Torque Interviews Guy Perry for plans for Sustainability
A Perry is a fourth generation, family-owned and run company established in 1925, now spanning a global trade network based in the West Midlands. With 140,000-plus foot² facility spanning over 5 acres of land, the Perry brand is focused in agricultural and architectural ironmongery, threaded bar and fixings.
“It’s about our carbon footprint,” says A Perry Director Guy Perry. “As a company we started looking at how we could become more sustainable quite a few years ago.
“We as a business feel we have a social responsibility. This is the right thing to do. Some prefer to stick their heads in the sand, but it’s not the right attitude. We want to move forwards,” he adds.
And A Perry has not been standing still. Since moving into its new facilities just a few years ago, a number of carbon-cutting initiatives have been brought in.
All lights in offices and the warehouse have been upgraded to LED and PIR sensors, while lighting in its robotics warehouse (more on that later) has been reduced by 90%. This year A Perry installed five electric car charges onsite and has been promoting electric car schemes for all staff to take advantage of.
And then there’s energy. A Perry is currently installing solar PV to increase on-site electrical generation to reduce consumption of standard grid electricity. It is estimated that it will give the firm a further energy reduction of 35-40%. The Cradley Heath-headquartered business will be moving to a 100% green source supplier for electricity for all its others energy needs, with the suppliers only buying energy from Wind, Solar or Hydro sources. The carbon reduction programme will continue as A Perry looks at renewable ways to heat its building, away from gas boilers to lower carbon alternatives i.e. biomass heating systems or Air Sourced Heat Pump systems. Upgrading insulation to reduce heating energy requirements is scheduled too.
A Perry was the proud recipient of DIY Week’s Sustainability Award, given for its “authentic commitment” to integrating a sustainable strategy across the business.
A Perry’s sustainability drive has been internally driven, but it is a topic that is beginning to resonate more with customers, Marketing Steve Perry explains: “We started it because it is the right thing to do and we wanted to be a market leader, but in the last six months we are getting more interest in it, particular from our larger customers. We have educated a lot of our customers, helped with their understanding about the upcoming plastic packaging tax and upcoming producer responsibility regulations that are changing in the next few years.
“When it comes to what we’ve done internally as a company to become more sustainable, that is great, but ultimately that’s not something our customers are really interested in, unlike the packaging, which they can touch and feel.”
Back to the future… on packaging
One of A Perry’s big projects has indeed been to make its product packaging much more sustainable. With plastic packing dominating shelves of builders’ merchants, supermarkets and just about everywhere else, the need to change has been increasingly highlighted in recent years. Guy Perry picks up the story: “We started looking at this almost three years ago now. We’ve worked hard on it and developed different options. Some of it hasn’t worked and it has cost us.
“One of the things we found really frustrating when we started was that many customers didn’t seem to care. They just thought that their customers, builders and contractors or whoever, won’t care so why should they? This was a frustration, as everyone has a responsibility.”
But attitudes are moving on, he adds: “When you go into a store and have a sea of plastic packaging you should be concerned about it and say this isn’t what you want to buy. You want to buy something with less environmental impact. It’s easier when it is driven by the consumers.
”The Eco-packaging project is nearing completion, says Steve Perry: “The mission was to take our whole “Prepack” range, which is our retail friendly packaged hardware, and eliminate all nonessential plastic, and replace all remaining plastic with recyclable alternatives”
The end result will potentially be a trend setter, hopes the firm: “It’s been hard work to come up with good solutions, but all it takes is someone to do and others can see that it is possible.
Guy Perry adds: “30 years ago there was no plastic, it was not used. So, we are almost going back to how things were before, for many items.”
As well as helping protect the environment, the switch to recyclable packaging could be quite the profit maker for retailers and distributors: “Although it was never our primary intention, moving to plastic-free packaging means the actual packaging footprint is a lot smaller than expected, around 50% smaller, meaning you can get twice as much product using same amount of space on a display stand.
Steve Perry adds: “It’s such a massive advantage as space is of course such a premium for a retailer.”
Adding to the Eco-Packaging project, is also and brand new range of fixings that the firm are launching mid-2023, all in 100% eco packaging, with the only plastic employed being re-usable tubs and cases.
Steve Perry reveals: “We are incredibly excited to announce the news of our brand new Perry Fixing range which will we be available for retailers in Q2 next year. We have been able to incorporate the principles of the eco packaging used for our hardware into this new fully encompassing range of fixings and fasteners, all in retail friendly packaging on branded display stands.”
There will be more on this story in 2023.
Manufacturing and energy efficiency
A Perry’s in-house manufacturing facility provides a broader range of services for its customers. With all eyes on energy prices and carbon emissions, is a machine shop a particular challenge?
“As long as you maintain and keep machines as efficient as you can and in a good condition, then it’s not such an issue. We happen to have a roof that is pointed in just the right direction, allowing us to utilise the suns energy in solar panels. We’ll soon have more energy than we need, feeding energy back into the grid for six months of the year. I think we’ve taken care of that as much as we can.”
Efficiency principles are not just being applied to the manufacturing floor – A Perry now has a fully automated warehouse, reportedly four times more efficient than manual picking and packing. After six weeks of installation in early 2021, 15 automated robots trek a purpose-built 20,000 ft² warehouse.
Guy Perry explains: “We are very efficiency-led and this has brought efficiencies in time management and also capacity. There is an energy angle too – before staff had to ride around on forklift trucks, with more lighting and all the systems required to support that. A robot – which is a fraction of the size of a forklift – uses less energy.”
“I think we are efficient as we can be in the warehouse but who knows what is coming in the future,” adds Steve Perry.
"A Perry is currently installing solar PV to increase on-site electrical generation to reduce consumption of standard grid electricity."
Market drivers
Part of A Perry’s success has been its diversity of markets it serves. Torque Magazine asks whether a particular market has been faster to see the importance of sustainability than others?
Steve Perry says: “We don’t deal with end users or consumers so we have to listen to the feedback from the retailer. It is hard to say that a single market is pushing for sustainability more than any other. I think they are all moving towards it. However, certainly we have seen larger customers in the agricultural market quizzing us about sustainability. And it feels more of a prominent concern more so within the garden sector, whose customers are very keen on plastic-free packaging and sustainability.”
A carbon-free future – including the supply chain
A Perry’s big packaging projects will see its top 400 hardware retail packaged products in fully recyclable packaging, with a bare minimum of plastic used, resulting in more than 95% reduction in plastic packaging (the small percentage of plastic will all be recycled plastic content).
Looking ahead, Guy Perry says the firm will look beyond its walls in its net zero ambitions.
“We’ve cut 60 tonnes of carbon from our UK facility, which is 70% of our total carbon. Our next objective, which everyone will find a challenge, is to ensure the whole supply chain does everything it can to be green. I think most companies haven’t started to realise all the issues that are involved.
“It’s all very well us doing everything we can here, but it’s also about getting suppliers to do it. We have a bit of an advantage as we have our own factory in India, where we produce a large proportion of our products. We are currently undertaking a similar exercise in India. It isn’t quite as easy as it is here, in terms of infrastructure, but we’re working on it.
“There are challenges in the market at the moment, but if you are the right company with the right attitude and handling customers in the right way, then we still see substantial growth. We have a growth plan and we feel we are a bit more ahead, whether it is the way we do sales, the advantages of having our own production, the way we’re handling packaging… so we are very optimistic for the future.”
To stay up to date on Perry’s Sustainability progress visit www.perrytrade.co.uk/eco-initiative
Read the full article here
“It’s about our carbon footprint,” says A Perry Director Guy Perry. “As a company we started looking at how we could become more sustainable quite a few years ago.
“We as a business feel we have a social responsibility. This is the right thing to do. Some prefer to stick their heads in the sand, but it’s not the right attitude. We want to move forwards,” he adds.
And A Perry has not been standing still. Since moving into its new facilities just a few years ago, a number of carbon-cutting initiatives have been brought in.
All lights in offices and the warehouse have been upgraded to LED and PIR sensors, while lighting in its robotics warehouse (more on that later) has been reduced by 90%. This year A Perry installed five electric car charges onsite and has been promoting electric car schemes for all staff to take advantage of.
And then there’s energy. A Perry is currently installing solar PV to increase on-site electrical generation to reduce consumption of standard grid electricity. It is estimated that it will give the firm a further energy reduction of 35-40%. The Cradley Heath-headquartered business will be moving to a 100% green source supplier for electricity for all its others energy needs, with the suppliers only buying energy from Wind, Solar or Hydro sources. The carbon reduction programme will continue as A Perry looks at renewable ways to heat its building, away from gas boilers to lower carbon alternatives i.e. biomass heating systems or Air Sourced Heat Pump systems. Upgrading insulation to reduce heating energy requirements is scheduled too.
A Perry was the proud recipient of DIY Week’s Sustainability Award, given for its “authentic commitment” to integrating a sustainable strategy across the business.
A Perry’s sustainability drive has been internally driven, but it is a topic that is beginning to resonate more with customers, Marketing Steve Perry explains: “We started it because it is the right thing to do and we wanted to be a market leader, but in the last six months we are getting more interest in it, particular from our larger customers. We have educated a lot of our customers, helped with their understanding about the upcoming plastic packaging tax and upcoming producer responsibility regulations that are changing in the next few years.
“When it comes to what we’ve done internally as a company to become more sustainable, that is great, but ultimately that’s not something our customers are really interested in, unlike the packaging, which they can touch and feel.”
Back to the future… on packaging
One of A Perry’s big projects has indeed been to make its product packaging much more sustainable. With plastic packing dominating shelves of builders’ merchants, supermarkets and just about everywhere else, the need to change has been increasingly highlighted in recent years. Guy Perry picks up the story: “We started looking at this almost three years ago now. We’ve worked hard on it and developed different options. Some of it hasn’t worked and it has cost us.
“One of the things we found really frustrating when we started was that many customers didn’t seem to care. They just thought that their customers, builders and contractors or whoever, won’t care so why should they? This was a frustration, as everyone has a responsibility.”
But attitudes are moving on, he adds: “When you go into a store and have a sea of plastic packaging you should be concerned about it and say this isn’t what you want to buy. You want to buy something with less environmental impact. It’s easier when it is driven by the consumers.
”The Eco-packaging project is nearing completion, says Steve Perry: “The mission was to take our whole “Prepack” range, which is our retail friendly packaged hardware, and eliminate all nonessential plastic, and replace all remaining plastic with recyclable alternatives”
The end result will potentially be a trend setter, hopes the firm: “It’s been hard work to come up with good solutions, but all it takes is someone to do and others can see that it is possible.
Guy Perry adds: “30 years ago there was no plastic, it was not used. So, we are almost going back to how things were before, for many items.”
As well as helping protect the environment, the switch to recyclable packaging could be quite the profit maker for retailers and distributors: “Although it was never our primary intention, moving to plastic-free packaging means the actual packaging footprint is a lot smaller than expected, around 50% smaller, meaning you can get twice as much product using same amount of space on a display stand.
Steve Perry adds: “It’s such a massive advantage as space is of course such a premium for a retailer.”
Adding to the Eco-Packaging project, is also and brand new range of fixings that the firm are launching mid-2023, all in 100% eco packaging, with the only plastic employed being re-usable tubs and cases.
Steve Perry reveals: “We are incredibly excited to announce the news of our brand new Perry Fixing range which will we be available for retailers in Q2 next year. We have been able to incorporate the principles of the eco packaging used for our hardware into this new fully encompassing range of fixings and fasteners, all in retail friendly packaging on branded display stands.”
There will be more on this story in 2023.
Manufacturing and energy efficiency
A Perry’s in-house manufacturing facility provides a broader range of services for its customers. With all eyes on energy prices and carbon emissions, is a machine shop a particular challenge?
“As long as you maintain and keep machines as efficient as you can and in a good condition, then it’s not such an issue. We happen to have a roof that is pointed in just the right direction, allowing us to utilise the suns energy in solar panels. We’ll soon have more energy than we need, feeding energy back into the grid for six months of the year. I think we’ve taken care of that as much as we can.”
Efficiency principles are not just being applied to the manufacturing floor – A Perry now has a fully automated warehouse, reportedly four times more efficient than manual picking and packing. After six weeks of installation in early 2021, 15 automated robots trek a purpose-built 20,000 ft² warehouse.
Guy Perry explains: “We are very efficiency-led and this has brought efficiencies in time management and also capacity. There is an energy angle too – before staff had to ride around on forklift trucks, with more lighting and all the systems required to support that. A robot – which is a fraction of the size of a forklift – uses less energy.”
“I think we are efficient as we can be in the warehouse but who knows what is coming in the future,” adds Steve Perry.
"A Perry is currently installing solar PV to increase on-site electrical generation to reduce consumption of standard grid electricity."
Market drivers
Part of A Perry’s success has been its diversity of markets it serves. Torque Magazine asks whether a particular market has been faster to see the importance of sustainability than others?
Steve Perry says: “We don’t deal with end users or consumers so we have to listen to the feedback from the retailer. It is hard to say that a single market is pushing for sustainability more than any other. I think they are all moving towards it. However, certainly we have seen larger customers in the agricultural market quizzing us about sustainability. And it feels more of a prominent concern more so within the garden sector, whose customers are very keen on plastic-free packaging and sustainability.”
A carbon-free future – including the supply chain
A Perry’s big packaging projects will see its top 400 hardware retail packaged products in fully recyclable packaging, with a bare minimum of plastic used, resulting in more than 95% reduction in plastic packaging (the small percentage of plastic will all be recycled plastic content).
Looking ahead, Guy Perry says the firm will look beyond its walls in its net zero ambitions.
“We’ve cut 60 tonnes of carbon from our UK facility, which is 70% of our total carbon. Our next objective, which everyone will find a challenge, is to ensure the whole supply chain does everything it can to be green. I think most companies haven’t started to realise all the issues that are involved.
“It’s all very well us doing everything we can here, but it’s also about getting suppliers to do it. We have a bit of an advantage as we have our own factory in India, where we produce a large proportion of our products. We are currently undertaking a similar exercise in India. It isn’t quite as easy as it is here, in terms of infrastructure, but we’re working on it.
“There are challenges in the market at the moment, but if you are the right company with the right attitude and handling customers in the right way, then we still see substantial growth. We have a growth plan and we feel we are a bit more ahead, whether it is the way we do sales, the advantages of having our own production, the way we’re handling packaging… so we are very optimistic for the future.”
To stay up to date on Perry’s Sustainability progress visit www.perrytrade.co.uk/eco-initiative
Read the full article here
