At Ecodek we’re proud of our Made In Britain badge. Manufacturing products in the UK brings many benefits to our customers as well as to the wider economy. Want to know how? Here’s Phil Marris, managing director of Ecodek to explain more.

“For a long-time consumers and businesses in Western economies have relied on imported products. However, recent global events, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have exposed the flaw in this dependence on extended international supply chains and the results have been shortages in raw materials and finished goods and consequently, rising inflation.

“Over the past two years, supply chain disruption has led to much longer lead times. Businesses importing from the Far East in particular have found it very challenging to ensure continuity of supply, damaging their reputation and their ability to service their customers efficiently.

“At Ecodek, our customers didn’t have this issue. As we manufacture our decking in the UK, we had much more control over our own supply chains during the pandemic and continued to offer short and reliable lead times. Something we’re extremely proud of.

“Our strong supply chain ensures reliability, in terms of product availability, and guaranteed delivery. This is crucial to anyone involved in landscaping or construction projects, where any delays can have serious cost and service implications.

“Our customers also benefit from the reassurance of knowing where their decking is coming from and therefore have peace of mind that it is responsibly sourced and manufactured. With our production site based in Scunthorpe, they can also be assured that our factories conform to UK employment, social and environmental standards.

“As environmental responsibility is an important purchasing factor, a product’s carbon footprint is becoming more important to companies and individuals alike. By manufacturing and selling in the UK, our goods have less distance to travel, reducing our reliance on international transportation.

“We have also worked hard to become a carbon negative manufacturer and ensure our products are as eco-friendly as possible. This has been achieved, in part, by manufacturing in the UK and having greater control over our business processes. This achievement is also helping to support both our commercial customers, who are looking to improve their environmental credentials, and end consumers who are keen to lower their carbon footprints.

“For Ecodek, manufacturing our products in the UK gives us a distinct advantage over our competitors, most of whom simply import product manufactured in the Far East or the USA. We have better control over the component materials we use, our work force and the processes we deploy, meaning we have greater control over the quality of our final product.

“We also have greater freedom in terms of product development and the ability to offer a wider range of products, especially bespoke products, designed and produced in partnership with key customers.”

“We appreciate that for some companies, manufacturing their products abroad may be the cheaper option. However we’re proud that we’re investing in the UK as well as providing employment opportunities for British workers. Our customers recognise that partnering with us helps them fulfil their own social, as well as environmental, commitments.”

Further information about Ecodek can be found at www.ecodek.updates.wcuat.co.uk or by calling 01978 667 840.