Straight secures £1m Severn Trent contract

Leeds-based Straight will supply nearly 200,000 water saving products and accessories. Many of the products will be free or heavily subsidised by Severn Trent to inspire customers to become more water efficient.

Products will include water butts, tap flow regulators and shower heads.

Straight’s chief executive Jonathan Straight said the company hopes to be awarded more contracts of a similar nature from other water companies.

The group is in talks with a number of water suppliers, but could not name them for confidentiality reasons.

“Given the impending drought a number of other companies are seeking to buy water butts and other equipment,” he said.

Straight is gearing up for the drought this summer and it is seeing increasing orders for water savings devices. Bestsellers include Tapmagic and Tapshower, which reduce the amount of water that is used.

“We think demand will be strong. People will buy water butts to water their gardens,” said Mr Straight, referring to the hosepipe ban.

As part of the new contract with Severn Trent, Straight will provide a home delivery service. It will also develop a bespoke website to enable residents to order their water saving products online.

The website will feature advice and water saving tips to encourage water conservation and promote the water saving products.

Residents will also be able to order their products through a dedicated telephone number, by coupon or through a text messaging service.

Products included in the contract are water butts, tap flow regulators, shower heads, shower timers and regulators, cistern displacement and dual flush retro devices and water saving kits.

Doug Clarke, water efficiency manager at Severn Trent Water, said: “We provide water and sewerage services to 3.7 million households and businesses across the Midlands and parts of Wales.

“It is important for us all to start taking a more active role in reducing our water consumption. This new agreement and the products available through the scheme will encourage Severn Trent Water residents to do just that.”

He said that Straight was awarded the contract on the back of its broad range of products.

“We chose to work with Straight because they are able to offer an excellent range of products for our customers,” said Mr Clarke. “We are confident that they can also provide an extremely high level of customer service and have the infrastructure to manage our account and resident orders as required.”

Mr Straight said the group is looking forward to working closely with Severn Trent.

“There is an excellent synergy between our two companies with a solid cultural fit. Our experience at managing schemes of this type put us in an excellent position to go forward and win the contract.”

Straight is the UK’s leading manufacturer and supplier of specialist kerbside recycling containers. It has supplied more than 25 million kerbside boxes, baskets and caddies to local authorities across the UK, securing its position as the industry leader.

It also supplies a broad range of waste and recycling container solutions.

The company operates through two divisions. The core trade business supplies products in bulk to local authorities, utilities, the waste industry, retailers and other businesses. The retail business supplies a range of proprietary environmentally friendly consumer products directly to the public, often in partnership with a local authority or a utility.

The green dream

Straight was established in 1993 in Leeds by Jonathan Straight, initially as one man and a desk. It floated on AIM in 2003 and acquired its main competitor, Blackwall, in 2004 for £6.75m.

In August 2007, it bought chewing-gum bin company Gummy Bins and in January 2009 it bought Harcostar Garden Products for £400,000.

Straight started manufactur-ing in March 2010 when it bought the bulk of waste company Helesi’s UK business for £1.65m, after Helesi ceased manufacturing at its Bradford plant. In August 2010 it bought Hull-based injection moulding firm Powell Plastics, which earned the bulk of its revenues making plastic recycling and waste containers for Straight.