Congratulations on your Business Success Under 3 Years nomination at this year’s Elevator Awards. Why was it important for SEM to enter our awards?
The SEM team has worked extremely hard to get to where we are. With limited start-up resources, and in the current market, we are exceptionally proud of what we have achieved.
By entering the awards we wanted to show our team, partners, network, investors, peers that we have faith in ourselves. Most importantly, it is recognition to us at how far we have come in a short space of time.
How does it feel to be nominated?
Brilliant, terrific, relieved and extremely satisfied is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how we feel!
Innovation and sustainability are huge driving factors behind your business ethos. How do you think these are best encouraged within companies and within industry in general?
Companies must be able to practise what they preach when it comes to innovation and sustainability. There must be a culture and mindset change before any real transformation can begin. We live by this when looking at all aspects of SEM, from the sales material design process to carrying out a project, we always consider what is the most cost effective and efficient way of doing things.
Our patented DRAM filtration system is an example of how we apply sustainability to innovation when working in partnership with our clients to re-use resources. DRAM uses an organic filter medium, which one of its core products is a waste co-product from the whisky industry distillation. The purpose of the filter is to remove heavy metal contaminants from wastewater and the benefits are twofold; we are re-purposing an existing, sustainable, grain-based co-product, and creating a further revenue stream for distillers, while simultaneously filtering and removing contaminants from water in a way which mitigates the impact on the environment.
What is the most difficult element when it comes to developing new solutions and technologies?
In terms of developing new solutions, one of the most difficult elements is resourcing and convincing the marketplace to embrace change, especially from a new SME. Ensuring that we appeal to early adopters who can see the value in new technology can also be challenging.
Where the company is today is clearly a fantastic position, what are you plans for the future?
Global domination…?
We would like to develop the brand in key international markets and introduce further exciting technology that will highlight and demonstrate to industries that they can drive sustainable change. SEM is driven to change the way the industry views its waste streams and work towards minimising the impact on the environment.
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