Future Retirement Success
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Investing
  • Stocks

Future Retirement Success

Business

Family-owned sports seating firm secures £100k green loan package with NatWest

by January 18, 2023
January 18, 2023
Family-owned sports seating firm secures £100k green loan package with NatWest

A Telford firm that manufactures and supplies high-spec seating for motorsports and stadiums around the world is looking ahead to a greener future and cheaper energy bills thanks to a tailored financing package from NatWest.

Family-owned Cobra Seats started out in 1978 and has grown its offer to supply innovative, bespoke seating to a growing global market, manufacturing motorsports seating for the North American, Japanese and Australian markets, as well as supplying dug out seats to the Premier League, all from its base in Shropshire.

Faced with rising energy bills and a desire to improve the firm’s carbon footprint, Cobra managing director Mark Dunsford decided to explore alternative fuel options for his business and now, thanks to a green loan from NatWest and additional energy grants, the firm is installing solar panels and additional insulation at its factory headquarters.

Dunsford said: “I started to look at solar power for our premises around five years ago as I wanted to invest for the future and ensure our building itself is an asset that is working positively for the future of the business. At the time though, the payback on the investment would have taken too long to make to make it a viable decision.

“Now, with energy prices rising the way they have and the combination of an energy grant and green loan from NatWest, the £100,000 we’re investing in solar panels will be paid back in around three years. It’s fantastic to be able to take this step forward and it makes complete sense for the business and the environment.”

Cobra calculates that the new solar panels will supply the firm with at least 35% of its annual electricity, while the solar panels and insulation work should also improve the site’s EPC rating, taking it from a D to B, and add value to the building itself. In future the manufacturer also plans to invest in battery storage, so that energy harvested over weekends can be used during the working week.

Andrew Leach, Senior Relationship Manager at NatWest, said: “NatWest recently issued its Springboard to Sustainable Recovery 2022 report, which highlights the key role that SMEs like Cobra can play in decarbonisation and the UK reaching its net zero goals, while also cutting their own energy costs in the process.

“It’s been amazing to work with Mark and the team at Cobra to come up with a bespoke funding package that, combined with the grant the team had already secured, ensures they can take steps towards a greener future, while also protecting the business from the volatility we’re currently seeing in the energy sector.”

NatWest’s Springboard report reveals that if energy prices remain elevated, installing on-roof solar panels could pay back 25% faster today than in 2021, while installing a heat pump now would pay back in half the time that it would have taken just a year ago.

It also highlights that meeting net zero targets is predicted to bring a £175billion revenue boost to the UK economy between now and 2030, with SMEs in a prime position to capitalise on this potential.

Mark added: “I’d encourage any other businesses in a similar position, who may be thinking about improving their carbon footprint, to seek out the support that’s out there. Andrew and the team at NatWest have been amazing and without their support I don’t know if we would’ve been in a position to make this work.

“We’ve also had lots of advice from the local council and others along the way, which has been a massive boost. It’s been a huge learning curve for me and the business and very much worth it to set us on the road to a greener future.”

Read more:
Family-owned sports seating firm secures £100k green loan package with NatWest

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Jeremy Hunt ‘planning slimmed-down spring budget with no tax cuts’
next post
Remote-working jobs disappearing from adverts

You may also like

The Evolution of Roulette: From Casinos to Your...

September 26, 2024

Alibaba commits $50bn to AI and cloud amid...

February 27, 2025

Dragons’ Den: Entrepreneurs secure investment for their pet...

March 28, 2024

Labour’s VAT on private school fees set to...

January 3, 2025

The Catalyst’s Timing: Identifying Key Market Triggers for...

April 15, 2024

US Supreme Court wary of removing tech firms’...

February 22, 2023

6 Things You Need To Run A Warehouse

December 21, 2022

Ministers warned copyright law ‘failing’ as AI firms...

February 2, 2024

Kwasi Kwarteng to announce network of low-tax investment...

September 20, 2022

UK Economy Shows Signs of Recovery, Exiting Recession

May 7, 2024

    Get free access to all of the retirement secrets and income strategies from our experts! or Join The Exclusive Subscription Today And Get the Premium Articles Acess for Free

    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Trump warns of ‘serious consequences’ if Elon Musk funds Democrats

      June 7, 2025
    • Musk jokes about reconsidering stance on Big Beautiful Bill after Schiff’s praise

      June 7, 2025
    • Musk deletes explosive posts about Trump and Epstein files

      June 7, 2025
    • House witness flips script on Dem who ambushed him during hearing with unearthed tweet: ‘Iceberg is ahead’

      June 7, 2025
    • Call with China’s Xi, and Trump-Musk exchange fueled barbs during 20th week in office

      June 7, 2025
    • Trump’s conservative allies warn Congress faces critical ‘test’ with $9.4B spending cut proposal

      June 7, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (8,152)
    • Investing (2,019)
    • Politics (15,568)
    • Stocks (3,136)
    • About us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: futureretirementsuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 futureretirementsuccess.com | All Rights Reserved