Lincoln-based manufacturer, Superfoil, is investing half a million pounds in 2022 so they can gear up manufacturing and help their customers drive down energy bills.
As Managing director, William Bown explains, “There’s a certain amount of pride in manufacturing in-house and using local suppliers, and that’s on top of the compelling environmental argument, the support it gives to our local economy and job creation. This is why we’re so pleased to say that, from Autumn, 70% of our products will be made in Britain.”
“Thanks to some great relationships we’ve built with new, UK-based suppliers and a huge increase in manufacturing at our headquarters in Lincoln, we’ll be able to produce 11 times as much insulation in-house as we could before!
Bringing manufacturing back to Britain
“Back in 2008 when we started SuperFOIL, we simply weren’t in a position where we could do everything ourselves and there weren’t many (or any!) companies producing the components we needed in the UK. As a result, we have had to rely on producers overseas because the cost of doing otherwise would’ve been enormous.
“Fast forward 14 years and the tables have turned; we’re a larger company that now employs 33 brilliant people; we have a vast, five acre site in Lincoln, we’ve found some fantastic new suppliers closer to home, and we’ve been saving up to buy some big, shiny machinery that’s been on our wish-list for a long time.
High rollers
“The first big investment off our wish-list this year is now up and running: A new, custom-build unwinding station.
“While it might look like something from Takeshi’s Castle, this bit of kit will help us increase on-site production by 60% by enabling us to combine five layers of foam wadding and woven aluminium simultaneously. With super smooth bearings and a built-in replenish system for rapidly reloading rolls of material, this helps us produce more multifoil insulation, faster. It’s also a lot less physically demanding on our production team who used to have to carry and lay each layer at a time!
“Now that this is up and running, we’ll soon be going a step further. Next, we’ll be upgrading our machinery to expand our range of bubble foil insulation, which already includes our RadPack radiator reflectors, garage door insulation kids, multipurpose wrap and pipe insulation. We’ll then be introducing new systems to improve efficiency and productivity throughout our production line.
“These investments will bring the total sum we’ve invested into production at our Lincoln HQ to over £1 million and it’ll all be finished before winter.
Making energy efficiency easy and affordable
“With the cost of energy putting a huge burden on households and businesses, we’re stepping up so we can meet the huge demand for affordable energy efficiency upgrades. We’re supplying our insulation in record numbers to construction wholesalers, DIY stores and major retailers (more on that soon) and we’re not slowing down soon.
“With energy prices soaring and set to climb higher this autumn, insulation offers the best solution for many households to reduce their energy bills now and into the future. Combined with the need for everyone to reduce their carbon footprint, we’re scaling up our productivity so we can help more properties become energy efficient and comfortable, making a real difference to the cost of living and the environment.”
