Denny Bros hails 'positive impact' of EADT Business Awards

The business claimed the Environmental & Sustainability Award, sponsored by Port One, in recognition of its efforts to become carbon neutral.

It also won the Suffolk Business of the Year award, sponsored by Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and Sizewell C, with the judges ranking it above nine other category winners.

“Since winning the awards back in September, we have seen them create various positive impacts throughout the business – from boosting staff morale through to conversations with customers wanting to find out a bit more,” said managing director Graham Denny.

“Although we are well known in our field, we are maybe not so well known by the general public, so it is great to have this boost to our profile.”

Denny Bros was founded in 1945 by brothers Douglas and Russell Denny, who first set up as a general printer before entering the label market in 1977.

The company was then approached by a crop science specialist firm, asking if it could develop an information leaflet to place on the outside of a product bag, rather than placing it loose inside.

It went on to develop and patent the world’s first multi-page label – now known as the Fix-a-Form® –which is used in healthcare, including clinical trials, as well as cosmetics, agrichemicals and “anything which requires a lot of space for information on the pack”, said Graham.

“As a business, we always like to work with our customers to help solve any labelling problems they may be facing.

“Our products are designed to help fit more information on-pack, without altering the existing design. This could be things such as usage instructions, ingredients or legally required information.

“We can provide labels with up to 140 pages, and the content can be in multiple languages, which is useful for exporting.”

As a business that uses a lot of energy, Denny Bros has made sustainability a priority, reducing its carbon footprint substantially over the last 15 years.

“We feel we have a certain responsibility to play our part, both within our local area and further afield,” said Graham. “Legacy is important to us, and our directors firmly believe we should be doing all we can to minimise our environmental impact.”

In 2022, Denny Bros installed 1,800 additional solar panels on its headquarters in Bury St Edmunds, which saw it awarded Suffolk Carbon Charter Gold status.

Up to the end of September 2023, the business had used 63% of the solar power it generated.

“That was a great result – helped no doubt by increased workload – as our target was 55%,” said Graham.

​“In monetary terms, it reduced the year’s very high contract charges by around £160,000, and payment for exported generation should exceed £30,000.”

In 2022, Denny Bros installed 1,800 solar panels on its headquarters in Bury St Edmunds (Image: Neil Horsman - Vidoo Film)
The solar panels are just one part of Denny Bros’ environmental efforts. As well as using low-energy lighting and air source heat pumps, it also separates waste streams so that as much as possible can be recycled with zero waste to landfill.

“We use the latest equipment which consumes less energy and minimises setup waste – and we ensure all paper used on site is FSC or PEFC accredited,” said Graham. “That’s in addition to having a low-emission fleet and cycle-to-work scheme, while encouraging the use of sustainable transport.”

These measures aren’t only helping the planet – they are designed to future-proof a company which has enjoyed almost 80 years of success to date.

To that end, the Denny Bros Group also decided to become employee-owned in 2021.

“That decision was made to help safeguard an independent future for the business,” said Graham. “It involved a restructure in ownership so that a majority shareholding is now held in a trust for the benefit of the employees.

“We are entering 2024 feeling positive that we may achieve further growth,” he added.

For more information, please visit dennybros.com