Record-breaking year for the expanding SMI team

Thermal insulation specialist Seymour Manufacturing International (SMI) is celebrating a record-breaking year following its expansion into new premises.

The company, which moved into a larger production and warehouse complex in Telford last year after outgrowing its previous home, has seen record-breaking product turnover, exports and energy savings.

Chairman and managing director Brian Seymour said: “We couldn’t be more delighted with the way things have progressed during the first year in our new home.

“Exports are driving a 34% rise in turnover – overseas trade now accounts for more than 37% of our business, compared with less than 10% the year before.

“We are now selling our products to more than a dozen countries including South Africa, Iceland, the Ukraine and right across Europe, as well as making inroads into markets in the Middle East.

Mr Seymour added: “The move of headquarters has also allowed us to make significant energy savings, including nearly 20% on gas boiler heating, thanks to the installation of a new Baxi economical boiler.

“Our eco-friendly policies have also allowed us to reduce both our CO2 usage and electricity consumption by more than two thirds. Overall, our energy savings since moving to our new premises have come out at 69%.

“These sophisticated, and much larger premises are key to the exciting plans we have at SMI for more product launches, and continued expansion.”

SMI is the award-winning inventor of Tempro, the lightweight thermal insulation material which has been scientifically proven to cut energy loss by at least 25% in chillers, and 33% in freezers.

One of SMI’s most recent innovations is Back-Stop, a family of insulated flexible barriers designed to reduce energy loss from the back of a chilled or frozen vehicle – and customers have already reported savings of up to 59%.

SMI is a world leader in thermal insulation for the protection of food, chemicals, agricultural and home delivery products, serving a diverse range of sectors from supermarkets and pharmaceuticals to blood banks, and the Ministry of Defence.

SMI’s customer base is a who’s who of top names, including Waitrose, Morrisons, Asda, Greggs, the Co-op, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and Lidl.

Mr Seymour said: “We are all excited about what the next chapter holds for SMI. Brexit creates wonderful opportunities for British businesses to sell their products all over the world.

“And as our exports continue to grow, we intend to increase the proportion of our products which we assemble right here in the UK. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”