Calder Textiles is a family-run British supplier of woollen spun yarn for luxury quality contract and domestic floor covering.
The manufacturer had been growing operations for decades and wanted to expand its site and capabilities by investing in facilities for pressure dying, a greener more efficient method of dying its yarns.
“We’re at a point in our business where we want to go into different types of processing, ones that are more sustainable for us and our customers,” explains Greg Bedford, managing director at Calder.
“The textiles industry is high energy, for us that translates to gas and electricity. Previously we used an onsite transformer to support demand but it was clear continuing to rely on this and old infrastructure too would not be enough to catapult us into the greener, cleaner producer we wanted to be.”
Given its tenure in the business, Calder knew the type of equipment and technology needed to address its usage and reduce waste and costs – combined heat and power (CHP). However, the company wanted to find the ideal financing partner for the project, one who could also reliably incorporate infrastructure costs.
“Off the back of COVID-19, we wanted a solution that would allow us to invest but also ease cash flow. The government COVID fund played a small part but we also needed private sector finance to make the investment possible,” explains Greg. “We have connections with a number of financiers who we approached but ultimately the team at Siemens Financial Services (SFS) made the process so easy.”
“SFS were so dependable and knowledgeable throughout the process. Even in the case of delays on our side, the team were happy to keep the approval in place which definitely made things easier for us.”
With the new facility and CHP unit now in place, Calder can efficiently produce energy onsite giving the business greater control and oversight of its use. Any residual heat generated through its operation is used to warm water for the pressure dying process, this pre-heating represents a big cost saving and means no energy is wasted.
“The investment has really put control back in our hands. We are now highly focused on getting the most out of our processes and have lots of plan for sustainable projects in the future. It’s also a big green tick for our customers who are more and more looking to work with environmentally-conscious suppliers.”
Ollie Finkill, business development manager, SFS UK, “Calder is the perfect example of a manufacturer that knows their business and understands that the future of the industry is dependent on energy-efficient sustainable processes. With fuel costs on the rise, there’s no better time to invest in modernising operations and to take control of your energy.”
