Family run business spends £435,000 to install 450Kw system to meet 60% of its energy needs

Bespoke fitted home furniture designer and manufacturer Exorna has completed a significant investment in solar panels at its Coleraine facility.

The family run business has invested £435,000 to install a 450Kw solar panel system designed to meet around 60% of its annual energy requirements at its 100,000 sq ft production and retail facility, which assembles more than 1,000 kitchen cabinets a week.

The investment – which is backed by Danske Bank – comes on the heels of a £135,000 roof refurbishment programme at the facility.

The installation will significantly reduce Exorna’s electricity costs, leading to more predictable operational expenses and substantial long-term savings, as well as contributing to the company’s environmental and financial targets.

Exorna was founded in 1981 in Castlerock by Willie Oliver and relocated to its current location at Hillmans Way in Coleraine in 1991.

The company has been supplying fitted furniture to property developers, house builders, public housing authorities, social housing suppliers, and the general public in the UK, Ireland and Europe for over four decades.

The Oliver Exorna Group employs over 70 people and also includes separate vehicle rental, vehicle repair, stone fabrication and hardware sales divisions.

As it has grown over the past three years, the group has availed of more than £1m in asset finance support from Danske Bank, which has been used to purchase a range of company vehicles and various pieces of both manual and CNC (computer numerical control) machinery to assist the production of the company’s bespoke product range.

Exorna director Andy Oliver said: “Our move to solar energy is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint. Solar energy, being clean and renewable, is integral to our environmental ethos.

“By generating our own electricity, we gain a measure of independence from the national grid, further enhancing our sustainability practices.

“Danske Bank has been fully supportive of our company as we have embarked on this latest stage of our sustainability journey.”

James Kilgore, business manager at Danske Bank,added: “Exorna is a great example of a forward-thinking family business that has taken time to understand it’s climate impacts and create a sustainability strategy that not only makes it a more environmentally friendly company but also saves money over the long term.”