Birmingham-based bedroom furniture manufacture AC Furniture (Maysons Furniture) is taking a significant step on its sustainability journey, replacing the roof of its factory in Sparkbrook – which pre-dates WW2 – with new insulated roofing that will help the business reduce its energy consumption and free up cash to reinvest for growth.
Once the new roof is installed, AC Furniture expects its energy bills to shrink in the summer, with new skylights vastly reducing the need for artificial lighting. Meanwhile, in the winter, 100% of the factory’s heat will be generated as a byproduct of the manufacturing process, with the new insulation ensuring this is trapped to keep the space warm – rather than being lost to the environment.
The new roof is also helping to maximise productivity by ensuring machines keep running in all weathers, rather than being affected by leaks.
The new roof was supported by £330,000 funding from Lloyds Bank’s Clean Growth Financing initiative, which offers discounted lending to help firms with sustainable projects. As well as improving the factory’s energy-efficiency rating, the new installation has also seen the removal of asbestos that was present in the older structure.
AC Furniture is hoping to continue its journey on the road to net zero by installing solar panels on the new roof – something that will be made possible with the cost savings already being made, as well as further support from Lloyds Bank.
Manager Muhammad L Afser says: “We’ve earned a strong reputation in the UK as a leading manufacturer of free-standing bedroom furniture, supplying a wide range of well-known retailers across Great Britain. However, with the manufacturing industry constantly evolving and working to lower carbon emissions, we’re now putting more focus into improving our sustainability credentials and future-proofing our business.
“Investing in a new, more energy-efficient roof was the first step, and we’re already seeing benefits when it comes to cost and energy savings – that will only increase in time. The funding support from Lloyds Bank has put us on the right path, starting with the new roof, and we know they will be on hand to support us in the next step of our sustainability journey.”
Adam Pound, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, adds: “AC Furniture has been a customer of Lloyds Bank for nearly 30 years, and in that time, we’ve seen it grow to be one of the leading businesses in the sector. We know there’s a significant cluster of energy-intensive businesses in our region, and with manufacturing accounting for over one in 10 jobs in the West Midlands, it’s a key industry to support in tackling carbon reduction. It’s great to see AC Furniture now evaluating its sustainability targets and making changes to minimise emissions, starting with its own factory.
“We’ll be by the side of the business as it continues on its path to net zero, and look forward to seeing the tangible, green changes it makes its own processes, as well as the wider manufacturing industry.”
Factory roof replacement hastens manufacturer's sustainability journey
