A Norfolk-based manufacturer and supplier of furniture is generating up to 90% of its energy from renewable sources after securing more than £550,000 in funding from Lloyds Bank and Bank of Scotland.
Warings Furniture manufactures and supplies a range of indoor and outdoor furniture to some of the UK's biggest café and restaurant chains, producing an average of 66,000 items of furniture each year. Due to increasing demand from customers to reduce their carbon footprint, the business recently decided to implement new sustainable measures.
The support from Bank of Scotland, part of the Lloyds Banking Group, included £190,000 through its Clean Growth Finance Initiative, which provides discounted lending towards measures that reduce a business’ environmental impact.
The firm used the funding to install 76 solar panels for its warehouse, producing an average of 12MW of energy per month and equating to 80% of its total energy need. The installation has to date saved more than 143 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Warings Furniture used the remains of the full funding package to acquire a biomass boiler. The boiler enables the firm to use waste product from timber to heat its warehouse. This is now the only heat source for the firm and means the company’s reduced its fossil fuel consumption by 40%.
The manufacturer is planning the construction of a new 20,000 square foot warehouse facility in Norfolk, in a bid to expand its in-house operations. The move will allow Warings Furniture to unite and expand its joinery, polishing, cutting and upholstery divisions, as well as boost its manufacturing capability by 30% once complete.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with the support that we’ve had from Lloyds Bank to run more sustainably and introduce measures that will help futureproof our business," says Rachael Waring, managing director at Warings Furniture.
“The UK hospitality industry is committed to removing all avoidable emissions across its supply chains by 2040, so it’s vital that we provide solutions for our customers to help them operate sustainably.
“The finance we received also allowed us to purchase and install our solar panels incredibly quickly – which ensured we beat the energy crisis last year and saved a huge amount of money.”
