SUCCESS STORY

Reducing energy costs while increasing capacity: South West Upholstery

South West Upholstery is a Bristol-based furniture restoration company serving domestic and commercial clients across the UK. They needed to reduce energy costs and increase production capacity while continuing to grow the business.

Impact at a glance

• Increased turnover from £3.5 million to £4.5 million between 2022 and 2023 while reducing emissions
• Cut annual emissions by 19 tCO₂e through investment in on-site solar generation

The business

South West Upholstery is a mid-sized upholstery and furniture restoration business serving domestic customers and commercial clients across sectors including hospitality, healthcare, leisure, marine, and transport.

The business specialises in reupholstery and refurbishment, extending the life of existing furniture rather than replacing it.

Sector: Manufacturing / services

Location: Bristol

Size: 11-50 employees

Why they took action

The business aimed to reduce exposure to rising energy costs, improve operational efficiency, and support growth in a competitive market.

Reupholstery already reduces the need for new furniture production. Strengthening this sustainable model through solar energy generation, improved production efficiency, and skills investment provided a route to increase capacity while controlling operating costs.

What they did

Significant capital investment

Installed rooftop solar panels, generating approximately 79,800 kWh per year and supplying around 60% of on-site electricity demand even as production capacity increased by 40%.

Medium cost actions

Installed a CNC machine, optimising energy efficiency, reducing errors and increasing output by approximately 2,500 additional units per year.

Reconfigured and optimised the efficiency of the production layout and processes,

Established a training academy and apprenticeship programme, including at least three apprentices in 2023, to support long-term skills development, further reducing errors and improving efficiency.

No cost to low cost actions

Maintained a circular business model focused on furniture restoration, avoiding the emissions associated with manufacturing new products.

South West Upholstery chairs

What difference it made

Solar generation now supplies around 60% of electricity demand, even factoring in increased production capacity and business growth, thereby reducing exposure to energy price volatility and lowering operating costs. The system is estimated to generate approximately 79,800 kWh annually and reduce the company’s emissions by around 19 tCO₂e per year.

Automation and improved workflows have increased throughput and consistency, supporting improved margins through optimised energy efficiency. The upgrades also increased capacity by approximately 40% and enabled an additional 2,500 units of output per year, contributing to turnover growth from £3.5 million in 2022 to £4.5 million in 2023.

How were the changes funded?

Capital investment was supported through a combination of business finance and external funding, including an £862,000 loan facility and support from the West of England Combined Authority Low Carbon Fund.

Lessons for other businesses

South West Upholstery shows how SMEs in traditional sectors can combine on-site energy generation, production efficiency, and skills investment to support growth and cut energy use. Targeted capital investment can increase capacity and reduce operating costs, while circular business models such as refurbishment can reduce material demand and strengthen long-term competitiveness.

Find out more about South West Upholstery