THE HILLS GROUP

Enhancing Telecoms Infrastructure with DRC’s Responsive, Customer Centric Service

Company Overview

The Hills Group, a Wiltshire-based business with 125 years of heritage, operates across three core divisions: quarrying, waste management, and residential property development. Headquartered in Swindon, the group oversees more than 30 sites throughout the Westcountry and employs over 700 people, including 300 IT users and a wide range of operational staff such as HGV and mobile plant drivers.

Known for its commitment to sustainability and the local community, Hills relies on robust, reliable communications to support its critical services, sites, and teams across southern England.

DRC has supported The Hills Group for over a decade, providing consistent, dependable telecoms solutions across its estate. With deep insights into Hills’ operational landscape and evolving needs, DRC has become a trusted partner—modernising and stabilising the organisation’s communications infrastructure as it has grown and adapted over time

At a Glance

Challenges

Fragmented telecoms setup across 30+ sites
Multiple suppliers and legacy on-site systems
Lack of visibility and control over telecoms estate
Time-consuming supplier admin for internal teams
The need to prepare for the analogue switch off

The Solution

Consolidated services under DRC as primary telecoms provider
Migration to cloud-based Horizon IP phone system
Over 400 mobiles under one flexible, tailored contract
Proactive account management and dedicated support
Strategic telecoms consultancy and ongoing optimisation

Benefits

Unified, fully managed telecoms across all sites
Greater visibility & control with DRC’s Hydra Analytics platform
Reduced admin burden
Fast personalised support from a familiar team
Future-ready & scalable infrastructure
Trusted partnership that supports long-term planning

You can go almost anywhere and get a similar telecoms solution - but what really matters is the service. Large corporate providers often leave you stuck in endless call centre queues where the support feels faceless and impersonal. What sets DRC apart is their approach: they’re small enough to care, but big enough to deliver.

THE CHALLENGE

Like many organisations with a long operational history and multiple sites, The Hills Group encountered a common issue: a fragmented telecoms environment.

Over the years, layers of contracts, services, and suppliers had built up—resulting in a complex patchwork of phone systems, outdated technologies, and on-site hosted solutions. This disjointed setup created significant tech debt, a lack of centralised oversight, and growing difficulties in supplier management.

With the nationwide analogue phone switch-off on the horizon, The Hills Group urgently needed to unify its communications into a modern IP phone system.

To pave the way for long-term efficiency and growth, the business needed a telecoms partner that could offer clarity, consistency, and proven expertise—not just in delivering technology, but in supporting its strategic goals.

THE SOLUTION

DRC became The Hills Group’s primary telecoms provider, delivering a range of services across their business:

Mobile Services
Hosted Telephony
Connectivity across all sites

From the the outset, DRC approached the relationship as a partnership rather than a transactional supplier. By mapping out the existing estate, consolidating services, and simplifying support channels, they helped bring much-needed clarity and control to the business. Even in areas where DRC isn’t the current supplier, they’ve taken time to understand the setup and offer advice – positioning themselves as a trusted advisor.

Key Services Delivered

Mobile Services – DRC provides Hills with over 400 SIMs under a consolidated mobile contract. Following a recent two-year renewal, a tailored data package was delivered that meets all their data needs with no risk of bill shock.
Telephony and IP Phones – Horizon, a cloud-based phone system, underpins Hills’ core voice communications, offering a flexible, feature-rich alternative to outdated on-site infrastructure. DRC manages the full lifecycle – from procurement and deployment to support and future planning – ensuring seamless, scalable telephony across multiple sites.
Business Data Lines – Critical site connectivity is managed and monitored by DRC, ensuring that Hills’ teams – whether on a quarry site or in a regional office – remain connected with minimal disruption.
Flexible Contracts and Ongoing Consultation – DRC worked collaboratively to ensure that contracts suit the business’s evolving needs. As the business expands or restructures, the telecoms infrastructure can flex with it.
Proactive Technical Support – Instead of anonymous support desks and long wait times, Hills has access to a dedicated account manager and a specialist support team who knows their setup inside out and can resolve issues rapidly.
Service with a Human Touch – With dedicated Account Management and a single point of contact who knows their estate inside out, Hills receive consistent, high- quality service without the hassle of repeating information or re-explaining their setup

THE RESULTS

Centralised Management – The Hills Group now has a streamlined and fully managed telecoms estate across their sites, significantly reducing workload and removing the need to deal with multiple providers.
Improved Visibility & Control – The IT team now has a comprehensive view of their telecoms estate – what’s in use, where it’s located, and how it’s performing. With direct access to Hydra – DRC’s unique analytics platform – and detailed monthly reports delivered straight to their inbox, they gain greater clarity and control across the entire organisation. Regular service review meetings with their Account Manager also help them stay ahead of potential issues and plan proactively for expenditure.
Faster Response Times – Urgent queries, such as line faults or equipment issues, are dealt with quickly and efficiently by a familiar team that understands the business.
Operational Efficiency Gains – With DRC handling the day-to-day coordination of telecoms services, internal teams are freed from the distraction of supplier admin and can focus on more strategic tasks.

Having one single point of contact makes a huge difference - Tom knows Hills inside out and is absolutely amazing. We can’t fault the level of service we receive; any issues are resolved quickly by someone who knows our setup well. We’re really impressed, and that’s exactly why we’ve stayed with DRC for so long.

IN SUMMARY

As The Hills Group continues to assess its long-term communications strategy, DRC remains a trusted and valued partner. Building on a strong foundation of service and support, the organisation is exploring opportunities to further consolidate its telecoms estate under DRC’s management – recognising the benefits of having a single, reliable provider with a clear understanding of their operational needs.

While not all sites are yet on DRC’s Horizon platform, plans are in motion to migrate the remainder, further unifying their communications under one trusted solution.

DRC has become more than just a telecoms supplier to The Hills Group – it’s a partner embedded in their day-to-day operations. Whether it’s preparing sites for digital transformation, responding to service issues, or simply being available when needed, DRC continues to demonstrate its value as a consistent, responsive, and strategic part of Hills’ IT ecosystem.