…..Ligneus’ Sustainable Journey
The statement “Sustainability is a journey not a destination” could not be more true for Ligneus. Established in 2013 as manufacturer of sustainable wooden products in Hospitality & Catering, Ligneus has been on an incredible journey. It has experienced the highs and lows all growing companies encounter and all along balanced this with its environmental credentials. As corporate social responsibility has become so important with end users and retailers so Ligneus’ appeal has blossomed.
Necessity is the Mother of Innovation
With UK manufacturing on the rise Ligneus’ offering has expanded its target markets, products and services. At the start of 2020 its growth had required a move to a new 15000sqft warehouse with state of the art facilities.
Of course the timing couldn’t have been worse with the start of the pandemic but it is Ligneus’ versatility to innovate that ensured 2020 would ultimately be a year of growth not just of pain. That’s not to say it wasn’t hard work, especially as its key sector, hospitality & catering, faced the cliff edge of lock down. As they say necessity is the mother of invention or innovation in Ligneus’ case.
Entering New Markets
A partnership with a neighbouring manufacturer of sanitiser led to the development of unique hands free foot operated dispensers stands. These proved very popular from pubs to salons, from schools to stadiums. Indeed our dispensers saw the light of day from premiership rugby at Kingsholm to premiership football at the Emirates. The development of a range of indoor climbing frames for children saw Ligneus enter the early years resources marketplace with quite an impact.
Today Ligneus is still the leading manufacturer of wooden products to hospitality & catering but now also delivers to much broader market place including:
Brexit & the Pandemic a Perfect Storm
A combination of Brexit and the pandemic have produced successive cost escalations in raw materials (amongst other costs). The sheer pace of the cost increases caused not insignificant problems but again Ligneus’ resilience and flexibility saw it overcome yet another hurdle.
Maintaining Environmental Focus…
All along its journey Ligneus has stood firmly to its environmental focus. Maintaining all manufacturing in the UK to reduce its domestic carbon footprint coupled with all its timber from FSC sources has firmly established its place in environmentally friendly supply chains. Other practices such as using only recycled packaging and turning all waste material into briquettes to heat the warehouse only adds to its ecological credentials. Introducing new machinery and processes has helped to reduce wasted raw materials even further.
…..and adaptability
Of course as we design all inhouse we have the ability to adapt and evolve designs quickly and efficiently reducing time to market. This also means we can keep MOQs as low as possible and help our clients keep stock levels relatively low and consequently help with their cashflow – particularly desirable during these difficult times. We like to think that the quality of manufacturing is what sets us aside however in reality it is the combination of all these factors that keep us well ahead on our journey. Not least the sustainability journey we must all follow for a healthier tomorrow’s world.
New complications will emerge, new solutions will need to be found. In this fast evolving field no-one can afford to stand still not least in manufacturing – Ligneus certainly wont!
