Industry and nature grow together at AESSEAL headquarters
Nature has moved in alongside industry on a Rotherham factory site, which now operates without the use of any natural gas. A one-kilometre tree walk now also sits within the ten-acre grounds of the AESSEAL engineering base and will be open to schools for pre-booked trips.
The company, which has pledged to invest £29 million by 2029 on environmental initiatives, has decommissioned the last of its natural gas-fired heating systems at its Mill Close site.
Last week, AESSEAL invited its first official visitors to the walk, which was opened by Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart and attended by 28 children from St Bede’s Catholic Primary School in Kimberworth, as well as representatives from the Millers, youth sports clubs, business and education, Rotherham Titans rugby club and Olympic Games silver medallist Peter Elliott.
The youngsters may have been unaware of the company’s wider commitment to ensuring their planet has a future, but they enjoyed a treasure hunt and witnessed the bug hotels, a pond, meadows and woodlands, a wide variety of trees, a hedgehog crossing and hives for 60,000 bees, which are all accompanied by interactive information and facts available by scanning QR codes.
Early doors visitors have included a kingfisher, a fox and her cubs, and a great tit, who recently hatched six chicks in a bird box installed on the trail, the development of which was tracked through a wildlife camera. Thirty years ago, the site was little more than unused wetlands and fields of mud, with sparse shoots of grass – and that was after reclamation had prepared the site for industrial development.
The area needed business to create gainful employment, but industry tends to grab nature’s home. The make-up of the area, and the world in general, was changing. Someone had to set an example and look to the long-term future.
AESSEAL Managing Director and founder Chris Rea said that around 25 years ago, William Hague – prior to becoming leader of the Conservative Party – was one of the company’s three board members and asked questions about what could be done with regard to the environment as the area was developed for industry.
The original suggestion was to build a pond within the developing site, but, like the company, the project grew beyond recognition.
The scene now is very different. AESSEAL’s factory for the future, which contains 175,000 sq. ft. of new buildings, stands proudly on the land – and alongside it runs the walk.
What may have once been viewed as a contrast serves as a visible, tangible example of how industry and nature can grow together and live with each other to provide the planet with a chance of long-term survival.
Mr Rea said: “It’s something that has been created over a long period, and we’ve just enhanced it and developed it and planted more and more trees and added more attractions like wildlife sculptures, the seal family, brass etching stations, wildlife and plant life boards, as well as providing a home for rescue hedgehogs and bees. Add to that a treasure hunt, and we have a fun and educational amenity aimed at primary school children.”
Prior to its official opening, staff have been using the facilities – including a picnic and meeting area – which have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to create and develop. It’s a relaxing, peaceful place to sit and enjoy lunch or to take in the fresh air.
Mr Rea says: “Some people really love it and come out every day. We even have colleagues who come in the depths of winter, put warm clothes on, and go and sit at one of the benches, play chess or have their flask of coffee. People like it.
“I think most companies fail to understand that the soft issues, how people feel, their mood, their morale and motivation is just as important as monetary matters. People want to work with nice people; they want to feel that the company they are with is doing more good than bad. The value of high levels of motivation is immeasurable but provides tangible results.”
Mr Rea hopes the company’s work will persuade others to follow its example and adds: “If you pursue excellence, there’s nothing excellent about destroying the environment. There’s nothing excellent about not being a good corporate citizen. There’s nothing excellent about not doing what you can do to continuously improve things. It’s just what we do.”
Walking the talk
Replacing old cladding and roofing with new materials has now resulted in the thermal energy balance being sufficient for the site to utilise as much power as possible from the building’s 3,000 solar panels and 2.2MW of batteries.
This means the gas supply will be decommissioned by the utility company in the next few months, and there will not even be a supply left on the site.
The modelling and heat loss calculations, carried out by specialist suppliers and overseen by the Quality Assurance and Engineering department, were extremely complex, and the result will be a reduction in CO2e emissions of approximately 102.8t/CO2e annually – essentially removing 60% of the natural gas used by the plc group.
Back on the walk, the children may be unaware of the company’s commitment to sustainability, but they are learning about nature as they take in their surroundings.
The opening was followed by a commemorative tree planting ceremony, which the youngsters took part in, and Mr Stewart said: “I have been associated with AES for many years and known Chris for a long time and what he has done, not just for Rotherham but on a world stage, sets the standard. He is a great ambassador.
“I have been on the Tree Walk and it is a fantastic facility for staff and for schoolchildren to visit and one that shows his commitment to the town and to the environment.
“What this company has done is incredible, not just in manufacturing but in thinking about the finer things in the world, allowing wildlife to exist. I am proud to open the Tree Walk and proud to be a friend of the company.
“Credit is due to Chris and AES for achieving this and for what they have achieved for Rotherham.”
The development is called the factory for the future for more than one reason – it is designed to seamlessly integrate manufacturing with nature and with the aim of proving that industrial growth and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.
Plus, the company wants to show the young people who visit that it is playing its part in ensuring there is a future for them and setting an example for others to follow.
