A Fife manufacturer has revealed ambitious plans to double its workforce over the next two years as part of a major investment.
Sips Eco, which is based in Glenrothes, is Scotland’s largest award-winning structural insulated panel (SIPs) home manufacturer, designing, engineering and constructing homes for developers, contractors, local authorities and self-builders.
The firm, which also provides energy efficient structures for schools and healthcare facilities across the UK, currently employs 40 staff, and has seen shareholders plough £960,000 into the business over the last 18 months with some additional assistance from Business Loans Scotland and grant funding through the Regional Selective Assistance Fund.
However, Sips Eco Panels has confirmed its intention to invest a further £1 million in additional capital equipment and facility expansion, creating jobs and supporting Scotland’s pressing need for low carbon, high quality affordable homes.
Pat Queen, managing director of Sips Eco Panels, explained: “The business is growing, our continued investment in facility expansion and state-of-the-art equipment is ensuring we meet the rapidly increasing demand to tackle the housing crisis effectively.
“As local authorities and developers know, the need for affordable energy efficient housing has never been greater and as a result we are securing more and more business across the UK.
“We currently employ 40 staff, and in line with our continued investment strategy, that figure will double over the next two years, whilst turnover will more than double in that time.
“We were proud to be recognised as The Best Sips Supplier in the UK last year by our industry and continue to build on our solid foundations.”
The investment comes as a result of the Government’s legally binding climate target for Scotland to be net zero by 2045, with a growing demand for affordable homes in Scotland meaning that developers, local authorities and housing trusts must put increased emphasis on speed of build, energy efficiency and the environmental impact of new housing schemes.