At Lawton Tubes, our priorities extend to actively enhancing the wellbeing of our employees, the community, and the environment. We are proud to be a company that places these values at the core of our mission.
From implementing sustainable practices to fostering community engagement and contributing to infrastructure improvements, Lawton Tubes is dedicated to investing in people and reinvesting in our business. We believe that by caring for our employees, the wider community, and the planet, we’re not only making a positive impact but also ensuring a better future for all.
Nurturing a Sustainable Future
At the heart of Lawton Tubes’ values lies a deep concern and care for the environment.
Copper is one of the ‘greenest’ metals available; it’s estimated that 80% of all copper produced in the last 10,000 years is still in use today. Copper is an antimicrobial, sustainable material that can be repeatedly recycled, giving it an infinite lifecycle. That’s why we wholeheartedly promote copper as the sustainable choice for plumbing & heating, medical, air-conditioning and refrigeration and engineering sectors.
We have made significant efforts to remove as much plastic packaging materials as possible from our product offering into the market. This has been carried out in conjunction with our customers. Over 2 million plastic tube end caps have been removed from our supply chain.
We are further reducing our carbon footprint by transitioning to electric vehicles and upgrading our facility’s lighting to sensors and LED fixtures, all to embrace more sustainable practices.
At Lawton Tubes, we’re tackling sustainability head-on. We are proud to be working alongside the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) to challenge, educate, and inform industry leaders about the benefits of copper.
Engaging with the Community
Beyond our manufacturing facilities, Lawton Tubes actively supports the community. We have a deep appreciation for activists who are working hard to make the world a better place. That’s why, alongside plumbing ambassador Peter Booth (aka PB Plumber), we established the LPB Awards to celebrate those within the industry who’ve made a significant impact on the plumbing community.
Lawton Tubes staff also attend Further Education Colleges, to demonstrate the use and explain the benefits of copper to apprentice plumbers and gas engineers.
We are also thrilled to endorse the Frank Bruno Foundation, a charity that is fighting back against mental health stigma and helping people stay in work – a mission that resonates with many tradespeople, especially those who are self-employed.
Supporting this fantastic cause was an easy decision for Lawton Tubes. In our outreach work with the plumbing, air conditioning, and installer communities, we’ve grown to truly understand the importance of mental health and the need to raise awareness, particularly for those in a trade. Frank’s mission aligns perfectly with our commitment to positively impacting the community.
So far this year, we’ve raised over £15,000 to support the foundation and are committed to continuing the good work.
Investing in the Factory
We have made significant changes to our factory to demonstrate our dedication to our teams. We invested £500,000 to completely refurbish the factory roof, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our employees and maintaining a modern, structurally sound and efficient manufacturing facility.
Inside, we’ve had the entire factory interior repainted, creating a fresh and clean workspace that enhances employee morale and boosts productivity.
Completely refurbing the main offices to include breakout pods and rebuilding the quality control department (complete with modern equipment) has benefited Lawton Tubes’ employees as well as our customers. Our increase in staff, including a new Quality Manager, and a new Health and Safety Manager, is a clear signal of our care for our employees’ wellbeing.
We’ve also undertaken a complete refurbishment of the annealing plant to reduce gas usage and improve plant efficiency while upholding our all-important quality and safety standards.
With our very retro plant canteen, it was high time we updated it! Now, we’ve created a comfortable, relaxed space with new, modern seating and appliances to improve everyone’s break time.
We understand that any improvements – however small seeming – can make a big difference to a person’s work day. That’s why we felt it was important to refurbish our staff spaces. While we didn’t go for golden thrones, there are certainly antimicrobial copper fixtures used throughout!
Elevating Customer Care
Improving customer care has been a priority for Lawton Tubes.
As well as increasing our teams to support clients, we have adopted a new VOIP Phone System (3CX), a well-established system used by many large, global-scale businesses. This provides a better customer experience with us, allowing customers to reach individuals within the organisation much faster.
We can also pull reports to identify any specific improvements or faults, and monitor the customer service process. By smoothing this process and improving efficiency, our customers and internal teams are happier all round.
Technology advancement features heavily in our investment plans. Smartsheets have been trialled within our Quality Department and customer complaints can now be submitted online via our website, speeding up the process. Further development will see greater use of online forms, like new customer credit applications and any incoming enquiries from around the world.
Future Plans
We’re not done yet! With the growth of the fittings and accessories side of the business, Lawton Tubes needs more warehouse space and improved stock control. In answer to this, we’ve sourced a nearby building. This means we can maintain even higher stock levels and deliver an even swifter service for our customers in line with demand.
Plus, there are still more renovations planned, including a fresh lick of paint for our corridors, and a revamp of the warehouse canteen, locker room, and shower area.
We’ll also modernise our Coventry site’s reception area and introduce some wonderful copper sculptures from installers who fit our products. Future visitors may wonder whether they’ve arrived at an art gallery rather than a copper-pipe supplier!
Explore Lawton Tubes’ website to learn more about how we care for sustainability, charity, and the people in our communities.
