A year after the fire that destroyed our Cambridgeshire facility, Wiser Recycling is in a much stronger place despite this most debilitating setback. Our focus in this past twelve months has been to look after our existing clients and to consolidate our business, meaning that we are now in a position to forge ahead and take the bull by the horns in 2018.
This year has not been easy. Processing the same amount of material without our principle facility has been a challenge and has forced us to improve the efficiency of our processing, particularly at our Norfolk facility. We have also consolidated our supply chain to turn around recycled materials more quickly and release space which is now at such a premium. Our operations are definitely slicker, more efficient and effective as a result.
We moved offices after the fire and have returned to sharing these with our sister company, environmental consultancy Wiser Environment. This has enabled us to build a central business team to support the Group as a whole, improving the efficiency of our back-office operations and enabling us to benefit from economies of scale but most importantly, allowing us to better support our customers and look after our suppliers.
We haven’t forgotten the firefighters who did such an amazing job last September. Over the summer, the directors of our Group have undertaken a Summer of Challenges to raise funds for the Fire Fighters Charity. So far we have raised £1,500 but with one last challenge to go, we hope to meet our target of £2,500. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please visit Just Giving.
I was told that most businesses die off six months after a fire like ours. That we remain a sustainable business after this catastrophe is an achievement in itself. That we have put ourselves in a position to further grow our business in less than a year is incredible. This is a testimony to our excellent, talented and hard-working teams at Wiser. Both the Recycling and Environment teams have risen to the significant challenges we have faced, their support has been invaluable during this time and has been greatly appreciated.
Our thanks also go to our clients and suppliers, as well as some of our competitors, who supported us in our time of need and buoyed us during the most difficult times.
I would also like to thank our insurer Arthur J Gallagher and underwriter Aspen who have worked very hard for us and been hugely supportive – I have nothing but praise for them.
After this year of consolidation, we are much stronger and more resilient. We are raring to move forward and grow our business. With a number of developments taking place behind the scenes, we will have lots to announce in 2018 so watch this space!