It’s all about the people – long servers celebrated

29 July 2026 by CSG

It’s all about the people – that’s the mantra at the heart of CSG and everything it does as a business.

Former Managing Director Neil Richards first coined the phrase during his 13-year tenure in the top seat – and Jen Cartmell has ensured that people remain at the forefront of thinking since.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that CSG has some extraordinary examples of long service amongst its ranks.

Chemist Vinny Craddock and engineer Mike Wright are both on the road to half a century with the company, while there are many others who have surpassed a decade of service.

They include Group Technical Manager and Group Oil Treatment Plant Manager Dave Earl, who has recently celebrated his 30th anniversary.

The 56-year-old started out as a Chemist and has risen through the ranks to be part of the senior leadership team.

Dave said: “I have stayed because it is such a varied role.  The people at CSG make the difference. It’s a family-owned business and people really do support each other.

“There are always new issues to deal with but we crack on together and do what we can, knowing we have had many successes over the years.”

Also clocking up the years is James Quick, Fleet Compliance Manager at CSG subsidiary J&G Environmental Ltd.

Having started out as an HGV driver in 1999, James became Transport Manager 18 years ago.

“The role has changed by evolution as the company has grown to the extent where we brought in another driver to be transport manager so that I could focus more on the compliance side of the business,” he said.

“CSG have guided J&G along the path, bringing us more options and capability, and with that comes the feeling of stability.

“J&G has evolved along with our customers and I can’t think of another waste management company in this field that has a better understanding of its customers’ needs. I’m proud to be here.”

Mike Wilson and Paul Burgess are relative newbies having been with CSG for a mere 38 years between them.

Group Business Development Manager Mike, who joined the company in 2005, said: “I took the role as Commercial Manager in 2009 when there wasn’t a sales team to speak of. The business basically lived off its reputation and simply had people to receive inbound calls.

“I changed that by bringing in a proactive team to go out and look for work and there are now 20 telesales staff.

“With the exception of one or two, I’ve worked within every business unit within CSG, which has given me an excellent overview.

“It’s been a tremendous journey for me personally. I think my biggest achievement has been helping to grow the maintenance and repair department, which has tripled in size and now has a north and south split.”

Engineering Manager Paul Burgess, 63, joined CSG as Maintenance Engineer in 2009 and has worked his way up.

“I have always been allowed to manage how I wanted to manage without someone looked over my shoulder all the time,” said Paul.

“The company has always said it’s all about the people – and they believe it. It has led to phenomenal growth and huge re-investment in Cadishead, which has been pleasing to see.”

The average duration of tenure at CSG stands at 7.3 years, significantly higher than the national average of four to five years.

Jen Cartmell, Manging Director, said the longevity was the result of CSG’s people-first philosophy.

She said: “Being a people-focused business means many things. It’s championing gender diversity, running successful apprenticeship schemes to give young people a chance, making health and safety a top priority and supporting our people wherever we can.

“Having so many long-serving employees means we are successfully retaining that knowledge and experience within the business, which strengths our operations.”