09
Aug 2026
9th Aug 2026
Rowan Precision is putting responsible investment into practice on its Birmingham manufacturing shop floor, with a major LED lighting upgrade transforming the production environment as part of a wider programme designed to improve energy efficiency, operational resilience and long-term sustainability.
For manufacturers, investment decisions increasingly have to work on several levels at once.
They must support productivity, strengthen the working environment, provide greater control over operating costs and contribute towards the environmental expectations of customers and the wider supply chain.
At Rowan Precision, that philosophy is becoming increasingly visible across the factory floor.
The Birmingham precision engineering specialist has completed a significant upgrade to LED lighting throughout much of its manufacturing facility, creating a brighter, more consistent working environment around its CNC machining operations while substantially improving the energy efficiency of the site.
It forms part of a broader programme of responsible investment encompassing LED lighting, solar PV, Automated Monitoring & Targeting technology and a modern energy-efficient compressor.
For CFO Glenn Aston, the transformation demonstrates how sustainability investment can simultaneously deliver environmental, operational and commercial benefits.
“The difference the new lighting has made across the shop floor is immediately visible,” said Aston.
“It has transformed the manufacturing environment, giving us brighter and more consistent illumination across production areas while using energy considerably more efficiently.
“That is what we mean when we talk about responsible investment. We are investing in areas that make Rowan Precision a more efficient business, create an excellent environment for our people and strengthen the operation we provide for customers.”
Walk through Rowan Precision’s manufacturing facility and the impact of the lighting programme is particularly apparent around its machining operations.
Modern LED systems provide clear, consistent illumination across production areas, complementing the advanced CNC equipment operating throughout the facility and creating a shop floor that reflects the precision of the work taking place within it.
Technical Sales Manager Neil Williams believes this matters when customers and partners visit Rowan Precision.
“Manufacturing environments say a great deal about a business,” said Williams.
“When customers walk onto our shop floor, they can see the standards we set ourselves. The LED lighting has made a significant difference to the whole environment. It feels bright, modern and purposeful, and it complements the investment we continue to make in our manufacturing capability.
“For a precision engineering company, visibility and attention to detail naturally go together. We manufacture high-specification components where quality and consistency are fundamental, so creating the right environment around that work is important.”
The lighting project sits within an energy efficiency programme developed over two years and accelerated during 2025.
Working with Oxford Innovation through the Future Fit Manufacturing programme, Rowan Precision developed a more structured approach to energy reduction before collaborating with energy specialist Nersi Salehi of ProEnviro Limited on a detailed assessment of the Birmingham facility.
That process identified four priority investments: LED lighting, an Automated Monitoring & Targeting system, solar PV and an upgraded energy-efficient compressor.
Together, the measures are projected to reduce annual energy consumption by more than 104,000 kWh, while delivering an estimated annual carbon saving of 23.63 tonnes of CO₂e.
Grant approval secured in December 2025 helped Rowan Precision move quickly into implementation, supported by specialist partners including Ryan Goodswen Electrical Ltd, Custom Energy Solutions, SRC Northwest and West Midlands Compressors.
The result is an approach to sustainability built around tangible improvements to the way the factory operates.
Aston said: “Responsible investment means looking carefully at where capital can deliver the greatest long-term value.
“Energy efficiency is a very good example because the benefits extend throughout the business. Greater efficiency supports cost stability, modern equipment supports operational reliability and lower energy consumption contributes towards our sustainability objectives.
“Those factors ultimately contribute to a stronger and more resilient manufacturing operation.”
The LED transformation is particularly visible, while other elements of the programme are delivering equally measurable results.
Rowan Precision’s solar PV installation generated 6,458 kWh of clean electricity between mid-February and the end of March 2026 alone, avoiding approximately 1.14 tonnes of CO₂e.
The Automated Monitoring & Targeting system adds another dimension by providing greater visibility over how energy is consumed throughout the operation.
That data-led approach allows Rowan Precision to understand patterns of consumption, identify opportunities for further efficiencies and measure the impact of improvements over time.
For Aston, this combination of physical investment and better information is central to the company’s longer-term strategy.
“Sustainability becomes particularly powerful when you can measure it,” he said.
“The investment gives us the infrastructure to reduce consumption, while monitoring gives us the information to understand performance and continue improving.
“We can see what the solar panels are generating, understand how energy is being used and make informed decisions about where the next opportunities lie. It turns sustainability into something practical and measurable.”
The programme also carries particular relevance for Rowan Precision’s work within aerospace and other high-specification industries.
As an AS9100-accredited precision engineering business, Rowan Precision operates within supply chains where process control, traceability, reliability and long-term planning form an important part of supplier relationships.
Sustainability is increasingly joining those considerations as major manufacturers examine the environmental performance and resilience of their wider supply chains.
Williams believes this creates an opportunity for specialist manufacturers to demonstrate that sustainability and manufacturing excellence can develop together.
“Our customers are looking at the long term,” he said.
“They want capable manufacturing partners with robust systems, strong quality standards and a clear approach to investment. Increasingly, sustainability forms part of that wider conversation.
“When we invest in the factory, whether that is manufacturing technology, energy efficiency or the working environment, we are strengthening the business that supports our customers. That is important when you are developing relationships intended to last for many years.”
For Rowan Precision, responsible investment therefore extends beyond individual energy-saving projects.
Energy efficiency contributes to greater control over one of manufacturing’s fundamental operating inputs. Modern infrastructure supports production reliability. On-site generation provides another source of energy, while monitoring technology creates the data required to identify further opportunities.
Combined with continued investment in precision machining capability, these measures form part of Rowan Precision’s approach to creating a manufacturing business equipped for the future.
Aston added: “There is a clear connection between sustainability, efficiency and resilience.
“Every improvement we make to the way we consume and manage energy strengthens the operation. It gives us greater visibility, greater efficiency and a stronger platform from which to plan future investment.
“The lighting is perhaps the most visible representation of that strategy because you can walk onto the shop floor and immediately see the transformation. Behind that transformation is a much bigger story about how we want Rowan Precision to develop.”
Rowan Precision’s programme demonstrates how the transition towards more sustainable manufacturing can be delivered through a succession of targeted, commercially grounded investments.
The new LED lighting has transformed the appearance and efficiency of the shop floor. Solar generation is producing measurable results. Smarter monitoring is creating greater visibility of consumption, while upgraded infrastructure is contributing to a more efficient manufacturing operation.
Together, they represent a practical approach to the company’s longer-term sustainability ambitions.
Williams concluded: “There is something quite fitting about the lighting project because it makes the progress visible.
“You can see the investment throughout the factory, but more importantly it represents the direction in which the business is moving: modern manufacturing, responsible investment, continuous improvement and long-term partnerships.
“We are lighting the way to a more sustainable manufacturing future, and we are doing it through investments that make Rowan Precision stronger for our people, our customers and the supply chains we support.”