Environmental, social and governance (ESG) is a strategy that is defined as a business model that focuses on social responsibility. While many businesses strive for sustainability goals, the construction industry has a vital role to play in the global initiative, especially as it’s an industry renowned for emitting a tonne of carbon emissions.

With an ESG plan, businesses can show their efforts in reaching sustainability goals, which is important in today’s world, as investors and shareholders want to see how organisations are utilising environmental initiatives while generating profits. But while corporate companies have options, such as working from home to save travel emissions, it’s more complex for the construction sector.

Cosmetic repair is an easy solution for those in the construction sector looking to improve their ESG strategy. It helps businesses to demonstrate their support for environmental protection by repairing damaged items instead of replacing them, which in turn reduces landfill waste, energy consumption, and transportation emissions. Cosmetic repairs can support a business ESG plan in the following ways:

• Support waste initiatives: Repair and restoration are better for the environment and businesses can show that they have moved on from a disposable to a sustainable mode of operation, therefore minimising waste that goes to landfill.
• Use energy more efficiently: Cosmetic repairs take away the processes required to build replacement items. Such resources as energy, materials and transportation that are needed during manufacturing processes, can be removed from the procedure and result in less carbon emitted into the environment.
• Support time management: Choosing cosmetic repair instead of replacing an item won’t delay any tight deadlines, as there will be no need to wait for delivery times or new products to come into stock. This will also be better for communities that are disrupted by construction workers as projects will be carried out quickly.
• Engaging with local communities: Cosmetic technicians minimise the negative impact of construction on the community by ensuring every project is finished and presented immaculately without disrupting locals or leaving waste.

Companies in every sector, including construction, will need to make every effort to improve their performance across all three ESG measures in the coming months and years. Having cosmetic technicians on hand can improve corporate reputation and have a positive impact on society, as well as the environmental landscape.

In 1973, S&D was launched and originated as a family-run business in Somerset, specialising in the supply and application of sealants. Now, the business is celebrating its 50^th birthday as one of the UK’s largest repair and sealant companies, with nine offices across England, Scotland and Wales.

Business Growth

Since its humble beginnings, the business has grown from being a small, family-run sealant- provider to a large-scale team of sealant experts, cosmetic repair technicians, insurance repairers, marine interiors specialists, and now an all-new academy for apprentices.

Managing Director, Nick Jones has commented on the impressive milestone:

“We are delighted to be celebrating 50 years of business. We pride ourselves on taking care of customers and the community that we have built over the years. The time has flown by and it’s great to see how far the business has come since its start in 1973.

“As we move forward, we don’t intend to rest on our laurels. We have big plans to develop our business throughout the UK and even into Europe We are actively expanding our presence across the world – from new offices to Caribbean marine repairs and will continue to scale up production to meet the demands of our clients.

“In line with this, we plan to continue investing in recruitment to further build our teams and will continue to offer a first-class service to a growing number of customers.”

Nick added, “Thank you to our staff and clients who have been brilliant since the start. We look forward to celebrating the 50-year achievement by giving recognition to our long-standing team members, taking a sustainability pledge and much more.”

Some achievements over the years

• Developing divisions and departments

From originally specialising in the supply and fit of sealants under the name S&D Sealants, Nick Jones expanded the business in 2013 by adding cosmetic repairs to its portfolio. Since then, the service has taken off, significantly contributing to the business’s continued success.

It was a couple of years later that SD recognised that its cosmetic repairs skills would be perfect for the cruise industry. As a result, SD hired experienced marine interior professionals to help develop the very successful Marine Sector Division, which covers both repairs and refitting.

But it didn’t stop there! In 2020, SD identified an opportunity to expand its services into insurance repairs and launched ‘SD Claims’. This service is available UK-wide and includes a two-year warranty rather than the industry-standard one-year guarantee.

So, what’s next? Very soon, SD will be launching its all-new training programme called ‘SD Academy’ which aims to develop necessary practical skills in complex surface repair. The academy will be based at its headquarters in Caldicot to conduct off-site classroom teaching at a time of skills and labour shortages in the construction industry.

• Growth in staff & projects

Since starting as a small family-run business, the team now stands at 200+, with plans to expand in 2023. The business understands that its staff are integral to its success and takes great care to ensure they are looked after. It offers training to those who’d like to develop skills on-site and provides opportunities to learn first-hand from its professional technicians.Overall, SD has estimated that they work on around 22,000 projects a year across a range of sectors including housing, hospitality, leisure, schools and more. Some of the most memorable projects include working on the Orient Express, boats on the Thames, the Tollcross International Swimming Pool, Hinkley Point, Wrexham FC, Goodwood Racecourse and so many more.

SD trains all of its own staff and encourages each one to develop their depth of knowledge and establish a rewarding career. It’s constantly on the lookout for new products and services, with a drive towards environmental quality in everything they use.

• Raising awareness for environmental issues

SD believe it’s everyone’s responsibility and duty to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible and it has been working hard to help businesses towards a greener, cheaper and more efficient alternative to replacing interiors.

The company launched its initiative ‘repair, don’t replace’ which encourages businesses to consider greener alternatives. As an industry leader in cosmetic repair, SD intends to set the bar high and ensure that its trained technicians offer only the best service in sustainable restoration even to the most heavily damaged items. This approach has been extremely successful and led to many businesses becoming recurring clients.

• Supporting & sponsoring incredible sporting talent

SD has been an avid follower of cycling in Wales. SD Teams got involved with Welsh Cycling back in 2015 and from there, the partnership has continued to develop in strength. Having supported individual cyclists in the past, SD is aware of the sacrifices, hard work and determination that this sport demands.We are incredibly proud to be the main corporate supporter of Wales Racing Academy. The Academy leads on from the existing Youth and Junior programmes to continue developing cyclists to further prepare and support them for the world of professional cycling.

As well as the cycling team, SD has sponsored the Leicestershire based Team Parker Racing for 8 years. The motorsport team continues to be branded with the SD Teams logo and colours, with the success of the crew increasing year after year.

Team Parker Racing has previously competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior, British Formula 3, and, more recently, in the British Touring Car Championship, where it is a race-winner. It also competes in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and Caterham.

Everything we’ve achieved over the last fifty years has all played a part in making SD the company that it is today. We’re so proud of these accomplishments and we are eternally grateful to the excellent team members we’ve had working with us for over five decades – they have been instrumental in driving the business forward and we look forward to seeing what’s next!

This large event is recognised to be a networking opportunity for the marine industry and will give SD a chance to connect with key decision-makers and build valuable new relationships within the industry.

SD Marine Interior’s Gareth Preston will be joined by SD’s Managing Director Nick Jones along with fellow marine experts, Paul Thomas, Kim Sealey, Steve Shaw, Kevin Pearn, Val Corneby, Tony Webb, Chris Kirkland and Vince Johnson for their final event of the year.

The team will have the opportunity to showcase the business’ complete turnkey service, which includes electrical, hard surface repair, French polishing, upholstery, as well as painting and decorating for both refurbished and new build ships.

Before heading to London, Gareth Preston said “We are thrilled to be attending the Cruise Ship Interiors London at the end of the month. We have had a fantastic twelve months of travelling all around the world to visit some of the very best people and businesses in the industry. The team have been showcasing our fantastic expertise all year, which in turn has led to the development of many great relationships and business opportunities for 2023.”

“Paul and I will travel to the Cruise Ship Interiors on the 29th of November to get everything set up ready for what promises to be a great exhibit. SD’s stand will display our full product range, from in-depth surveys, design, draughting and drawings to project management and much more.

“In addition, we hope to show clients that by choosing cosmetic repair, a business is demonstrating its commitment to sustainability, as repairing damaged items rather than replacing them is generally best for the planet.”

Beyond this, SD Team is a proud sponsor of the ‘Shipyard Team of the Year’ category at the Cruise Ship Interiors Awards 2022. In a community where working together is essential to the success of all projects, this award will recognise those people who consistently excel and exceed expectations. The award takes place on the 1st of December and the winners will be announced during an evening ceremony.

“We are very proud to be sponsoring the Cruise Ship Interiors Awards and SD is very excited to be celebrating the very best in the cruise industry. We look forward to congratulating the winner!”

To find information on SD’s Marine Interiors service, visit https://www.sdmarineinteriors.com/

For the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, click here: https://cruiseshipinteriors-europe.com/our-sustainability-mission/

The SeaTrade Cruise Global conference is an iconic industry event and focal meeting point where stakeholders across the various cruise sectors gather for networking opportunities and to learn more about new industry developments.

After a three-year absence due to Covid-19, the event brought together thousands of cruise executives, decision-makers, destination representatives and leading industry brands. This gave the SD team a perfect chance to exhibit their full range of marine services and show hundreds of industry leaders that they are a prominent force in vessel refurbishment and cabin repair projects.

Throughout the three-day networking and promotional event, the team met with numerous industry executives to discuss current development projects and future business opportunities.

This year’s event offered a matchmaking service whereby the SD team could create a digital profile and contact prospective meeting attendees online ahead of time, which served as a brilliant way to keep things organised and manage time efficiently.

Not only did the team leave with new and potential business, they also found it a rewarding experience which gave them a chance to really showcase SD’s services face to face.

 

 

Marine Director, Gareth Preston said: “This event gave us a chance to meet new, likeminded and key contacts while also reconnecting with those we have previously built relationships with. The team worked really hard to ensure everything ran smoothly and that overall it was a highly successful event.

We were able to exhibit new products and show the fantastic work SD has accomplished in 2021. We are now in the process of catching up on a few new leads and looking forward to building several long-term partnerships. As always, we will continue to further develop our services but feel lucky that SD have had such a great start to the year.”

Next month, the SD team will be attending the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo on 7^th – 8^th June at the Miami Beach Convention Centre. This event will bring together leading cruise lines and shipyards to meet with exhibiting designers, architects, outfitters, and interiors suppliers from across the cruise industry community.

To find information on SD’s Marine Interiors service, visit https://www.sdsealants.co.uk/marine-cruise-ship-interiors.

For the Seatrade Cruise Event visit: https://www.seatradecruiseevents.com/en/home.html

The conference provides a gateway for interior designers, architects, outfitters, shipyards and interior suppliers to meet with Europe’s ocean, river and expedition cruise line market working on major refurbishment and newbuild projects. It is a follow up event to the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo America which took place in Miami this November, and which SD were delighted to attend.

The London event, held at the ExCel Centre, gave our marine team a great opportunity to meet with key members of the cruise community who couldn’t make it to the US or who are largely based in Europe and, much like November, it was a welcome change to be able to meet with colleagues and suppliers in person after a rocky 18 months for the industry.

Marine Director Gareth Preston was joined by fellow specialists Paul Thomas and Val Corneby at the conference, who had a chance to network and discuss their complete turn key service, which includes electrical, hard surface repair, French polishing, upholstery, painting & decorating for both refurbished and new build ships.

On attending the event, Marine Director Gareth said: “We’ve had a brilliant time at the UK leg of the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo and it gave us a chance to meet with so many suppliers and contractors that we might otherwise never have met or only spoken to online. We were also able to have some really promising meetings with designers and product owners at the show that have given us a real boost for what’s to come in 2022.

“Watch this space, but it looks like the next 12 months could be a very exciting time both for SD Marine and the cruise industry at large!”

 

To find information on SD’s Marine Interiors service, visit https://www.sdsealants.co.uk/marine-cruise-ship-interiors.

For the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, visit https://cruiseshipinteriors-expo.com/.

The event took place from the 10th – 11th November at the Miami Beach Convention Centre, intended to give the global interiors and hospitality cruise community the chance to meet face-to-face for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Marine Director Gareth Preston was joined by fellow specialists Val Corneby, Paul Thomas, Steve Shaw and Kim Sealey at the conference, which is the world’s only exhibition exclusively dedicated to connecting the buyers, suppliers and industry leaders of the cruise design sector.

It was a very rewarding experience for the SD team, and gave our marine experts a chance to showcase their complete turn key service, which includes electrical, hard surface repair, French polishing, upholstery, painting & decorating for both refurbished and new build ships.

Day one of the conference began at 9am  with the invitation-only Newcomers’ Breakfast, while the following day will begin with the Founding Partners’ Breakfast.

At the Cruise Conversations Live event, the keynote speech for day one was titled ‘Design Leadership: We are One Cruise Industry’ and featured comments from Greg Walton, founding partner of design firm Studio DADO, and Petu Kummula, senior director of interior design and architecture at Carnival Cruise Line.

Day two, meanwhile, offered a session on ‘The Business Case for Sustainability,’ with speakers including Alexander Zeitz of Virgin Voyages, Yohandel Ruiz of Studio DADO, My Nguyen of Holland America Group, Paris Swann of Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean, and Bergen Hubert of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

On attending the conference, Marine Director Gareth Preston said: “This has been a brilliant experience for us, and has really given us a chance to put SD on the map. Special thanks must go out to our stand creators, HT International Exhibitions, who helped build one of the biggest, most striking stands at the conference which had everybody talking.”

 

“Our initial team flew out on the 8th November, which was in itself a momentous occasion as we boarded the first flight leaving the UK for America after an 18-month freeze on US travel!

“The expo was organised brilliantly and allowed us to network with so many likeminded and key people within the industry who we might never have touched base with previously. Having an event like this be such a success has reminded us that we’re in it for the long haul and that our business is only going to get stronger – we have lots of new products to push in the market and we’ll be looking to add more strings to our bow over the coming months so we’re definitely looking forward to the next event like this one.”

 

The SD Marine team will soon be attending the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo Europe on the 1st – 2nd December at London’s ExCel, which provides a gateway for interior designers, architects, outfitters, shipyards and interior suppliers to meet with Europe’s ocean, river and expedition cruise line market working on major refurbishment and newbuild projects.

To find information on SD’s Marine Interiors service, visit https://www.sdsealants.co.uk/marine-cruise-ship-interiors.

For the Cruise Ship Interiors Expo, visit https://cruiseshipinteriors-expo.com/.

 

NHS emergency hospital building programme

In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020 saw conference centres and stadium facilities from Cardiff to Glasgow transformed in quick succession into emergency field hospital sites, each with the capacity to hold hundreds and even thousands of patient beds.

SD teams were honoured and delighted to be one of the teams onsite at these NHS hospitals, providing mastic application to ensure that the facilities are sealed and secure.

 

Supercar showrooms

Wrexham FC

Back in 2017, the SD team assisted Lendlease on a community day at Wrexham Football Club. Our work detail was to carry out sealant works to the toilet, kitchen and classroom areas with a mind to giving the Racecourse Foundation a safe and suitable place to run its soccer schools.

The project was a big success and meant that we could help out a great cause in the local community.

 

Caudwell International Children’s Centre

The Caudwell International Children’s Centre (CICC) is Britain’s first independent centre dedicated to autism diagnosis, therapy and research. Purpose-built with autistic people in mind, the centre includes state-of-the-art assessment suites, a sensory garden to help children interact with nature, family training suites as well as training kitchens for cooking classes to encourage a healthy diet.

SD carried out sealant application for kitchens, floors, toilets and internal windows on the premises and we are incredibly proud to have been involved in such an impressive project.

To see more examples of our expert mastic application and to find out more about SD’s services, visit the Sealants Services page here. 

Ronald McDonald House

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides free ‘home away from home’ accommodation for families who have children being treated at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital and the neo-natal intensive care unit at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The SD Cosmetic Repairs team were delighted to be asked by Wilmott Dixon to carry out finishing and repairs, including the exterior glass work that wraps around the building as seen below.

 

Tollcross International Swimming Pool

Leeds-born Jamie Madden is taking on the role of Contracts Manager, joining a workforce of 85 industry experts at the family-run company. (more…)