Walsall floor and roof hatch firm looks to expand and reduce environmental impact

Surespan Limited, which currently has a factory in Leamore, Walsall, employs about 50 staff and has its UK offices in Bloxwich.

The 33-year-old company is now gearing up to become certified to a British Standard for Environmental Management Systems.

Bosses are also pushing towards a more sustainable future by planning to reduce the use of plastic by at least 50 per cent this year by switching to recyclable packaging and reducing paper waste.

The company has also pledged to plant a tree for every single roof hatch sold, and so far saplings are already growing in parts of Madagascar, Kenya and Uganda to offset the factory's carbon footprint.

In the latest move the company has put its revolutionary skills in use to produce solar powered roof hatches.

Rob Fletcher, marketing manager for the company, said: "Research and development are key driving forces for Surespan, ensuring products stay relevant in the ever-changing building landscape, from increasing thermal performance to improving the air permeability of our roof hatches.

"The hatches are used on high rise buildings to enable people to access roof spaces for air conditioning and ventilation systems.

"Floor hatches are also used in building such as hospitals and engineering power plants.

"We are cutting our energy use by the installation of new equipment in the factory as we work towards the environmental British Standard qualification, reducing our plastic use and planting a tree for every roof hatch sold as well as reducing our use of paper in the factory.

"Through this we hope that even more architects will recognise our achievements.

"We work with companies manufacturing modular homes and manufacture roof-lights which bring in natural light rather than using electricity.

"By using the items we produce through locally sourced materials we are also helping reduce environmental impact so it is a "win, win" situation."