Managing Director David Flannery on the ACS vision for 2025
At ACS, we’re focused on three key priorities: expanding our reach by helping more clients understand our innovative product range, continuing to invest in our people and communities, and embedding sustainability at the core of everything we do.
Helping clients specify our products
This year, we’re determined to help even more people understand the benefits of our cutting-edge product range. From Masonry Support systems to our trailblazing Certus™ modular brick façade system, and the Azure II™ lintels and soffits, our products are designed with safety, sustainability, and ease of specification in mind.
Our free CPD series, a vital part of our educational commitment, ensures architects and specifiers can access accredited sessions online, learning how our products improve building performance and meet regulatory standards. I’m thrilled to share that hundreds of industry professionals have already undertaken these weekly sessions, which will continue throughout 2025.
This will also help us continue to deliver our promise to collaborate with customers at every stage. We offer much more than products, adding value and working closely to give a comprehensive offering that ensures that we deliver the right product, resulting in the most sustainable, and safest buildings.
Investing in people
Investing in people is key to our success, and I’m proud of the strides we’ve made to support our workforce and future talent. As GOLD members of the 5% Club, we’re committed to increasing the number, quality, and diversity of earn-and-learn opportunities across the UK.
In 2024, we opened the ACS Academy, a dedicated training facility designed for staff and customers alike. This facility features bespoke training rigs to provide hands-on experience with our products, ensuring everyone using them feels confident and informed. Our ACS Apprenticeship Programme, developed in partnership with top educational institutions like Leeds College of Building, Leeds City College, and TTE Training, continues to deliver invaluable mentorship and experience to the next generation of construction talent.
Our sustainability commitment
Above all, sustainability remains at the core of our mission.
Our goal is simple: to support the construction of the UK’s best, safest, and most sustainable buildings through innovative products and responsible practices. Sustainability isn’t just about environmental impact—it’s about our broader social responsibility as a business.
We’ve made significant progress. Our purpose-built Leeds manufacturing facility, opened in 2019, is a beacon of efficiency and ingenious design . With over 1,000 photovoltaic solar panels, we generate a third of our energy onsite. Auto-dimming LED lighting and high-grade insulation have helped us achieve an A-rated EPC, reducing energy demand throughout the year.
In 2022, we measured our baseline operational carbon footprint, and since then, we’ve worked tirelessly to reduce it. Our targets are ambitious but achievable: a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050, with goals validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Looking to the future
As we move into 2025, I’m optimistic about what lies ahead. With our cutting-edge products, investment in talent and communities, and unwavering commitment to sustainability, we’re well-positioned to make an even greater impact on the UK’s built environment.
This year is about more than business success, it’s about the positive difference we can collectively make. I’ll be sharing more updates throughout the year, but for now, I’ll leave you with this: together, we’re building a brighter, more sustainable future, and I couldn’t be more excited about the journey ahead. Here’s to a successful 2025!
Article originally published on 15th January 2025