A leading engineering and project management consultancy is focused on continuing to increase its influence and impact across the decommissioning sector, while delivering wider benefits to its customers and community as it marks 30 years in business.

React Engineering was founded in 1994, at a time when John Major was Prime Minister, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction were released at the cinema and Love is All Around by Wet, Wet, Wet was the biggest selling single of the year.

The original three directors began the business because they saw an opportunity in the nuclear sector for intelligent, outcome driven support to accelerate decommissioning.

The company began life working across a wide variety of decommissioning projects at the Sellafield site and established a reputation playing a critical role within the sector during the late nineties and early 2000s.

Over the last three decades it  has supported decommissioning across the nuclear and defence sectors, working on projects throughout the UK and as far afield as the site of the Fukushima nuclear plant, in Japan.

Today the company’s team of 60 is based at its head office in Cleator Moor and a satellite office in Warrington, which it established last year.

It is currently involved in a number of projects across the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s estate.

In 2022, the company set up its React Projects division, which leads, integrates and delivers decommissioning and waste management projects in complex and hazardous environments.

This sits alongside React Consultancy which continues to carry out its well established role of solving and simplifying challenging engineering, project management and technical problems.

Managing director Phil Redfern says the company will mark its anniversary with a series of events to celebrate its partnerships and bonds with clients and the local community.

“Like all milestones, our 30th anniversary is a chance to reflect on our past achievements but also look to the future,” says Phil, who first came to work for React in 2002 during a gap year.

“Although the company has grown, developed and adapted in that time, we still retain the same core values.

“Central to these is our problem solving approach, which is founded on striving to understand the true complexity of a challenge to ensure we find an effective and enduring solution.

“It is a highly effective approach but one that is only possible with the right people with the right attitude.

“This is why our commitment to our work has always been accompanied by a twin focus on developing and supporting our team but also doing what we can to nurture a bright future for West Cumbria and its people.”

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the React Foundation, which was set up in 2004 and continues to inspire and support new generations of engineers to explore careers in STEM.

Over the last year, React staff have also committed more than 1000 hours of volunteering time to a range of charitable and community initiatives.

React’s Futures Programme also enables aspiring engineers to choose the course of their choice, at the university of their choice whilst gaining industry experience and being paid a salary, with a secured graduate role at the end.

In the coming years React will build on its success to move from being a “local SME” to a UK-wide decommissioning organisation.

This includes continuing to strengthen ties with Nuclear Restoration Services, which is responsible for decommissioning the UK’s first generation nuclear and research plants.

In particular, it would like to build on work it has carried out on the Dounreay site, in Scotland.

“As our current markets continue to evolve and change we want to ensure we build sustainability and resilience into our business, so we can have a strong foundation for the next 30 years,” says Phil.

“There is still so much work to do in the nuclear decommissioning sector, as well as exciting opportunities to work with technologies such as Small Modular Reactors, nuclear fusion and renewable sources.

“Alongside this our work across the UK is also presenting opportunities in sectors including water, fossil fuel based energy decommissioning and other areas where our problem focused, ‘lead and learn’ approach can help.

“At our heart we will always remain committed to bringing environmentally and economically sustainable growth to our communities because their prosperity underlies our own success.”