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In June 2009 leading flooring adhesives manufacturer F. Ball and Co. Ltd gained ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) certification.

“We’re pleased and proud to secure this prestigious award,” says Ian Baker, Environmental Manager at F. Ball. “It shows we’re committed to constantly improving our environmental performance, to recycling and cutting waste.”

The Services of F. Ball and Co.

Formed in 1886, F. Ball is owned by Geoffrey Ball, the company’s chairman and great grandson of the founder. Today, F. Ball is the UK’s leading manufacturer of flooring adhesives and preparations for the contract flooring industry.

Based in Cheddleton, near Leek, Staffordshire, the F. Ball Group has a turnover in the region of £40 million a year and employs over 200 people worldwide.

In addition to a modern, efficient manufacturing plant, facilities at the Cheddleton site include development, testing and quality-control laboratories, with a large warehouse and an office block housing functions such as health and safety, customer services, and technical support.  

F. Ball works closely with floor-covering manufacturers to ensure that tried and tested adhesives are available for almost every branded floor covering. It also supplies and works closely with its main clients, flooring contractors, via its large distribution network to ensure its products are safe and easy to install.

F. Ball products have been used at the Natural History Museum in London, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport near Taipei, Warwick Hospital, Hong Kong University, and on the liner Queen Mary 2.

Awards

F. Ball has won many awards over the years. Every year since 2001 the company has been voted ‘Flooring Accessories Supplier of the Year’ by the Independent Floorcoverings Distributors Association.  For the last 10 years F. Ball has also been first in the ‘Best Adhesive’ category at the Contract Flooring Journal Annual Awards.  

In August 1995, F. Ball gained ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) certification, and has retained this since.

Approach to the Environment

F. Ball works hard to minimise its impact on the environment and its neighbours. It takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is conscious of the area’s natural beauty and wildlife.

The company’s Cheddleton plant lies in a picturesque valley in the Staffordshire Moorlands, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. Nearby are people’s homes, the River Churnet, Caldon Canal and protected flora and fauna. There is also a holiday caravan park next to the site.

F. Ball has implemented many environmental measures, all in accordance with its declared environmental policy and which meet or exceed mandatory standards.  

Its Cheddleton plant is carefully landscaped and in a colour scheme designed to blend in with its surroundings. F. Ball has put great effort into minimising noise and pollution, for example, by purifying emissions and by placing raw material delivery suction pumps within the building where it is close to housing.

Its new £7 million powder-blended products facility was designed to protect the local flood plain and reduce energy consumption, noise and dust. It is insulated to SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) standards and uses energy-saving doors and motors.

Other environmental initiatives on-site include:

• The installation of energy-efficient lighting;
• Use of local raw materials to minimise transportation and environmental impacts;
• Re-assessing product containers to reduce packaging and transport costs; and
• Using gravity feeders where possible.       

Wherever it is technically feasible, F. Ball products use recycled materials. F. Ball also recycles other materials by remixing them with various products, within carefully controlled process parameters and without compromising quality.

Why ISO 14001?

An ISO 14001 EMS provides a structured framework in which environmental performance can be monitored, controlled and continually improved.

“We went for ISO 14001 to enhance our environmental performance and because it was the next logical step after ISO 9001,” says Ian Baker. “We had our QMS in place, so a similar, highly compatible system made sense. ISO 14001 shares the same ideals and is process-based, and it shares some procedures.

“As is already the case with ISO 9001, we felt our future business opportunities would be limited if we did not have ISO 14001. Five to 10 years from now, many potential customers could well have a policy of buying only from ISO 14001-certified suppliers.

“In addition, we are a member of a trade organisation, which says members should aspire to be ISO 14001-certified by 2012 – and we’re pleased to have done this early.”    

Assessment

Among its preparations for assessment, F. Ball: compiled an environmental policy, legislation register, aspects and impacts list; appointed internal auditors; established internal and legal compliance audits; created a training programme for all staff; and set targets and objectives.    

F. Ball chose independent assessor SGS United Kingdom Limited to carry out its ISO 14001 assessment. Ian Baker says: “We had used SGS for our ISO 9001 assessments since 1995 and had a long and successful relationship with both SGS and its assessor, Jon Tuck, who knows our operations and processes well. Jon has provided plenty of guidance and feedback – I couldn’t fail to learn from a full-time auditor of these standards.

“SGS provided an excellent service. On a personal level I had not used SGS before joining F. Ball, and I was pleased to see its professionalism first hand.”

Organisational Benefits

Ian Baker says: “Although F. Ball staff were already highly motivated, they were all involved in gaining ISO 14001 and this certainly helped to maintain their interest and motivation.”

F. Ball now monitors its consumption of gas, electricity and water, together with volumes of recycling, waste and landfill.

“The process of achieving ISO 14001 has saved costs in many areas,” says Ian Baker. “Reducing our waste and utility costs helps us to maximise our operational efficiency and serve our customers better.”

Market Benefits

"ISO 14001 clearly demonstrates we’re committed to environmental responsibility and sustainability, and it strengthens our competitiveness and reputation,” says Ian Baker. “It gives us a competitive edge over rivals and, although we were already highly regarded in the contract flooring industry, ISO 14001 can only enhance our reputation.”       

For more information please contact:

SGS United Kingdom Ltd
SGS House
217-221 London Road
Camberley
Surrey
GU15 3EY
United Kingdom
t: +44 (0) 1276 697999
f: +44 (0) 1276 697696
Email