Posts

MEDITE SMARTPLY, leading supplier of sustainable OSB and MDF panel products, is partnering with award winning social enterprise Goldfinger Factory for its ground-breaking new stand at Ecobuild 2017.

The two companies are combining their core values to create a tribute to sustainable innovation. MEDITE SMARTPLY’s fully traceable supply chain boasts its own FSC certified forestry management programme, which means it can track its certified products from sapling to site.

Complementing this will be Goldfinger Factory’s own commitment to zero waste production, as Oliver Waddington-Ball, Founder of Goldfinger Factory, explains: “Goldfinger Factory is a design, build and teaching platform centred around upcycling. We create bespoke furniture and interiors, while helping artisans, trainees and young people become self-sustaining through craft, in turn saving materials from landfill.

“Our partnership with MEDITE SMARTPLY requires us to construct and design the coffee lounge section of its stand using SMARTPLY OSB3, FR OSB3, and PROPASSIV products. The focal point of the build is a fantastic table centrepiece that uses large sheets of board, made possible due to the new continuous production line at the SMARTPLY factory. The legs of the table will be particularly special, using board shaped into the MEDITE SMARTPLY tree logo.

“All of this has been designed and managed by our full-time staff and used as a training process for the young people that the organisation supports. Once the show is over the work doesn’t stop for us. The materials will be reused to complete a community centre refit in the Havelock estate, Ealing as part of our work for Catalyst housing association. We will also turn the panels into products, made by our trainees, to sell in our shop.”

The issues of sustainability and supply chain management remain priorities within the timber industry and are issues on which MEDITE SMARTPLY is keen to lead the discussion.

“This partnership for us is also about uniting two brands passionate about the environment and the people that we serve,” says Stuart Devoil, Head of Marketing and Brand at MEDITE SMARTPLY.

“Ecobuild also marks the start of our Wake up and Smell the Coffee project. This campaign is essentially a series of myth busting exercises. We want to educate customers, and the industry, on the advantages of timber with zero added formaldehyde, flame retardant timber, and sustainability. We will be looking to eliminate any rumours and uncertainties around these issues and report on the facts and figures with examples from our own expertise.

“All of the product that we are supplying to Goldfinger Factory is fully traceable and certified, which means that Oliver and his team are fully compliant with all required legislation and regulation for their Havelock estate project.”

MEDITE SMARTPLY will be at Ecobuild, Excel centre, London from 7th to the 9th March on stand D115. For more information or to book your ticket to the event please visit the website here.

Names from left to right: Pat Beardmore, Operations Director at MEDITE, Pat Breen, Engineering Manager at MEDITE, James Ryan, Maintenance Supervisor at MEDITE

MEDITE SMARTPLY has been highly commended at the Sustainable Energy Awards 2016 in the large energy category.

The event, which took place on the 3rd November 2016, brings together leading innovators and companies that demonstrate a proven track record of going beyond best practice in integrated energy management.

This award, in part, is a result of the MEDITE SMARTPLY Operation Excellence programme that began in 2014.

The programme initiatives consisted of product and process flow optimisation, variable speed drive monitoring, controls, lighting, ISO 50001 certification, electric transport, and a steam turbine generating onsite electricity driven by their own biomass steam boiler.

The company has also undertaken employee awareness initiatives including displaying energy targets in real time at operator stations, children’s Energy Calendar competition and an Energy Fun Day.

The company has systematically and effectively focused resources on opportunities for energy reduction saving the company in excess of €250,000/per annum in energy costs.

“This award is an independent external acknowledgement of the hard work and efforts that all of our teams across Europe have put in from day one. From our new technologies, such as our Mat Preheater, compressed air energy reduction and process pumps upgrades, to our engineering works on LED lighting and airflow optimisation, everyone has had a part to play,” comments Pat Beardmore, Operations Director.

“The innovation and passion shown by all members of MEDITE SMARTPLY reflects what a truly energetic place it is to work and grow. We will continue our work and chase the top award next year.”

The company has set its sights on achieving an energy reduction in excess of 10% in the coming years. With five projects already in planning in order to achieve these ambitious goals MEDITE SMARTPLY will continue to lead the way in energy management in its sector.

For more information please visit www.smartply.com.