Company gets back to nature with Betterworld RotoPark

South Wales-based British Rototherm Group has announced the building of the Betterworld RotoPark – inspired by AESSEAL’s own Tree Walk.

The 170-year-old company, which is connected to the invention of the world’s first steam pressure gauge, is contributing to the global drive for sustainability by developing a nature park at its Port Talbot HQ.

AESSEAL opened its 1km Tree Walk around its headquarters factory in Rotherham in May, and it did not go unnoticed.

With a large amount of available land, the Betterworld.Solutions member started to develop its own.

British Rototherm Group managing director and owner Oliver Conger took to Linkedin to say:

Chris Rea you have inspired British Rototherm Group to build our own ‘Betterworld RotoPark’.

“We have six acres of land next to our factory that we have begun transforming this year into a hive of nature and a place for wellness. Thank you for your incredible example that you have at AESSEAL, and we all should leave the planet better than we found it.”

A new video produced by the company, which is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly accurate measurement solutions for flow, level, pressure and temperature, asks: “Can a factory change the world?” The answer? “We think so.”

The company commissioned Swansea University School of Management PHD student Alisha Gibbons, whose work involves examining the organisational factors that influence the sustainability of operational excellence practices within the manufacturing sector, to video progress.

In the video Alisha explains:

“At British Rototherm sustainability is not just a promise, it is part of the culture.

“At Rototherm we believe that sustainability starts at the roots, literally, and that is why we have planted evergreen hedging all round our site. Not just to look good but to do good.

“All around the site there you will find different trees such as silver birches and native cherry trees which have been planted by us ourselves at Rototherm.

“We have also enabled multiple areas of our site to thrive as wildlife meadows which are home to orchids such as the marsh and the pyramid orchid.

“Towards the back of the site you will find our newly developed RotoPark.

“Our employees are able to reconnect with nature and the wildlife to thrive alongside us.

“It is a place where we can pause, breathe and feel the benefits of the biodiversity we are helping to protect - engineering a better future.”

British Rototherm has also installed 400 solar panels which generate around 65 per cent of its energy requirements.

It has fitted state of the art heating and lighting systems, as well as high efficiency transformers onto its machines to reduce the power loss of energy coming off the network, reduced out of hours consumption by 75pc through use of digital timers, improved temperature controls, and minimised air losses to decrease loads on compressors and avoid energy wastage.

The company promotes biodiversity through planting trees and developing wildlife and insects, including managing beehives which have grown and enable it to produce its own honey for the workforce in Port Talbot.

The well-established company underwent a transformation in 2010 when brothers Oliver and Tarkan Conger acquired the business and recognised the need for modernisation, addressing challenges such as sustainability and energy efficiency.

On top of building on Rototherm pressure and temperature portfolio, the company has developed a leading position for advanced solutions within Ultrasonics for non-invasive measurement of flow and level in pipes and vessels, as well as building telemetry to connect their instruments to the cloud for providing 24/7 service solutions.

This helps industries reduce waste, optimise resource usage and efficiency, and achieve environmental compliance.

British Rototherm Group says it aims to continue its legacy by continued investment in research and development, leveraging off AI both in its operations and products, and contributing to the global drive for sustainability.

Rototherm continues to look to the future, investing in research and development, as well as embracing new technologies, and is doing so in a way that aligns with the aims of the Betterworld.Solutions project.