Surface and stormwater management company SDS continues to grow and succeed in the sustainable sector with this year’s turnover reaching £15.6m, up 24% on last year. This is a significant success for the privately owned company that was only formed in 2002.
Its growth has come from a deep understanding of the market, the increasing legislation for water management and having the key products and processes needed to satisfy the requirements of the industry.
It is also about continual re-investment into the business as founder and managing director Patrick Cullen explained, “ Manufacture of our GEOcellular products has been running at full capacity across three manufacturing sites. Last year we invested half a million pounds in new machinery to increase production capacity by 100%. This year we are planning a £1.5m investment in further manufacturing equipment using greener, more efficient technology increasing our competitiveness as well as putting funds into R & D for technological innovation.”
With the SDS investment comes expansion, and 15 new people have been recruited over the last 12 months increasing the workforce by 25%. The new people are employed in all the key areas of the company covering operations and administration to sales representation in different parts of the UK. The company has also invested in a fleet of trucks and drivers for more capability and control of the logistics of delivering product to site.
With the experience and track record of working on some large civil engineering projects from the M25 widening scheme to supermarket sites, schools and major hospital developments, SDS is now taking on the whole of stormwater management schemes. An in-house design team works with clients from the early specification stages of a project, ensuring that a drainage solution is provided to exactly match requirements. There is a comprehensive installation service including site preparation, installation and commissioning. Each stage is covered by professional indemnity insurance and a complete system warranty against any defects. This means that the company is able to provide warranty on the entire installation, an advantage much understood by main contractors as they only need to look to one company for management after installation.
SDS has a history of playing a pivotal role in developing industry practice. It was part of the liaison group who put together a specification and maintenance for geocellular underground SUDS storage systems as a key document for those designing systems to comply with legislation. Its own GEOcellular products meet the requirements of this new WRc code of practice. The company is also well placed to provide industry expertise to key stakeholders such as local authorities, water companies and private developers regarding the implications of the imminent Floods Bill. And as a manufacturer, SDS is the UK representative in PVC manufacturing standards and European standards for materials.
As well as attaining ISO 9001, the company is currently undergoing ISO 14001 Environmental Standard accreditation, demonstrating its commitment to developing an environmental management system in areas such as waste reduction and the use of recycled products. In this respect the SDS GEOlight stormwater attenuation tanks are manufactured entirely from post consumer PVC waste, normally destined for landfill. This reduces the carbon footprint and helps development projects achieve a higher BREEAM rating. SDS products are recognised by Achilles and have achieved BBA certification. The industry is constantly moving forward to comply with government legislation, environmental and social requirements and SDS is committed to continual research and development to be one step ahead of future needs.
Further information on surface water and storm water management systems is available from SDS Ltd on 01934 751303, email [email protected] or by visiting www.sdslimited.com
