A year at Canopies UK: Our 2022 Roundup

Posted on 20th December 2022 | Posted in About Canopies UK, Latest News

The last 12 months has been a busy and eventful time for everyone here at Canopies UK.

We’ve had a whole host of interesting and challenging projects, attended and exhibited at some great events and even introduced a brand-new charity initiative.

Find out more about our key highlights of the year as well as what we’re looking forward to in 2023 as we catch up with Finance Director, Jonathan Eastwood!

What were the highlights of 2022 for Canopies UK?

We’ve had a great year all round despite the current climate. We’re having a record year with trade and commercial continuing to thrive. It will undoubtedly be our best year in quite some time.

We’ve introduced new Employee Engagement software called Staff Circle. It really is state of the art and we’re already seeing the benefits. It’s an online platform where we can keep all employees updated on all things Canopies UK. It’s where reviews, 1-1’s, surveys etc can be conducted and it’s also a time and attendance platform.

We’ve invested heavily on building improvements with a new ventilation system and air conditioning units installed within the office space and even added Electric Vehicle Charging points for all employees to use.

Are there any standout canopy installations this year that you could tell us about?

The Skyroof installation at The Gantry is certainly up there (no pun intended)! We had many logistical challenges to overcome, mainly due to the fact that the installation was 18 floors up! The result, however, is spectacular.

The installation at Winifred Holtby School is a great example of the adaptability of our Connekt system, combining a walkway into a back-to-back.

The latest survey at SAAS highlighted that 91% of schools struggle with dining space. How do you think Canopies can help alleviate the problem for schools in 2023?  

 Schools need solutions that help to create more covered areas within the premises and that’s exactly what we do. When compared to a building extension, we offer practical and cost-effective solutions that can be ordered and completed within 8 weeks.

Even the Cantabria range (our covered outdoor dining area with a retractable roof) can usually be completed within 14 weeks, and at typically a third of the expense of an extension.

You announced Derian House as Charity of the Year this year. Can you tell us about the initiative and what’s been done so far?

We decided to launch the Canopies UK Charity of the Year as a way for Canopies UK and our employees to support a local charity through various fundraising.

We conducted a companywide survey and Derian House came out on top. We launched this in September with myself taking part in a Derian House event called Bail Me Out. Basically, I was locked up for the day in prison robes and had to raise enough bail money to be released at the end of the day.

Throughout the day I had to take part in various tasks in and around Chorley with my fellow inmates. It was a great day; representing Canopies UK, I managed to raise £2,206 with the total from all other inmates reaching £18,764.

Going into 2023, we are going to be seeing lots of efforts from our employees to raise money for Derian House, from cupcake sales to skydives. Watch this space!

We know that a lot of manufacturers struggle with supply and getting orders out in good time. How does Canopies UK manage this?

We have excellent working relationships with all our suppliers. This ensures we get the raw materials necessary in time to meet customer expectations.

We also have a great team here who stay in touch with the customer. We’re committed to giving each customer constant updates to ensure that they are kept informed throughout the order’s journey.

What’s in store for Canopies UK in 2023?

We are constantly looking at ways to grow our existing markets. We will look to continue to build working relationships with current and new customers throughout 2023. We are also actively working on ways to increase manufacturing capacity to meet the expected demands. We want to build on a fantastic 2022 and make 2023 even better!

We’re also continuing to invest in our building, with improvements being looked at within the factory including a new heating system and even a complete office refurb.

Our year in numbers

We had a great year this year, resulting in some impressive numbers. Some key stats…

• Number of Canopies installed: 290+
• Door Canopies sold: 4500+
• Customers: 600+
• Jobs: 400+
• 340+ new customers
• Trade Orders: 690+

Wow!

Thanks to all of our customers and Canopies UK employees for an amazing year. We’re looking forward to a well-earned break and to come back raring to go again.

Want to hear more from the Canopies UK team? Be sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook for regular updates from the company and team.