Taranto: R&D helps business save 拢100,000 and attract customers
Partnership helps firm to produce its own cost-effective, energy-efficient concrete and quadruple profits in 3 years.
Concrete specialist quadrupled its profits, cut costs by 25% and reduced energy use by 30% after taking part in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership.
The business worked with with Queen鈥檚 University Belfast to develop in-house knowledge of concrete mix design. Now it can test and optimise locally sourced aggregates to produce its own cost-effective, energy-efficient concrete.
The decision to invest in research and development at a time of economic downturn in Northern Ireland鈥檚 construction industry increased both the profit margins and the number of customers for its concrete products.
Taranto saved 拢100,000 in the project鈥檚 first year through optimising the mix design and introducing a high-performance, less labour-intensive concrete.
Research made new products possible
This made new products possible, including pre-stressed concrete piles, a novel vaulted floor system, and SureFound: a BBA-accredited pre-cast concrete foundation system.
These have enabled Taranto to enter new markets and attract new clients across the UK and Ireland, including a multi-million pound project in Wednesbury, Birmingham.
Taranto has since begun another three-year KTP to develop another aspect of the business.