‘WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO SOMETHING’ SAYS FREEFOAM STOCKIST C & A BUILDING PRODUCTS

C & A Building Products has installed solar panels on its warehouse in the next step to improve its green credentials.

Family-run firm C & A Building Products, a Freefoam stockist for almost 20 years, is an independent supplier of plastic building materials and has been operating for 55 years across the UK.

In March last year, C & A Building Products used a local firm to install an 84 solar panel, 35-kilowatt system with 24-kilowatt battery storage on one of its warehouses at its Gillingham depot. Since installation, C & A Building Products has been 80% self-sufficient in energy, reaching as high as 100% on some days.

Darren Beaumont, Director at C & A Building Products, the driving force behind the scheme says: “Solar energy was something we have always considered. Everyone has to take some responsibility for the environment and as a business we should take our own fair share. There are so many ways that you can reduce energy consumption such as installing LED lightbulbs and recycling, if you can’t invest in something like solar panels. I think it’s something that everyone should consider on some level.

“The solar energy we produce first charges our requirement, secondly charges the battery, and once the batteries are full, anything left gets automatically exported back to the grid. Last year, we exported around 30% of our energy. The system will also use the energy in the battery before it takes any from the grid, which is great.

“It will take us less than five years to make back our investment in solar energy. We have seen how successful the installation has been for us and have decided to expand

GEOCEL SPONSORS ALL MASTIC LTD’S TRAINING ACADEMY

it. We are going to install 40 additional solar panels to our second, smaller warehouse this spring.”

Just as working with suppliers and partners who are considering their green credentials is important to C & A Building Products, it is equally as important to Freefoam.

Freefoam is building momentum on its own sustainability journey, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy with a range of projects and initiatives across all areas of the business, from recycling and rainwater harvesting to introducing a closed loop production process. In the UK, 100% of the electricity Freefoam uses comes from solar energy.

Colin St John, Commercial Director at Freefoam, says: “To achieve carbon reduction on every level of the supply chain, it is so important that everyone does their bit. C & A Building Products is doing just that and Freefoam is delighted to be able to work with businesses who are taking sustainability seriously.

“In addition to our existing initiatives, we are rolling out further projects in the coming months in our own manufacturing processes and with customers. We would love to hear from any of our customers who are considering their sustainability journey and planning their own green initiatives.”

Learn more about Freefoam’s products, service and support by visiting www. freefoam.com or calling 0800 002 9903. Follow @freefoam. And to check out Freefoam’s sustainability initiatives, visit https://freefoam.com/professional/ sustainability-archive

To learn more about C & A Building Products, visit www.cabp.co.uk.

Framex Goes From Strength To Strength

Establishing a business in the middle of a global pandemic might have proved challenging for some. For one Lancashirebased fabricator, however, opening its doors in 2020 was the perfect time to tap into a captive audience. Today, business continues to bloom for FRAMEX, with huge demand for its high-quality aluminium windows and doors from nearby customers in the picturesque Rossendale Valley.

FRAMEX was founded with the aim of supporting local builders, installers, and architects with ready-to-install aluminium glazing solutions, backed up by exceptional customer service and expert technical advice.

Following significant investment into both machinery and people, FRAMEX has since expanded into a 15,000sq ft manufacturing facility in the heart of the historic mill town of Waterfoot. Here, a 30-strong team fabricates its portfolio of Senior Architectural Systems aluminium windows and doors, as well as flat roof lights and lanterns and a range of commercial glazing solutions.

Tim Mooney, Managing Director, FRAMEX says: “Our dedicated team combines technical expertise with experience, delivering high-quality products for our customers every time, whether they are working on a new build or a commercial installation. From manufacture through to despatch and delivery, we pride ourselves on getting it right and adding value at every step, providing fully finished products ready for installation.” www.framexuk.com

While demand for the aesthetics, strength and slim sightlines of aluminium grows, so does FRAMEX, which now produces hundreds of windows and doors per week.

FRAMEX’s success has been recognised locally, with the company being named Best New Business finalists at the 2021 Red Rose Awards and recognised for its commitment to local investment at the 2021 Rossendale Business Awards.

Meanwhile, the firm has recently opened its showroom, the best of its kind locally. Just up the road from its fabrication facility, it showcases FRAMEX’s portfolio of casement, flush and tilt and turn windows, bi-fold and sliding doors, and roof lights and lanterns and is open to both trade and commercial customers and the general public.

Geocel is proud to announce its sponsorship of All Mastic Ltd.’s training and NVQ assessment programme by providing a range of its most popular products and other equipment free of charge for use by the programme’s trainees.

All Mastic Ltd is a mastic sealant application company based in the southwest of England. Working in association with both the CITB and Association of Sealant Applicators, All Mastic runs a variety of training courses from its HQ in Portishead, Somerset. A one-day course is available for contractors who are looking to upskill while a threeday course offers experienced applicators the opportunity to gain an NVQ Level 2 qualification in Sealant Application. All Mastic also acts as the UK provider for the CITB SAP apprenticeship course, providing a location for other sealant application contractors send their apprentices on day release for a period of 18 months to learn about all aspects of the industry.

As part of the sponsorship, Geocel is providing its sealant and adhesive products – specifically Geocel HM and Dow C60 and DOWSIL™ 796 and 791 – for use during the training sessions, as well as sealant guns, aprons and other associated equipment. In return, All Mastic will provide training sessions for Geocel employees and promote the Geocel brand throughout the sponsorship.

“We are delighted to be joining forces with Geocel in the first partnership of its kind within the sealant industry,” said Warren Hill, Contracts Director at All Mastic. “Throughout the year, we’ll be teaching students all aspects of joint sealant application and feel that this new partnership enables us to use the very best materials available to teach all our trainees.”

Colin Macdonald, UK Regional Sales Manager at Geocel added: “The sponsorship gives us an opportunity to give back to the industry and support All Mastic with its fantastic academy. It will also help us to capture the interest of individuals at the start of their career and introduce them to everything Geocel has to offer.”

For more information on All Mastic’s training courses, please visit: www.allmastic. co.uk/training-and-nvq-assessment

To find out more about the Geocel product range, visit: www.geocel.co.uk.

• 4.5m span in two panes!

• Locks on all four sides of the sliding door. PAS24-2016.

• ‘Part-open’ sliding door locking.