MINIMISING costs and overcoming the rising price of energy has been crucial to securing growth in a competitive market at Bradford-based window and door manufacturer Safestyle UK.

The company, which floated on the stock exchange last year, and recently reported a rise in first half profits of 10.3 per cent, has been working with West Yorkshire-based energy management consultancy Orchard Energy for the past four years.

Safestyle’s Peter Haigh said streamlining production, recycling to reduce landfill waste and forward purchasing energy to secure the best deals had helped the company keep its own prices low.

He said: “If we are efficient in our own operations we can pass those cost savings on to customers and that helps us remain as competitive as possible.

We recycle more than 14,000 tonnes of waste a year and introduced an energy management strategy in 2010 which continues to evolve as the business grows.”

Safestyle was established in 1992 and has expanded to operate 30 sales sites and 11 installation sites throughout England and Wales, as well as its own 18-acre manufacturing facility in Bradford.

Working with Orchard Energy has enabled the firm to reduce running costs and rationalise administration. Safetsyle also launched a waste management initiative with Orchard’s sister company last year.

Mr Haigh added: “Since we started working with Orchard in 2010 energy prices have been highly volatile but we have been protected from the sharpest peaks by purchasing wisely.”

Gareth Henderson, Orchard Energy managing director, said Safestyle’s proactive approach to cost reduction had led to significant savings.

He said:“It has taken a number of years for us to reach the point where all sites across the company’s substantial portfolio have energy contracts with a common renewal date, but this has now been achieved and our strategy has helped Safestyle reduce costs on a massive scale,” he said.

Safestyle UK opened a new depot off Wakefield Road, Bradford, employing around six staff with 12 installation teams covering the North and Midlands.

Chief executive Steve Birmingham said much of the growth had been generated through the Bradford head office where 50 new posts had been created.