CAVITY wall and insulation company Solarwall set up a renewables division in 2008 to insulate itself from a decline in the market.

The £6 million turnover business, which has just launched a £10,000 Energy Centre at its base on Green Lane Trading Estate, Clifton Moor, employs 100 people in the city and now managing director Sue Lamb has entered the Women In Enterprise category as well as Large Business Of The Year in The Press Business Awards 2010.

Sue said the business has grown by forging stronger links with private landlords and housing associations and continues to build its business insulating schools, village halls, universities and business premises. She said the company’s main objective was to continue growing the renewables division, attracting more people to its Energy Centre to see the products, such as solar hot water panels and ground source heat pumps that they could install in their homes. They are also developing a roadshow of the products in the Energy Centre to take to schools and local businesses.

The growth of the company from a turnover of £1.1 million in 2003 and its long serving employees is testament to Sue’s leadership skills. In the early 1990s, she was one of only three women directors in the industry and fight not to be talked over by male colleagues.

The business has two employees that have been there 30 years and a further ten that have worked there 15 years. “Staff motivation and training is fundamental to Solarwall’s success,” she said and in January 2010 the business implemented a new employee development scheme, giving employees intensive training in renewables.