
J&B Hopkins
Fostering Future Talent: BESA and J&B Hopkins Host U.S. Students at Major London Project

The Background
BESA has a long-standing relationship with our U.S. counterpart, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA). Both organisations serve similar roles in our respective countries' mechanical and building services sectors.
Founded in 1889, MCAA serves approximately 2,600 companies involved in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, piping, and mechanical service. Like BESA, the MCAA provides its members with a wide range of services including education, training, advocacy, and resources to enhance business practices and competitiveness.
Our partners at MCAA reached out to us about their planned technical visit to Europe and the Middle East for students from Alabama's Auburn University. They sought BESA’s assistance in securing host companies in London to provide valuable learning experiences for the students.
The Solution
BESA Regional Manager, Kip Bahra, leveraged our extensive member network to find a willing host for the group of 18 students from Auburn University's McWhorter School of Building Science.
We organised a behind-the-scenes tour of a major London M&E project, Glengall Road, with one of our esteemed members, J&B Hopkins, a full MEP design and build service provider. The project, a £14 million building services package for new student accommodation at the London School of Economics, offered an ideal learning opportunity for the visiting students.
J&B Hopkins are an employee owned trust incorporated in 1978 and have progressively grown and developed significantly over the last forty-five years to provide a full MEP design and build service to the construction industry and direct to end user markets. They are known throughout the industry for their collaborative problem-solving approach to projects.
The Glengall Road project is a major student accommodation development being built by main contractor Equans in partnership with the LSE and the developer SPARK Living. It involved the demolition of a warehouse to be replaced by a 15-storey modular pre-cast concrete frame building which was largely manufactured off site. It includes a basement plantroom, 676 student rooms, a 2,375 sqm commercial floorspace gym, external courtyards, shared kitchens, cinema room, laundry room, amenity space and staff offices. It is due for completion in December.
The Results
The 16 undergraduates and two masters students from the university’s McWhorter School of Building Science toured the basement level of the project and saw first and second fix examples of the commercial and residential spaces. They were guided by J&B Hopkins project director Mick Reader and lead design engineer James Mintram, who explained the details of the project and then answered questions during a Q&A session over lunch.
This collaboration exemplifies the commitment of both MCAA and BESA to international knowledge exchange and professional development in the mechanical and building services industry. By exposing students to international projects and practices, both organisations are helping to create a more globally aware and skilled workforce for the future. BESA chief executive David Frise commented “Our partnership with the MCAA has endured for more than half a century and we value it more than ever,” he said. “We must continue to strengthen our ties and give our young engineers more opportunities to broaden their horizons by learning from each other and being exposed to this kind of practical experience.”
This successful visit sets a precedent for future collaborations between MCAA and BESA. It opens the door for more international exchange programs.
It also cemented J&B Hopkins’ passion for developing the next generation.
J&B Hopkins' major projects director, Dominic Harman said it was “a genuine pleasure to support the young graduate engineers visiting from America” adding that the initiative not only fostered international collaboration “but also highlighted the talent we have nurtured within our own organisation”. “Our designer, who began his journey with us as a graduate, had the invaluable opportunity of presenting the project design, demonstrating his own growth and expertise,” he added. “This experience underscores the immense benefits of investing in the younger generation, who bring fresh perspectives and significant value to our industry. Their contributions are vital to our ongoing success and innovation.”
Initiatives such as these support the sharing of best practices, innovative technologies, and problem-solving approaches across borders, ultimately strengthening our industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Thank you to everyone involved for making the visit possible, it was a great example of enduring collaboration between the two industry organisations and their members ” - David Frise, BESA Chief Executive.