Page 42 - Real Rochdale Issue 09 Winter 2020
P. 42

Rochdale manufacturer



                                                                                                                                beats Bank of England to



                                                                                                                                green award






                                                                                                                                It was Friday 18 September when Richard
                                                                                                                                Hagan, managing director of Rochdale
                                                                                                                                manufacturer Crystal Doors, learnt that his
                                                                                                                                company had won the Energy and Carbon
                                                                                                                                Transition category at the virtual IEMA
                                                                                                                                Sustainability Impact Awards 2020.

                                                                                                                                The judges praised the way the company had
                                                                                                                                got employees, suppliers, customers, and the
                                                                                                                                local community engaged in its ambitious net
                                                                                                                                zero strategy - achieving an overall balance be-
                                                                                                                                tween emissions produced and emissions taken
                                                                                                                                out of the atmosphere.


                                                                                                                                Announcing the prestigious environmental             The success proved even more remarkable
                                                                                                                                award online, the judges said: “Recruiting           for the company as the seven-strong shortlist
                                                                                                                                employees who live within three miles is now a       included the Bank of England.
                                                                                                                                company policy. Personal carbon footprint
                                                                                                                                assessments have been carried out by all             Mr Hagan said: “Myself and staff were
                                                                                                                                employees, and directors lead by example, both       watching the ceremony virtually and I had no
                                                                                                                                becoming vegetarian since last October and           expectations of winning. When they suddenly
                                                                                                                                foregoing any personal or business aeroplane         announced our name, I almost keeled over. It
                                                                                                                                travel.                                              took me 24 hours to recover and it was a bit
                                                                                                                                                                                     surreal, but I think it’s great for Rochdale.”
                                                                                                                                “Having invested 50 per cent of its yearly
                                                                                                                                turnover at £1.5m over the past five years, the      Crystal Doors is so committed to becoming one
                                                                                                                                innovation and commitment shown by Crystal           of the first businesses in Greater
                                                                                                                                Doors has achieved admirable reductions in           Manchester to be carbon neutral that it has un-
                                                                                                                                carbon emissions.”                                   furled a 9m x 3m sign on the side of its factory
                                                                                                                                                                                     declaring: ‘We’re closing the door on carbon
                                                                                                                                                                                     emissions by 2022’.

                                                                                                                                                                                     Mr Hagan added: “Rochdale is an exemplar of
                                                                                                                                                                                     advanced manufacturing and I’m convinced this
                                                                                                                                                                                     will be the first of many environmental awards
                                                                                                                                                                                     for the borough. If a small company like Crystal
                                                                                                                                                                                     Doors can do it, then anyone can do it.

                                                                                                                                                                                     “We’re continuing our digital transformation
                                                                                                                                                                                     and will never stop trying to reduce our carbon
                                                                                                                                                                                     footprint further.”




          REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020                       42                                                                                                                    43                     REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020
   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47