Glentham Life Sciences boosts green credentials thanks to Lombard backing

Published by

Peter Davison

Solar panels at Glentham Life Sciences

Corsham-based chemical supplier Glentham Life Sciences has been able to reduce carbon emissions across its operations after securing £135,000 funding from Lombard.

The funding package, which was facilitated by Lombard Asset Finance, part of the NatWest Group, has allowed Glentham Life Sciences to install state-of-the-art solar panels at its warehouse.

The move has drastically reduced the firm’s carbon footprint, while also having the added advantage of advancing growth by lowering monthly outgoings.

Founded in 2013, Glentham Life Sciences boasts a team of 27 staff members who are responsible for sourcing and supplying fine chemicals and raw materials to a global client base.

Holding contracts with leading medical diagnostic and pharmaceutical brands, the firm played a key role in developing the chemical materials used within Covid-19 testing kits throughout the pandemic.

The company was founded by school friends Sam and Nick, who decided to launch the business at age 24.

Following their days together in A Level Chemistry, Sam went on to study Biology while Nick studied Physics, before both working in the fine chemical industry. Their combined experienced allowed them to pool their skillsets and start the firm after spotting a gap in the market.

The recent funding follows previous support packages from Lombard which enabled Glentham Life Sciences to purchase two warehouse premises.

The new solar panel installation will enable the company’s Corsham base to become fully self-sufficient by generating clean and renewable electricity on-site, including feeding surplus energy back to the grid.

Sam White, director at Glentham Life Sciences, said: “Since the day we launched, we’ve always prioritised being a socially responsible business over anything else.

“This ambition is a thread that runs through every aspect of Glentham Life Sciences, from the products we produce, to our employment policies and our office premises.

"Our new solar panels will enable us to take a significant step towards our goal of becoming a fully net zero operation and we’re grateful for Lombard’s continued support in making that happen.”

The firm has a longstanding commitment to improving the environmental output of both the business and its site, having planted trees and wildflowers to create a healthy eco-system in the land surrounding the warehouse.

In recent years, Glentham Life Sciences expanded the business abroad, opening a second base in Germany to cater to its growing pool of EU customers.

Jason Holness, senior relationship manager at Lombard, added: “Glentham Life Sciences are one of the major players in the fine chemical world and it’s incredibly inspirational to see such an industry leading firm remain focussed on creating a positive legacy.

“We’ve worked with Sam and Nick for nearly a decade, supporting their vision as they continue to expand into new markets. Innovation is at the forefront of their business and it’s exciting to be part of their journey.

“Facilitating business growth is our primary aim and the team look forward to working with Glentham Life Sciences as they continue to lead the way in the sector.”

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is deputy editor of The Business Magazine. He has spent his life in journalism – doing work experience in newsrooms in and around Bristol while still at school, and landing his first job on a local newspaper aged 19. By 28 he was the youngest newspaper editor in the country. An early advocate of online news, he spent the first years of the 2000s telling his bosses that the internet posed both the biggest opportunity and greatest threat to the newspaper industry and the art of journalism. He was right on both counts. Since 2006 he has enjoyed a career as a freelance journalist. He lives in rural Wiltshire with one wife, two children, and three cats.