Industry and nature grow together at AESSEAL headquarters

Nature has moved in alongside industry on a Tree Walk opened at a Rotherham factory site which now operates without the use of any natural gas.

The one-kilometre trail, which sits within the grounds of AESSEAL’s Mill Close engineering base, was officially opened last month by Rotherham United chairman Tony Stewart.

Its first visitors included 28 children from St Bede’s Catholic Primary School in Kimberworth, as well as representatives from the Millers, youth sports clubs, business and education, Rotherham Titans rugby club and Olympic Games silver medallist Peter Elliott.

Since then more than 50 children from Redscope Primary School have completed the walk, on which they saw the bug hotels, a pond, meadows and woodlands, a wide variety of trees, a hedgehog crossing and hives for 60,000 bees, all accompanied by interactive information and facts available by scanning QR codes.

There’s also a treasure hunt, which adds another fun element to the learning, as well as animal, insect and bird sculptures by local artist Robin Widdowson.

Early doors visitors have included a kingfisher, a fox and her cubs and a great tit, who recently hatched six chicks in a bird box installed on the trail, the development of which was tracked through a wildlife camera. A second set of chicks appeared within weeks!

Previous to AESSEAL moving onto the site in 1997 the area was little more than unused fields of mud. However, new development was changing the make-up of the area and someone had to set an example and look to the long-term future.

The scene now is very different. AESSEAL’s ten-acre Factory for the Future, which contains 175,000 sq. ft. of new buildings, stands proudly on the land – and alongside it runs the Tree Walk.

What may have once been viewed as a contrast serves as a visible, tangible example of how industry and nature can grow together and live with each other to provide our planet with a chance of long-term survival.

The original suggestion was to build a pond within the developing site but, like the company, the project grew beyond recognition.

Mr Rea said: “It’s something that has been created over a long period, and we’ve just enhanced it and developed it and planted more and more trees and added more attractions like wildlife sculptures, the seal family, brass etching stations, wildlife and plant life boards, as well as providing a home for rescue hedgehogs and bees. Add to that a treasure hunt and we have a fun and educational amenity aimed at primary school children.”

Opening the walk, Tony Stewart said: “I have been associated with AES for many years and known Chris for a long time and what he has done, not just for Rotherham but on a world stage, sets the standard. He is a great ambassador.

“I have been on the Tree Walk and it is a fantastic facility for staff and for schoolchildren to visit and one that shows his commitment to the town and to the environment.

“What this company has done is incredible, not just in manufacturing but in thinking about the finer things in the world, allowing wildlife to exist. I am proud to open the Tree Walk and proud to be a friend of the company.

“Credit is due to Chris and AES for achieving this and for what they have achieved for Rotherham.”

After Mr Stewart cut the ribbon, children took part in a guided Tree Walk and treasure hunt, followed by a commemorative tree planting ceremony.

Prior to its official opening staff have been using the facilities – including a picnic and meeting area – which have cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to create and develop. It’s a relaxing, peaceful place to sit and enjoy lunch or to take in the fresh air.

Mr Rea says: “Some people really love it and come out every day. We even have colleagues who come in the depths of winter and put warm clothes on and go and sit at one of the benches, play chess or have their flask of coffee. People like it.

“I think most companies fail to understand that the soft issues, how people feel, their mood, their morale and motivation is just as important as monetary matters. People want to work with nice people, they want to feel that the company they are with is doing more good than bad. The value of high levels of motivation is immeasurable but provides tangible results.”

There’s an even more serious side to the Tree Walk though with sustainability the driving force behind the project and the growth of the company, resulting in the environmentally friendly trek around the site that aligns with AESSEAL’s global commitment to reducing carbon emissions and promoting green innovation. Indeed, the AES Engineering Group recently won a King’s Award for Enterprise in the sustainable development category.

The opening was followed by a commemorative tree planting ceremony, which the youngsters took part in at the site where AESSEAL has decommissioned the last of its natural gas-fired heating systems.

Mr Rea hopes the company’s work will persuade others to follow the example and adds: “If you pursue excellence, there’s nothing excellent about destroying the environment. There’s nothing excellent about not being a good corporate citizen. There’s nothing excellent about not doing what you can do to continuously improve things. It’s just what we do.

“The tree walk is nothing compared to what our business has invested in the environment as a whole.

“We’ve made a commitment to spend £29 million by 2029 on environmental projects. We did this at the time of COP 26 and we’ve kept a record of it, a video diary, and we have now committed £26 million of expenditure.”

The Mill Close development is called the Factory for the Future for more than one reason – it is designed to seamlessly integrate manufacturing with nature and with the aim of proving that industrial growth and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.

Plus, the company wants to show the young people who visit that it is playing its part in ensuring there is a future for them and the planet.