The Mobile Component Repair (MCR) service enables the repair of individual device components rather than full unit replacement.

TMT First was the only Staffordshire business to receive the award last year. The presentation took place at a ceremony attended by more than 100 guests, including Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Adam Jogee, the town’s mayor, executives from Samsung and eBay, and representatives from Keele University, the University of Staffordshire and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.

At a ceremony attended by more than 100 guests founder Adam Whitehouse received the award from the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Professor Elizabeth Barnes CBE, the King’s official representative in the county.

“We live in a world where technology is moving at an incredibly fast pace, but there is a tendency that if it goes wrong people jump to replace it. Our close collaboration with and support from Samsung as part of our 12-year relationship has enabled us to innovate and develop new service and repair solutions such as MCR,” he said.

TMT First was one of just 197 organisations nationwide to receive a King’s Award in 2024.

Whitehouse said the award reflected the company’s long-term focus on repair, refurbishment and sustainability, supported by its 12-year partnership with Samsung. He added that MCR demonstrates how extending device lifecycles can reduce environmental impact while lowering costs for consumers and businesses.

Professor Barnes said TMT First’s approach aligned closely with the King’s sustainability priorities, particularly around sustainable consumption and reuse, and encouraged other Staffordshire businesses to follow its example.

TMT First is one of the UK’s largest technology repair centres, employing 70 technicians and processing up to 250,000 devices a year. The company has recently added IT asset disposal (ITAD) to its services and works with OEMs, distributors, resellers, insurers and the emergency services. In 2025 it received a King’s Award for Innovation in Enterprise.

The business also partnered with the Department for Education to launch the UK’s first “Digital Device Repair Technician” apprenticeship.

Ryan Trendell, Emporia’s UK & Ireland sales manager, said:
“As Emporia continues to grow and our product portfolio diversifies, we need a service partner who can operate across a range of devices. TMT First fits the brief perfectly. The team are big enough to manage our requirements, yet flexible enough to offer a bespoke service.”

Emporia recently launched the SMART 7 smartphone series, which runs Android but includes accessibility features such as hearing aid compatibility, a switchable user interface, a dedicated one-touch button to Google Gemini, and the onboard emporia coach app. Its devices are available through Currys, AO, Very, Amazon and other online retailers.

TMT First director of sales and purchasing Jaime De Caso said:
“It’s great to be working with Ryan and the team at Emporia. They have a great range of products supporting many vulnerable customers. TMT First will ensure repairs are completed quickly and accurately. In addition, Emporia shares our environmental commitment to ‘repair not replace’ and sustainability in technology.”

TMT First received the award for its Mobile Component Repair (MCR) service. Unlike traditional repairs that involve replacing entire assemblies—such as screens or frames—the MCR service isolates and replaces only the damaged components. This approach is claimed to cut consumer repair costs by up to a third.

Founder and Chair Adam Whitehouse (main pic) said: “To receive a King’s Award for Innovation is one of the proudest moments of my career.

“Being recognised for the work we’ve done around innovation is truly humbling. Innovation is at the heart of everything we do at TMT First, and this award reinforces our mission to deliver smarter, more sustainable technology solutions for our partners, customers, and the circular economy.

“Our Mobile Component Repair process is a game-changer — reducing repair costs, cutting CO? emissions annually, and extending the life of devices. It’s a smarter, greener way to repair tech, and having that recognised at the highest level is something I’ll never forget.”

TMT First now joins more than 8,000 UK enterprises that have received this prestigious royal honour since the awards were established in 1965. Formerly known as the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the programme was renamed in 2023 to continue the legacy of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Founded in 2006, the Staffordshire-based TMT First employs 160 people and processes around 250,000 items each year, including phones, wearables, tablets, accessories, and laptops.

The King’s Award for Enterprise is considered the UK’s highest business accolade, with winners entitled to use the official emblem for five years.

A company can apply for a King’s Award for Enterprise by demonstrating outstanding achievement in one of four key categories. They are granted by The King on the advice of the Prime Minister, based on a rigorous assessment process. Applications are assessed by independent panels and then reviewed by an advisory committee. Final approval is given by the King.

Winners Receive the King’s Awards emblem, which can be used in marketing for five years a crystal trophy and official grant presented by the Lord Lieutenant (the King’s representative) and an invitation to a royal reception at Buckingham Palace.

TMT First now has access to Microsoft training, certification, advanced diagnostics, specialized tools, and genuine parts. This collaboration adds to TMT First’s existing partnerships with Apple, Samsung, and JCB Toughphone.

CEO Adam Whitehouse said, “Being recognized by Microsoft is a tremendous achievement and a reflection of the dedication and expertise of our entire team.”

In addition to repairs, TMT First provides device recycling, refurbishment, and logistics support for large organizations. The company has developed software tools to streamline the repair process and improve customer service.

The Microsoft Surface lineup includes tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. The range comprises the Surface Pro, Surface Laptop Series, Surface Book Series, Surface Go Series, Surface Studio Series, Surface Duo, and Surface Hub. Surface devices feature touchscreens and Pen support.

Whoever is in power needs to encourage people to get devices repaired – they need to make it easier by introducing sustainable incentives such as removing VAT from refurbished tech or adopting proven schemes like those seen in Europe to incentivise repairs.

It will be virtually impossible for companies to meet the current Government’s targets of becoming net zero by 2050 if steps aren’t taken to encourage business owners to recycle and repair, rather than just replace. With the mountain of electrical waste* predicted to grow to 74 million tonnes a year by 2030 whoever is in power after the General Election needs to:

• Scrap or reduce VAT on technology repairs.

• Introduce a UK repair voucher scheme, to promote sustainable consumption like those seen in other areas of Europe to incentivise people to get their broken electronic devices repaired, rather than, just discarding them and replacing with new.

• Bring in targets so that when businesses aquire tech, at least 10 percent of purchases per year have to be refurbished or repaired devices.

E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream worldwide. According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste was generated in 2019, with only a portion being recycled properly.

The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 states that a record 62 million metric tons of e-waste were generated globally in 2022, that would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator, and only 22.3 per cent of this e-waste was formally collected and recycled.

This gap between e-waste generation and recycling is expected to widen

This gap between e-waste generation and recycling is expected to widen, with projections indicating that by 2030, e-waste could reach 82 million metric tons, while the documented recycling rate could drop to 20%.

Electronic items, like mobiles, laptops and tablets that could be fixed, too often get thrown away, instead contributing to pollution and increasing the global demand for components including rare earth elements, which when mined can damage local environments.

I want to see incentivising measures introduced to actively encourage consumers and businesses to repair tech or buy refurbished as an alternative to always replacing with new.

Austria for example introduced their support program ‘Repair Bonus,’ which provides vouchers that cover 50 per cent of the costs for repairing home electrical and electronic equipment up to a value of €200. The aim is to give broken electronic devices a ‘second chance,’ increasing the number of refurbished and repaired electrical and electronic equipment.

Back in 2022 the Waste and Electrical Equipment Forum estimated that 5.3 billion mobiles phones would be thrown away – that figure will have only increased. Today the world’s largest device manufacturers including Samsung and Apple provide operating systems and security updates for up to seven years – so there’s no need for these mobile devices to have been thrown away – they can be repaired and repurposed which is far more sustainable.

We are a business that specialises in extending the life of digital devices, but this is much bigger than the part we can play – the climate crisis is real, and we must collectively take action.

People are also more aware of e-waste and the carbon generated during the manufacture of smartphones, tablets or laptops. 

Buying a refurbished device, repairing it or sending it to be recycled when it finally is beyond repair is vital in today’s drive to respect the planet and adopt a more sustainable approach in business. It’s time to give e-waste the attention it needs when we’re looking at future polices and whoever wins at the General Election needs to make a stand.

The scheme, which will now be rolled out nationally over the coming months, has been created in partnership with the Institute for Apprenticeships Tech Education (IfATE). It follows months of work with a range of partners to get the standards created for the 21-month qualification.

It was formally launched this week at TMT’s headquarters in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Whitehouse (main pic) has been at the forefront of getting the qualification launched to help fill skills gap in the tech industry, as well as up-skilling and future-proofing digital repair technicians.

“There are 71 million mobile phones in the UK. It shouldn’t be a case of if your mobile breaks, you get a new one. There needs to be the resources in place to make repairs a go to option – it’s much better for a customer’s pocket and is certainly much better for the environment”, said Whitehouse.

“Up until now there just haven’t been enough skilled technicians available to repair all the devices that need fixing and as the number of devices grows across the UK. The skills shortage will only increase further. The National Digital Device Repair Technician Apprenticeship is game changer as it is going to help fill that gap. Thanks to a huge amount of hard work by a team of industry specialists, including TMT, I am delighted to see the apprenticeship formally launched.

“This apprenticeship isn’t just about repairing devices. It’s about nurturing a workforce capable of making significant contributions to environmental sustainability. By extending the life of digital devices, we can actively reduce the carbon footprint associated with the production and disposal of electronics.

Nikki Christie, deputy director at IfATE, said:

“IfATE is delighted to celebrate the progress of this apprenticeship. In line with Government targets to achieve net zero by 2050, IfATE is tracking how apprenticeships are becoming more sustainable; championing those leading the way, and we are pleased to confirm the green credentials on this one are very high. The core nature of this apprenticeship will make a big difference to our society. We invite even more businesses to follow the example set by TMT First and work with IfATE to develop, revise, and update apprenticeships. We are currently looking for individuals with experience of environmental issues to join our Green Advisory Community.”

Newcastle-under-Lyme MP Aaron Bell, who attended the launch, added: “The launch of this apprenticeship will help fill that gap by upskilling the next generation of digital repair technicians.I’d like to congratulate TMT First and their partners on all the hard work they’ve done to get this Apprenticeship off the ground”

As a pre-curser on a local level to the apprenticeship, TMT launched its own in-house Training Academy four years ago to upskill the next generation of mobile device technicians. 

Training involved working in partnership with Samsung

It’s hoped in its first year, at least 40 apprentices will join the scheme, with the aim to increase that each year.

The apprenticeship is the first ‘dark green,’ standard in the digital space, which means it’s been set up to contribute to the UK’s mission to become Net Zero by 2050. To join IfATE’s Green Advisory Community email Institute.SUSTAINABILITY-TEAM@education.gov.uk

The Manufacturing Growth Programme was the UK’s largest and leading business support programme for SME manufacturers. It was funded by the European Regional Development Fund and delivered Irst by Oxford Innovation Advice . It gave advice and support to manufacturing small and medium enterprises with nearly £15 million in grants for 4,300 companies over the last three years. 

The Programme has helped TMT First boost its turnover from £9m in 2020 to its current level of £16m, and double its headcount to 144 people at its base in Newcastle-under-Lyme. ? The process involved bringing in expert consultants to look at internal systems and how to convert opportunities. Funds have now been phased out

The Programme helped the company launch its ‘Eco Repair’ service, which can now replace a screen without needing to also replace the aluminium frame and battery.

“The Manufacturing Growth Programme has made a major difference to our expansion plans. Eighty-three per cent of mobile phone CO² emissions come from their manufacture, shipping and first-year usage. Eco Repair means they are easier to repair and return to the customer without them needing a new phone” explained Adam Whitehouse, founder of TMT First.

“Without the financial support and guidance provided by Manufacturing Growth Programme, it would have been much more difficult for us to get where we are. Some of the opportunities realised may never even have happened. We’d love to see the Manufacturing Growth Programme continue in North Staffordshire.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Adam Whitehouse will be a keynote speaker at Mobile News’ secondary market conference Circular Summit talking about the best repair practices for used devices.

]]> https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/development-fund-helped-authorised-samsung-repair-centre-tmt-first-record-year/feed/ 0 https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/tmt-first-appoints-billings-new-ceo/ https://mobilenewscwp.co.uk/news/article/tmt-first-appoints-billings-new-ceo/#respond Mon, 14 Nov 2022 13:51:21 +0000 https://mncwp.tailrd.cloud/tmt-first-appoints-billings-new-ceo/ The company has doubled its workforce in the last two years and won many awards

Newcastle based telecoms company TMT First is expanding by recruiting six people to become repair technicians and train with the Digital Device Repair Technician Academy.

In partnership with Samsung and other UK businesses, the academy was founded in January 2020 to fill a skills shortage and train technicians and engineers for the future.

Those who are successful will be paid to partake in TMT’s fully funded four-week training course and if they pass, they will get a guaranteed job as a Samsung technician.

Company founder Adam Whitehouse said: “Trainees would spend up to four weeks in our fully funded Training Academy, where a dedicated trainer will teach both the theory and practical elements of repairing Samsung mobile phones, watches, and tablets before they get to repair actual devices alongside our existing team of industry leading technicians. 

“When they successfully graduate from our repair academy, they’ll be guaranteed a job with us, with a chance to progress up through our business for those that work hard and are looking for a career progression. 

“Many of our team today, who also came through the academy have already started rising up the ranks as they’ve grown in experience and confidence.”

Founded in 2006, TMT has also recently appointed Liam Seprini as its new environmental and sustainability officer- in line with its partnership with Ecologi to help offset carbon emissions.

It has also won four BusinessLive awards in 2021, including Business of the Year.

TMT First says it could surpass its revenue and recruitment targets for the year after seeing an increase in business during the coronavirus outbreak.

The Staffordshire-based Samsung repair partner had plans at the beginning of the year to double revenue and hire 20 staff by the end of the year.

However, managing director Adam Whitehouse (pictured, left) says that after taking on business that would otherwise belong to other repairers who had closed down or scaled back operations, TMT had experienced a period of growth during the lockdown.

“We needed to take on 20 new staff to hit our targets by the end of the year – we’ll now have 20 new staff by the end of this month,” he said. “We’ve gone all out to find people during these challenging times that will enable us to grow at an even faster rate than we envisaged.”

Whitehouse says TMT has 250 active B2B customers, and from April 1 until today processed more than 36,000 devices for SMEs and consumers. Devices were predominantly mobile, but TMT also repaired wearables and tablets.

TMT chairman Jon French (pictured, right) adds that repeat business has led to strong word of mouth. This has aided growth without the need for marketing spend.

“The most pleasing thing has been the repeat business,” said French. “There was a feeling that service expectations had dropped but our service levels haven’t, so it’s been word of mouth and organic traffic.

“If we can keep that, and turn on our marketing in the second half of the year in the way we intended to in this half, that’s where going beyond double growth comes in.”

In its 40,000 square-foot warehouse in Newcastle-Under-Lyme, TMT First has been able to implement split shifts and appropriate social distancing measures for all staff.

“We have plenty of space to grow into, we can continue to expand repair operations, I don’t think we’ll fill the repair space by the end of this year, and if we do we have a spare repair room with four times the capacity,” said Whitehouse. “So we’ve moved into a building that’s fit for the future, and the space has allowed us to do social distancing.”

Additionally, TMT has benefitted from Samsung’s nationwide closure of its Samsung Support Centres (SCCs) during lockdown, having negotiated with the vendor to take on the consumer devices that would normally be processed in the stores within 48 hours of lockdown being announced.

While the repair firm normally targets the SME sector, the uptick from consumer repairs has constituted around 20 per cent of the volume of devices processed in the time since. Samsung has not yet confirmed whether or not it will be reopening its SCCs from June 15.

During lockdown, TMT First has also collaborated with Juice to provide hospitalised coronavirus patients with tablets and powerbanks.