Nick Parsons, Executive Chairperson of AKW Holdings Group, Clare Hayward MBE DL High Sheriff of Cheshire and Cllr Simon Whittaker, Mayor of Middlewich opened a new AKW manufacturing facility in Middlewich, Cheshire. AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, is pleased to announce the opening of its
A shatterproof safety mirror with top sustainability credentials has been launched by Saint-Gobain Glass. MIRALITE® EASYSAFE delivers enhanced safety performance in comparison to standard mirrors and is ideal for use in high-traffic areas such as public buildings, sports facilities, shopping centres, bars, restaurants and hotels, When a standard mirror breaks,
Form should never compromise function, particularly in respect of building design. Aesthetics are important but must not usurp the need to create homes that optimise occupant safety and comfort. Prioritising the performance of materials such as insulation are integral to this outcome. For architects, early engagement with a specialist insulation
The ambitious goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral specialty glass manufacturer by 2030 is being followed by the next mission: SCHOTT also wants to lead the way as a pioneer in the transition to a circular economy. The technology Group has launched its first recycling projects in order to
He looks after the best man cave in the world where people can choose the music! Introduction Keller Kitchens offers the widest range of colours (2,050 NCS) and finishes in the European kitchen furniture market today, along with a huge variety of cabinetry options and accessories; all produced by the
Wakefield-based granite and quartz worktop supplier, Roann Limited, secure high-end project with R G Carter on the new £20 million Broomfield Village Care Home in Chelmsford, Essex. Ahead of the care home’s grand opening in May 2024, Roann Limited has been tasked with supplying and installing the worktops and splashbacks
Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, is excited to announce the official launch of its latest product, the Sonify Wall Absorbers Grid System. Launched on 10th April and building on the success of the wider Sonify range, the new gridded wall absorbers promise to elevate creative possibilities
Industry-leading decorative panel and sheet experts Panelco has announced a strategic brand partnership with specialist technical and decorative panel designer and manufacturer Polyrey to expand the range of high-pressure laminate (HPL) and compact laminate products it can offer its customers. As a prominent stockist and manufacturer of innovative products, ranges
Plumb Centre, part of the Wolseley Group, is committed to transparent and competitive pricing across an everyday range of products for the Plumbing and Heating trade professional. As a business, Plumb Centre recognises the uncertainty that recent economic conditions and cost volatility has created for many of their skilled trade
Commercial lighting manufacturer and supplier, Whitecroft Lighting, has completed a major project to install innovative LED lighting systems in almost 80 stores across the UK for electrical retailer Currys, including branches in Manchester, Birmingham and Dundee. But rather than completely replacing the outdated lights, Whitecroft used its pioneering Relight system
Nick Parsons, Executive Chairperson of AKW Holdings Group, Clare Hayward MBE DL High Sheriff of Cheshire and Cllr Simon Whittaker, Mayor of Middlewich opened a new AKW manufacturing facility in Middlewich, Cheshire. AKW, one of the UK’s leading providers of accessibility solutions, is pleased to announce the opening of its sizeable new showroom and manufacturing facility in Middlewich, Cheshire. AKW is proud to continue investing in British manufacturing and the 26,000 sq ft facility will produce accessible bathroom and kitchen products from across the company’s portfolio. In addition, the site includes offices and a large bathroom and kitchen showroom and client assessment centre, to enable Occupational Therapists, contractors, and other specifiers in the North West to experience AKW’s product range in situ and receive product training as needed. Following the acquisition of Contour Showers Limited in 2022, it quickly became clear that the existing Contour facility in Winsford would not be able to meet AKW’s manufacturing requirements. A new production site in Total Park, Middlewich, was subsequently taken on under a long-term lease and the layout amended during construction to suit AKW’s needs. Located three miles from junction 18 of the M6, AKW’s new facility is EPC A-rated and features roof mounted solar panels which will generate an estimated 15,000 kWh electricity per year for the site. Alongside AKW staff, all of the Winsford site’s employees have made the move to the facility and a fuel allowance, free transport service and hybrid working have been set up to make the transition easier. Nick Parsons, Executive Chairperson of AKW Holdings Groupcomments: “The opening of this showroom and manufacturing facility makes AKW the largest producer of bathroom and kitchen adaptation solutions in the North West. We are very proud of the reputation that AKW has built up over the years for providing high quality inclusive bathroom and kitchen solutions that stand the test of time. With the opening of the Middlewich facility, now even more installers, specifiers and end users across the region will be able to experience the exceptional AKW and understand why our strapline is ‘Life Made Better’.” To find out more about the new facility visit https://akw-ltd.co.uk/akw-opens-parsons-house/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A shatterproof safety mirror with top sustainability credentials has been launched by Saint-Gobain Glass. MIRALITE® EASYSAFE delivers enhanced safety performance in comparison to standard mirrors and is ideal for use in high-traffic areas such as public buildings, sports facilities, shopping centres, bars, restaurants and hotels, When a standard mirror breaks, shards of glass can be dangerous for everyone, including building occupants, homeowners and for the professionals who handle and install it. However, MIRALITE® EASYSAFE comprises an anti-shatter resin that retains 98% of splinters in the event of breakage. This patented innovation also provides a consistent, high-quality finish. To support Saint-Gobain’s commitment to the environment, MIRALITE® EASYSAFE is manufactured without plastic film and generates less waste, allowing a more sustainable material choice for interior designers, specifiers and building occupants. When retrofitting, it can be dismantled and fully recycled like any standard mirror. Made with water-based and lead-free raw materials, MIRALITE® EASYSAFE also contributes to improving indoor air quality thanks to ultra-low VOC emissions and meets A+ classifications by EN ISO 16000 VOC emissions testing (Eurofins test, France). Commenting on the launch, Jenni Young, Sector Market Manager at Saint-Gobain Glass says: “Mirrors are magical in their ability to transform a room. They allow designers to bring in light, space and drama. Not only does a mirror add brightness and make spaces appear bigger, but it can also smooth over awkward room shapes. In a social space such as a dining room, bar or nightclub, mirrors add ambience by making it appear busier and thus more vibrant.” She adds, “However, we all know safety is a central issue for everyone using mirrors. With MIRALITE® EASYSAFE, designers can bring their schemes to life, confident that the mirrors they use will be safe, and easy to install and maintain.” MIRALITE® EASYSAFE is also ideal for incorporating into furniture, such as wardrobes, sliding doors, table-tops and shelf backing. It provides a safe, simple and sustainable mirror option. To find a supplier visit https://www.saint-gobain-glass.co.uk/contact/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Form should never compromise function, particularly in respect of building design. Aesthetics are important but must not usurp the need to create homes that optimise occupant safety and comfort. Prioritising the performance of materials such as insulation are integral to this outcome. For architects, early engagement with a specialist insulation manufacturer can ensure design intentions and building regulation requirements are realised. A design philosophy based on material selection reduces the risk of falling short of legislative requirements. In terms of determining a building’s thermal efficiency, U-value calculations are pivotal to deciphering the heat retention of walls, floors and roofs. In these areas, specifying insulation based on its thermal performance is the obvious solution. However, other considerations may be required to achieve compliance. An insulation board’s fire safety performance, compressive strength and moisture resistance must also form part of the conversation when it comes to selecting a product that is fit for design purposes. Building stakeholders having this conversation at a project’s earliest stage can ensure material requirements are accommodated prior to construction work commencing, saving time and cost. All-round Benefits of Eurowall® + With Eurowall® +, Recticel has produced an insulation panel that achieves regulation targets for walls whilst simplifying the installation process for bricklayers. A 90mm Eurowall®+ PIR board can help to achieve 0.18 U-value in a traditional 100mm cavity, with the 10mm air gap facilitating its easier installation. Featuring an innovative tongue-and-groove joint on its four sides, Eurowall®+ negates the need to change working practices to achieve a better-performing cavity wall. Insulation innovation key to achieving increasingly stringent energy targets The tightening of building energy targets via the Part L 2003 update and the Future Homes Standard’s imminent introduction, has advanced the need for insulation products that help fulfil design possibilities whilst satisfying regulation compliance. A good example of this is Deck-VQ®,Recticel’s ultra-thin vacuum insulation panel (VIP). With terraces gaining prevalence, particularly in urban building developments with limited living space, Deck-VQ® maximises comfort and protection where insulation build-up thickness is an issue. Ideal for a wide range of flat-roof and terrace applications, Deck-VQ® belies its slender form to deliver a thermal performance as low as 0.008W/mK whilst its VIP core provides a Lambda value of 0.006 W/mK. Thanks to its innovative composition, complex refurbishment projects can be completed with Deck-VQ® without costly, time-inefficient structural changes. This outcome enhances a project’s sustainable credentials by reducing its environmental impacts. Based on practicality and performance, the aforementioned products have enhanced possibilities in terms of design and the construction process itself. Nothing must obscure the importance of accurate U-value assessments to obtaining the primary design objective, namely regulation-compliant buildings that contribute to the built environment’s future sustainability. But as innovation continues to evolve insulation’s form and function, there should be nothing to prevent buildings looking as good as they perform. For a range of insulation best practice guidance including product specification, installation and accurate U-value calculations, Recticel’s RIBA-approved CPD has all bases covered to ensure you meet your project goals. Available on-demand, with video, face-to-face seminars also an option, click here to discover our inspirational CPD programme. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The ambitious goal of becoming the world’s first climate-neutral specialty glass manufacturer by 2030 is being followed by the next mission: SCHOTT also wants to lead the way as a pioneer in the transition to a circular economy. The technology Group has launched its first recycling projects in order to gain important experience. Together with pilot customers and partners, SCHOTT is systematically exploring ways to return used glass-ceramic cooktop panels and pharmaceutical packaging to the production of new products. Besides the technical challenges, it is primarily the lack of a legal framework that stands in the way of a circular economy. Up until now, there have been no special regulations that allow specialty glass to be collected by type. SCHOTT is taking the lead in this area and would first like to provide technical proof with the pilot projects: The recycling of used materials would also be possible on a large scale. “SCHOTT is continuing its transformation into a sustainable company. That is why we have now launched our first projects to enter the circular economy. We intend to recycle used specialty glass and glass-ceramics and thus preserve and reuse valuable raw materials – in line with the goals of the EU Green Deal,” explains Dr. Jörn Besinger, who coordinates the international technology Group’s circular projects. With the Green Deal, the European Union is striving for a sustainable Europe that protects the climate, the environment and resources, avoids waste and recycles valuable raw materials. This is also aimed at reducing dependence on raw materials from other regions of the world. One key to this is to transform the current linear economy, which is geared towards the single use of products, into a circular economy. To achieve this, products must be made recyclable through recycling and the appropriate specifications. Internal recycling loop for decadesSCHOTT can also make a significant contribution to this because glass is generally quite easy to recycle. Specialty glass and glass-ceramics can also be returned to the material cycle rather easily. For decades, the specialty glass manufacturer has been using cullet as a raw material for production, thereby avoiding waste, conserving resources, and reducing energy consumption and emissions. More than 90 percent of the glass cullet is returned to the glass melt in the internal recycling loop. In some cases, SCHOTT also collects broken glass and broken glass cuttings from customers. To do so, however, all material must be absolutely sorted by type. Recycling makes it possible to recover valuable raw materials. For example, the coveted but scarce light metal lithium, which is also required for electric car batteries, is an important component of glass-ceramic cooktop panels. The potential to keep lithium in the cycle is correspondingly high if old cooktop panels can be disposed of responsibly. The challenge of meltingEven though glass is generally quite easy to recycle, there are also technical challenges here. Glass-ceramics and specialty glass have higher quality requirements than “normal” container or flat glass, as we know it from bottles or windows: they must be melted at significantly higher temperatures and the absorption of recycled material and the evaluation of the quality has not been researched that much so far. SCHOTT is also still at the beginning here, but now wants to gain important insights with the pilot projects and set the course for the transition to a circular economy. As already mentioned, however, the legal framework still needs to be created for this: In Germany and at the EU level, for example, there are still no legal requirements for the separate collection of specialty glass. Glass-ceramic cooktop panels are not separated from cooking appliances either, but rather collected together with other appliances in recycling centers and later shredded elsewhere. Important raw materials such as lithium are irretrievably lost in the process. According to SCHOTT’s calculations, around three million glass-ceramic cooktop panels and thus 10,000 tons of glass-ceramic will end up in landfills in Germany in 2030 alone. “We are appealing to German and European politicians to establish better framework conditions for a functioning circular economy, as envisaged by the EU Green Deal and the German government’s National Circular Economy Strategy,” explains Dr. Frank Heinricht, Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT AG and responsible for sustainability throughout the Group. Recycling pilots: Cooktops and pharmaceutical glassOf the two hurdles – technological development and framework legislation – SCHOTT now intends to tackle the technical side with its pilot projects. SCHOTT has been a pioneer for decades when it comes to innovation with its CERAN® glass-ceramic cooktop panels – a claim that is also being met in the area of sustainability. The company is setting up a new recycling cycle with pilot customers and partners from the waste management industry to recycle glass-ceramic from used cooktops. Glass-ceramic from old household appliances or broken glass-ceramic from assembly, freed from electronics and housings, will be delivered to SCHOTT. Once a sufficient quantity of material has been collected, extensive technical tests will follow to prove that the recycled material can be integrated into new glass-ceramic cooktops without compromising quality. A pilot project is also underway in the field of tubing, in which glass tubing is produced for pharmaceutical packaging. A major healthcare company is returning unused vials for medicines to SCHOTT. As cullet, these can then be fed back into the glass melt to supplement the raw materials from which new, high-quality glass tubing is produced. These can then be reprocessed into pharmaceutical vials that meet the highest quality standards. “In order to make progress in the circular economy, we are currently examining which product groups are worth setting up recycling systems for. To this end, we are inviting our customers to develop product-specific solutions together with us. We thus want to gradually increase the share of recycled raw materials in our industry,” says Dr. Jörn Besinger. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
He looks after the best man cave in the world where people can choose the music! Introduction Keller Kitchens offers the widest range of colours (2,050 NCS) and finishes in the European kitchen furniture market today, along with a huge variety of cabinetry options and accessories; all produced by the most sustainable means possible. The parent company, DKG, was the first carbon neutral kitchen manufacturer in 2017 and has reached Level 5 on the CO2 Performance Ladder. The highest level possible. Based in Bergen op Zoom, Holland, DKG boasts one of the largest kitchen factories in Europe; the surface area for the factory is 65,000m2 while the entire premises totals 100,000m2. 450 people are employed and around 2,500 kitchens are manufactured each week. Recently, several major investments have been made in the production facility in order that the Group optimises today’s technology, raises productivity, and remains at the forefront of the industry in terms of sustainability initiatives. Pictured is the headquarters in Bergen Op Zoom. Here, we talk to Jeffrey Carol, 45, Keller’s Factory Director, to discover more about how this remarkable operation functions; and his unusual path to the top of his game. How long have you worked for Keller and how has your career progressed here? My career path at Keller started in April 2007 and has comprised a diverse mix of roles which has been unusual, and useful! I started as a team leader responsible for the distribution centre and the people within it. After three years, I became Planning & Logistics Manager which tested all my skills! The machines must be running correctly, the people in the right place at the right time, the stock accessible and controlled; the list goes on. It is the department and team that ensures the factory is running at optimal levels and it was in this role that I first visited the UK to meet and chat with our dealers. I then dipped my toe in the Keller Customer Service division before moving on to be Sales Manager for Belgium. In 2020, I became Operations Manager and 2022 saw me reach the Factory Director position. The span of roles is wide and it means that, having started as a “boot on the floor” in so many roles, I can now manage with a great deal of background knowledge and am, in essence, customer-centric. How do you communicate with your teams? This is one of the most interesting parts of my job. We communicate in various ways as it is hard to reach everyone in just one way! Practically, my door is always open and we TALK! Because I have worked in the factory before, I know the teams and vice versa. I am not the new boy! Every day, we have a daily “stand-up” where all the team coaches and leaders speak and outline the day’s plans. The ten large TV screens in the factory are used to keep people updated with birthdays, projects, opening hours, charity news, company news, success in sales – everything goes up there! Part of my communications is focused on energy and a company catchphrase is “If what you are doing doesn’t give or deliver energy, then stop doing it! We want to perform with pleasure not pain”. We have a team of people whose job it is to identify the areas where energy is lacking. This very special team creates solutions so that everyone stays on track. We also use comics to allow for feedback and open conversations. It’s much easier to make a point using humour.The music playlists and radio stations played in the factory was a recent “discussion” point where everyone wanted a voice. We now change the music every day – so everyone gets their fix of rock and roll, jazz and classical, for example! Where in the world do your kitchens go? In order to assure quality, accuracy of build and to ensure kitchens are put together as sustainably as possible we only supply rigid kitchens to our partners. The main focus is on the countries around us – Belgium, UK and, of course, The Netherlands. We also sell kitchens in other countries such as Dubai and Morocco. What does your role entail? What do you do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis? Each day is, as we all say, never the same as another! Overall, I am always building on the company’s long-term business strategy and we are already thinking about 2030. Buying a new piece of plant is expensive and lead times are long. But back to the day job! The first thing I do every day is to look at a report on what items we did not fulfil with a description as to why; this keeps me focused and in control. I also need to look at overtime as this may highlight where we need extra help from outside contractors at particularly busy times. I also work a lot with the sales team to convert their wishes – or their customers’ wishes – into production possibilities. We, as a team, focus on operational excellence, growth, delivery, and performance, and studying reports is what I do on a daily basis! I do not get involved in the minutiae of the factory running; we have teams and I empower them as it makes their jobs much more fun! The DKG group is known for continual investment; what is the next development? We are in the middle of the installation phase of two considerable investment projects. One is a new multi-edging machine which will increase production from 7,500 edged units a day to 11,500. By coincidence, we are also installing a new assembly line at the same time. This line is devoted to both tall and special dimension cabinets. The old line produced 400 items per day while the new one does 800! Can you tell me about the Cobots investment? We now have our first Cobot! It is so effective at doing those jobs no one else
Wakefield-based granite and quartz worktop supplier, Roann Limited, secure high-end project with R G Carter on the new £20 million Broomfield Village Care Home in Chelmsford, Essex. Ahead of the care home’s grand opening in May 2024, Roann Limited has been tasked with supplying and installing the worktops and splashbacks for 27 kitchens within the luxury 137-bed care home complex. This high-end project, acting as the barrier between the residential developments and Broomfield Hospital, will feature 30mm of Cosentino Silestone Classic Calacatta worktops. Eternal, and distinguished in appearance, this design is timeless and familiar whilst also highly-resistant to stains making it durable for the new luxury care home. Focused on constructing an environmentally-friendly building, it was imperative that all those involved in the process supported this aim hence, choosing Roann Limited to be the worktop provider. After pursuing its own sustainable endeavours as well as recent success, 30 years of experience and £2m worth of manufacturing machinery to produce 15,000 worktops a year, Roann Limited was the superior choice to work alongside R G Carter on this project. Thrilled to be working with R G Carter on this project, Scott Wharton, Operations and Technical Director of Roann Limited commented “It is our first time partnering with the construction firm but with our similar ethics, we think it’s a perfect match. We are shortly heading to the site to begin installing our products ahead of its opening this spring. The care home is a crucial addition to the community and we are grateful that we get to be a part of it”. Despite being primarily a new-housing development supplier, Roann Limited continues to push its own boundaries by reaching out and providing its innovative range to other projects similar to that of the Broomfield Village Care Home. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Zentia, the UK’s market leader in complete ceiling solutions, is excited to announce the official launch of its latest product, the Sonify Wall Absorbers Grid System. Launched on 10th April and building on the success of the wider Sonify range, the new gridded wall absorbers promise to elevate creative possibilities in acoustic design. Expanding on Zentia’s commitment to providing architects, interior designers, and outfitters with unparalleled flexibility, the Sonify Wall Absorbers Grid System introduces a mounted grid system for wall absorbers. This innovative approach replaces the traditional method of gluing absorbers to the wall, offering greater design precision and ease of dismounting for convenient access to services. The new Sonify Wall Absorbers Grid System offers several key features and benefits: The Sonify Wall Absorbers Grid System is set to offer professionals the tools they need to be more creative with innovative and impactful ceiling design. It is another product within a growing range that exemplifies Zentia’s commitment to creativity and innovation. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Industry-leading decorative panel and sheet experts Panelco has announced a strategic brand partnership with specialist technical and decorative panel designer and manufacturer Polyrey to expand the range of high-pressure laminate (HPL) and compact laminate products it can offer its customers. As a prominent stockist and manufacturer of innovative products, ranges and decorative designs, Panelco has grown over its two-decade history to become a byword for quality in the sector. This new partnership sees the company work together with Polyrey, part of Wilsonart Egineered Surfaces, the global leader in engineered decorative surfaces. Beginning in April, the two businesses will cooperate to offer an extensive collection of Polyrey products to Panelco’s customer base of design and architectural professionals. The collection will include Polyrey’s newly-launched Galerie range – the largest single collection of interior panels for commercial applications. Galerie gives fabricators, manufacturers and specifiers the opportunity to choose from a collection of over 800 designs comprising a multitude of decors and finishes inspired by the most prominent design and societal trends driving the interiors market. With 90 new designs and a new Silk finish which brings Galerie’s total number of finish options to 18, Polyrey has fused premium technical performance with aesthetic impact. The new partnership will see Panelco offer Polyrey’s Galerie Integral and Plus ranges, alongside the brand’s other specialist collections including Cubicle & Washroom, Durion and Doors. With over 60 years of manufacturing heritage, Polyrey are at the forefront of technical and decorative surfaces. Galerie Integral decors are available in high pressure laminate (HPL), melamine faced chipboard (MFC) and compact laminate. The Galerie Plus collection presents specifiers with an additional set of premium designs available in HPL and compact laminate. “We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Polyrey and be able to offer their extensive product range, covering all applications associated with their HPL and Compact collections.” said Julie Dean, Group Marketing Manager at Panelco. “Polyrey is well-known for supplying innovative surface solutions to the design and architectural sectors; their exceptional designs, quality, service and availability will strengthen our wider decorative portfolio. We are truly excited to be part of this partnership and look forward to seeing how the start of this new chapter will benefit both businesses.” Polyrey is a registered RIBA CPD provider in the UK, ensuring its team of engineered surfaces experts is on hand to support architects with their ongoing professional development. This expertise proved appealing to the Panelco team, who are looking forward to taking their next step as a company together with Polyrey. For more information on Panelco’s new offering, please visit panelco.com or contact sales@panelco.com. Alternatively, to explore the new Galerie collection by Polyrey, visit wilsonart.co.uk/polyrey. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Plumb Centre, part of the Wolseley Group, is committed to transparent and competitive pricing across an everyday range of products for the Plumbing and Heating trade professional. As a business, Plumb Centre recognises the uncertainty that recent economic conditions and cost volatility has created for many of their skilled trade customers. This is why Plumb Centre is committed to checking them regularly against the market on popular products to ensure they are transparent and competitive, and has introduced a new pricing model to assure this. The competitive pricing will also be available on the businesses market leading digital platform, Wolseley.co.uk. Plumb Centre is an established market leading specialist merchant, and it credits this to the fact that it has continued to evolve with and for its customers. More recently, customers are increasingly seeking clear and consistent pricing for the products they buy most often, so that they can provide a clear view of costs to their customers and ensure they continue to get value. To help with this, Plumb Centre successfully piloted in 2023 in Liverpool, Manchester, the West Midlands and North Wales to deepen the relationship that Plumb Centre has with its customers. “We know that time is money for our customers, this is why we are committed to competitive pricing on trade quality products online and in our vast network of branches. At Plumb Centre, we take immense pride in actively listening to what customers want from us and in the past couple of years, rising costs and economic pressures have made it harder for them to provide their end-customers with clarity and certainty surrounding pricing,” said John Hancock, Chief Operating Officer, Wolseley Group. “Our new pricing model, along with a number of other key initiatives we will land this year, helps to bring consistency and clarity to our customers that will allow them to trust the price without having to take time away from the job and their customer. Delivering this alongside the expertise and familiar faces of our colleagues at our trade counters every day is a step that we believe will eventually become common practice across our sector.” For more detail on the move to standard pricing, please visit https://www.wolseley.co.uk/search-results/?search-term=price+checked Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Commercial lighting manufacturer and supplier, Whitecroft Lighting, has completed a major project to install innovative LED lighting systems in almost 80 stores across the UK for electrical retailer Currys, including branches in Manchester, Birmingham and Dundee. But rather than completely replacing the outdated lights, Whitecroft used its pioneering Relight system to reuse as much of each store’s existing lighting infrastructure as possible. This reduces the huge amounts of waste normally generated by major electrical refits, an important requirement for Currys as part of its 2040 Roadmap to Net-Zero strategy, which sets out how the company is reducing the carbon it produces. Whitecroft’s Relight low-energy LED lights have been installed in customer showrooms, office areas and even car parks, enabling Currys to reduce its energy consumption, helping to further cut its carbon emissions and shrink its electricity bills. Tom Gardener, Senior Facilities Manager for Currys, explains the rationale for the project: “Due to the sharp rise in energy costs in recent years, our business cases for lighting energy efficiency were flying through, particularly as the quickening returns on investment were suddenly very attractive. “Change was also driven by forthcoming legislation banning certain fluorescent lighting which sharpened our focus on how we can remove and replace some types of lighting from our estate. “Working with Whitecroft Lighting and learning about its approach to circularity – reusing and recycling materials – has been a very positive experience. We were impressed with the short and longer-term material and labour cost benefits of Relight, but we didn’t fully appreciate the carbon saving value until we worked on the product. “Our new lighting not only improved our energy efficiency but also our approach to circularity and reusing existing infrastructure. This helped to increase energy efficiency and reduce wasted carbon.” In total 77 Currys stores, mostly bigger out-of-town branches, were refitted across the UK by Whitecroft in a project that took just six months to complete. Richard Williams, Commercial Manager at Whitecroft Lighting, says the retailer’s approach to sustainability made Relight the perfect solution for the project. He says: “Currys had a clear approach to embedding circularity in its retail operation and was already a big recycler of consumer electrical goods. However, we saw an opportunity to extend this ethos beyond retail to its lighting by reducing waste in its facilities management. “While the latest LEDs would reduce operational carbon by around 40% through increasing energy efficiency, the circular approach to reusing materials, such as ceiling suspension materials and cabling, would also lower the embodied carbon, which are the emissions generated from the sourcing, manufacturing, installation and eventual disposal of products and materials.” This approach to creating a more sustainable approach by reusing and recycling material, often referred to as the Circular Economy, is being embraced more and more by businesses, builders and suppliers as the UK aims to meet stretching Net-Zero targets. In fact, the success of the Whitecroft Lighting project has helped shape Currys view of circularity. Tom Gardener continues: “Whitecroft’s Relight approach to circularity has certainly influenced facilities management at Currys, and we now expect suppliers to be clearer on type 1 and 2 emissions, and our larger T1 suppliers must report data on their own waste and travel. “Our facilities managers now increasingly factor sustainability into supplier questioning, as well as the overall performance review of all our suppliers for a project: do they fit with our direction of travel as a business, do they buy into it, or are they just paying lip-service to it?” Whitecroft Lighting is part of the Fagerhult Group, has 370 employees and turns over £55m. The company undertakes all R&D, product design and manufacturing in its UK HQ and neighbouring 10,000 sqm manufacturing facility. To find out more about Whitecroft Lighting Ltd visit www.whitecroftlighting.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
