A SWINDON manufacturing firm set ambitious targets to help cut its carbon emissions and reach net zero.

For the past 42 years, IEW – Industrial Electronic Wiring Ltd – has been producing power cables and box builds for complex technology-led machines.

But a change in ownership two years ago brought a change in company culture, with new owner Duncan Game pledging to do everything possible to reduce his firm’s impact on the planet.

The enterprise has set itself a target of reducing its energy use 30 percent in the first year then by a further seven percent every year after that.

With more than 50 staff in a 12,500sq ft unit at Kembrey Business Park, IEW uses a lot of power. Heating, lighting, and powering equipment all cost money – and have an environmental impact.

To reduce costs in the face of rising energy prices and concerns about the environment, the company has carried out expensive changes which will pay for themselves in the long-term.

A £50,000 air conditioning system has replaced inefficient wall-mounted electric heaters to keep staff cool in summer and warm in winter while monitoring CO2 levels in the building, bringing in fresh air from outside when required, all using a third of the power the old system required.

The business installed smart LED lighting throughout the building, so lights automatically switch on and off in areas which are not in constant use, and added an electric vehicle charging point outside the building.

Smaller changes are being put in place as well, like removing plastic cups from the drinks vending machine so that employees bring reusable mugs. Paper, cardboard plastics and metals are all collected and recycled.

Duncan’s electric car has done 25,000 green miles in the last two years as he travels to meetings with customers and suppliers - and the firm has its eye on an electric van with a 150-mile radius to deliver components to customers in the scientific and medical equipment sectors.

Duncan said: “We are focussed on constantly evolving our business and making sure our service continuously improves by a focussed approach to investment which makes both economic and environmental sense.

“Finding ways to save electricity and reduce pollution is good for my business, my staff, my children’s future, and the local and global environment.”

IEW has teamed up with government agency the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service to install software which tracks the company’s energy us and will highlight areas in which savings can be made.