ISO 50001 certification for energy management has been confirmed after Avon Engineered Rubber demonstrated how the company proved its commitment to enhance energy performance.
It marks progress for the aerosol seals and gaskets manufacturer, which is part of the Bristol-headquartered Avon Group, and employs more than 100 people, exporting worldwide from its Valleys premises.
Vincent Minchella, Managing Director of Avon Engineered Rubber, said: “I’m proud that we have secured ISO 50001 status because it is a significant step forward for our business and will help to maintain our growth trajectory.
“It shows we are a progressive company and the accreditation is cast-iron evidence that instils confidence in our growing customer base. It provides assurance we manage our energy use seriously and build that commitment into how we operate day-to-day, not as a one-off exercise, but as part of a long-term plan.
“I’m delighted with my team who deserve immense credit for their efforts which drew strong praise from the external auditor, who confirmed that Avon Engineered Rubber is the first firm he had certified with zero minor non-conformances at the first attempt.”
As part of the certification process, the Avon Engineered Rubber team had to prove its track record in cutting energy consumption and submit a three-year energy reduction plan which detailed its long-term commitment to increase efficiency.
The Avon Engineered Rubber work at Maerdy was spearheaded by Quality Systems Manager Huw Goodhand Johns and Quality, Health, Safety and Environment Manager Gemma Skelly.
Huw Goodhand Johns said:
“The dedication of everyone at our Maerdy site has enabled us to pass a rigorous test of our energy-saving credentials, secure ISO50001, and succeed without a single blemish. It reflects immensely well on the entire team.
“Achieving ISO 50001 certification should be a proud moment for us all because it reflects the hard work, teamwork, and dedication we all put into building a more efficient and sustainable future for the Avon Group and the environment.
“As well as proving we are already doing things the right way, ISO 50001 demonstrates we are committed to increasing energy efficiency while reducing energy consumption and associated costs and we relish the future challenge.”
The Rhondda Valley-based firm, which recently opened new premises in Malaysia as South East Asia demand for its products rises, has secured in-house bragging rights as it is the first company in the Avon Group family to achieve ISO 50001 accreditation.
It forms part of the Avon Group’s operational excellence programme, a group-wide initiative led by Group Operations Director Kevin Harrop.
The programme sets a common standard across all Avon sites, spanning 10 elements that combine internal standards, including the company’s own Avon Way values and 6S standards, with external accreditations including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001.
Sites must demonstrate compliance across all 10 elements to achieve full ‘operational excellence’ certification.
“The Avon Group has a clear ambition to achieve world-class status in all nine of its factories,” Kevin said.
“And the rollout of our operational excellence programme alongside multi-million pound investment in new machinery will deliver benefits for our customers, improve factory efficiency, reduce energy consumption and support staff with new skills.”
Avon Engineered Rubber’s Ferndale operation employs 107 across its production, laboratory, quality, sales, logistics and administration teams. To support its growth, the business – which also has a presence in the USA – has invested £300,000 in cutting-edge extrusion technology and plant upgrades.
The Ferndale plant’s achievement in securing the accreditation sets a strong and inspirational benchmark for its sister company, automotive industry supplier Avon TSA, based in Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent, as its team prepares for an ISO 50001 audit later this summer.
It also underlines a long-term commitment to continuous improvement at Avon Group which uses waste to manufacture products for different markets. Aerosol rubber waste is used to produce moulded waffle mats for the building industry, reducing by 25 per cent waste material ending up in landfill.
With the support of Avon Engineered Rubber, the group is targeting breaking through the £100m annual revenues mark for this first time by 2030.
