A BROMYARD aluminium extrusion company has been awarded a top international environmental standard.

Holden Aluminium Tech- nologies (HAT) has grown to become one of the leading companies in the UK to provide the manufacturing sector with innovative technological developments in the fabrication and forming of aluminium extrusion.

HAT, led by its quality manager Dean Lewis, implemented a number of initiatives to achieve ISO 14001, which is now regarded as the main international environmental standard.

ISO 14001 sets out the method for implementing an effective environmental management system, which enables an organisation to reduce its environmental impact while also reducing costs.

At a time when businesses are looking to provide environmentally sound products and services this standard offers answers.

Mr Lewis said: "Every-body at HAT worked together to implement the changes. We have sound systems in place for the removal of waste from the site and we now recycle a lot more.

"Everything from paper, packaging, shrink wrap and coffee cups find their way into specific recycling bins. We also recycle our raw materials such as off cuts of aluminium. To achieve the standard we also spruced up the inside and outside of the buildings. Not only do these changes help to create a better and safer working environment for all, they also help to reduce wastage and ultimately our costs."

The company services a range of industries, although primarily automotive, transport, electronic and construction.

Its products can be found as vital components in Aston Martin, BMW, Lotus and Morgan cars, railway rolling stock including Channel tunnel trains, BT's electronic exchanges, London Underground escalators, the Hong Kong Railway, GCHQ at Chelt-enham, Gloucestershire, and many other structures and buildings worldwide.

The company is also involved in providing technology for the manufacturing of medical equipment.

Richard Williams, managing director of Holden Aluminium, said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have been awarded this standard.

"As a company we are now increasingly more involved in helping to improve the environment, from manufacturing component parts to build lightweight chassis cars which reduce CO2 emissions as well as providing components to build environmentally friendly delivery vehicles such as the Modec range, through to the simple recycling of everyday waste products."