered my wife, Mara, (the then Marketing Director) and me the opportunity to step forward in our careers as they sought to step back. After exploring various options, we opted for a management buyout (MBO). The process, which took 18 months and involved significant learning, culminated in February 2023, with Mara and me becoming majority shareholders.
Today, as Chief Technical Officer, I oversee all revenue-generating departments, focusing on quality and process optimisation, innovative and enterprise client projects, business development, team development, and thought-leadership, with the aim of continuing to grow and develop Enspec as a business with global opportunities.
Now, reaching the 10-year point with Enspec feels like an incredible achievement. I’ve seen so much development in the business, the team, and the industry. Thinking back to my work placement in 2014, I never would have imagined Enspec would be a place I could literally call a second home.
What has been one of your favourite projects to work on and why?
I’ve had many great projects at Enspec, but one of the more recent ones stands out due to the multidisciplinary skill development it showcased. A prime example is the Kedrion Biopharma UPS project.
Kedrion Biopharma, a large energy user in Melville, NY, approached us with an issue related to voltage sags, which were causing millions in operational cleanup costs. Addressing this problem was crucial for their operations.
The US market was new territory for Enspec, and I supported the marketing department in campaign development for this region. Attending multiple international conferences to learn about the market helped refine our campaign. Just receiving the inbound enquiry felt like a significant achievement.
I took the lead as the main Director to oversee the business development opportunity and was thrilled when we won the project. We completed multiple tasks for them, including detailed power system studies, validations, and the eventual project management of an international initiative.
This project provided opportunities for several visits to New York, the development of a new network, and an exciting design challenge that had a significant impact on our business.
There have been many projects I’ve enjoyed working on, and this is just one example!
How do you feel Enspec has grown/changed/evolved in the time you have been here?
I’ve had the opportunity to see Enspec truly evolve over the last 10 years. Starting as a fairly small team across 2 offices, we’re now almost 30 (and growing) across 3 offices with big plans on the horizon. We’ve developed a name for ourselves as harmonics specialists with a top-tier consultancy and manufacturing team that are experts in a very niche field. What was once a name known mainly through referrals, Enspec is now a true brand that is actively sought after.
Why would you recommend electrical engineering as a career choice?
The opportunity is endless. With a growing demand in renewable energy comes high demand for skilled electrical engineers. Your role can fuel you with purpose knowing you are having a positive impact on the future and global sustainability.
With a discipline that touches so many industries, it means that there is plenty of diversity in career options and professional development. Finally (but not least!) with electrical engineers being in high demand, job and salary packages are also very competitive compared to other careers! Overall, I’ve truly loved the career I’ve had and the sector I’ve worked in. I’m looking forward to seeing how the sector progresses in the next 10 years!
What has been your proudest moment at Enspec?
Two main moments come to mind! One has to be the completion of the MBO and a successful (record-breaking) first year we achieved. But the second has to be the promotions given, particularly to our board of Directors.
When we completed the MBO, Mara and I have always had full intention on growing the company and we knew this couldn’t be done with just the two of us. Having worked with so many members of the team for my whole career, we wanted this next step for us to be meaningful for our core team.
With the restructuring of our Chart of Accounts providing opportunity for department heads. This meant that we could now jointly run the business, knowing departments were looked after by experts who had legacy with Enspec, and many of whom started at Enspec many years ago as work placement or apprentices themselves!
Congratulations again to Tim Rastall on your 10th Enspec anniversary and thank you for diving deep into your career.
