Meet the Team
Chris Armistead - Director
Chris started Service Design Partnership with Mike Connors in 1987 to provide high quality unique and innovative Mechanical & Electrical designs to critical sectors.
SDP specialises in healthcare, pharmaceutical, food manufacturing, hospitals and research. They have also completed projects in education, commercial, corporate and public areas.
With more than 30 years operating at Director level Chris has been responsible for fee rendering, negotiation, design, cost control and running teams of specialist engineers and associated ancillary staff. Project types include highly specialised designs associated with pharmaceutical clean rooms and associated complex engineering systems including HVAC mechanical and electrical systems.
With extensive experience and unique expertise in consulting engineering, Chris is increasingly called upon to provide advice before large scale projects are started as well as expert advice in cases of due diligence.
Ross Hawkyard - Senior Engineer
Ross came to SDP while on work placement with Huddersfield University and is still here.
Fascinated by building services design and its practical application he switched disciplines and has never looked back. An integral part of our hospitals and healthcare team, he looks behind the scenes of the architects’ drawings, gets under their skin and designs and tests electrical systems that deliver front line services.
He is passionate about designing and installing efficient systems that improve peoples’ lives.
“The most rewarding part of this job is seeing what you have designed and how it works to make peoples’ lives better,” he said.
Ross has worked closely on projects including Huddersfield Royal Infirmary extensions and upgrades and GSK new builds and developments.
A mad Huddersfield Town fan he was at the front of the queue when the Yorkshire team won promotion to the premiership to renew his season ticket and is enjoying their continued success in the top tier.
Mark White - Senior Engineer
Mark always knew he wanted to work in the construction industry and joined SDP as an apprentice.
Since then he has studied CAD (Computer Aided Design) at Leeds Becketts University and completed a HNC in building design as well as gaining his degree.
“Achieving CAD was important because it gives us greater flexibility when working on specific designs,” he explained.
With the focus on healthcare and pharmaceuticals, Mark works on designs across private and public sector customers.
Mark has a young family and spends his down time in the fresh air pursuing his love of sport and walking in rural locations.
Paul Handforth - Director
Chartered Electrical Engineer Paul has returned to Services Design Partnership with extensive experience in Consulting Engineering most recently within the Pharmaceutical sector.
Recent project involvement has seen him designing and executing facilities in Russia, Germany, Algeria, France and Ireland including Oral Solid Dosage Facilities, pMDI Packing plant and Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing and Research facilities. These included highly specialised designs associated with pharmaceutical clean room environments, hazardous areas and complex electrical engineering systems.
Specialising in the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Education, Retail and Aviation sectors, Paul is ideally placed to provide advice and guidance on various scale projects. His role at SPD includes responsibility for fee rendering, client acquisition, work definition and delivery of bespoke, high profile solutions.
Chris Armistead, director of SDP said: “Operating in the highly technical and demanding pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors Paul’s experience and expertise will be an invaluable asset both to the business and to our customers. Everyone here welcomes him to the team.”