Hot off the heels of the company’s successful appearance at Screwfix Live, Simon Rowley, Group Editor of ECN, travelled up to Dunstable to meet with Contactum – one of the UK’s most comprehensive suppliers of electrical innovations – at its brand-new headquarters.
Part of the Saudi Arabian alfanar Group since 2009, Contactum – which has roots dating back to its humble beginnings in 1936 – recently went through a significant relocation, which saw the company transition from its previous Watford site over to the new, larger, and more modern location in Dunstable, positioned just off the M1 for quick transport links.
Selling a wide range of wiring accessories and circuit protection products since its founding nearly 90 years ago, the fundamentals of the company’s product range remain the same – but with backing from a bigger business such as alfanar, the company is scaling new heights and delivering more so than ever before.
Touring the new headquarters
Upon arriving at the new headquarters, it’s clear to see just how modern, clean, and spacious Contactum’s new home is, and after a tour of the upstairs areas – which houses a series of impressive meeting rooms and breakout areas – I then had the opportunity to look around the warehouse downstairs, which is hugely impressive and has been carefully laid out to maximise efficiency and processes.
The site, which is around three times the size of Contactum’s previous location in Watford, was literally a shell when the company took it over; but in fairly rapid order, the company fitted it out from scratch and has managed to condense its previous warehouses down to just one new facility.
Following the acquisition of the building last year, it took just 16 weeks for Contactum to have the site up and running, and the company even managed to maintain all key staff members in the process. The company’s previous site was a total of 15,000square foot, whereas the new location has a meaty 40,000square foot in comparison – with still a significant amount of unused space and room for expansion and manoeuvre. Further amplifying this, the previous location could accommodate 900 pallets, whereas the new Dunstable site can fit 3,400, which speaks volumes as to the sheer scale of this shiny new location for the company.
With an impressive 3,200 pallet positions on site, and two distinct departments – goods in, and goods out – it was immediately noticeable how tidy, clean and well organised the new facility is. Some 1,500 products are being moved daily and distributed across the UK and Northern Ireland, in an extremely efficient manner.
The company is now set up for the next 10 years and has ample space to house and distribute their products – so long as product portfolio doesn’t expand too much, we’re told. But the infrastructure is set up for growth, and the facility is future-proofed to double turnover. On the day of our visit, only a third or so of the loading bays were in use, there are many more available that they can use if need be – once again demonstrating the room for growth in the coming years.
Environmental credentials
The company is particularly proud of its environmentally friendly processes across its supply chain, which staff from board level and down are always striving to improve. For instance, in terms of packing and packaging, the company now wraps its packages in shredded, repurposed cardboard, and – importantly – the bubble wrap, which can be so damaging to the environment, is now gone.
These, among many other examples, are quantifiable changes that have helped the company achieve accreditations as a result – not least the prestigious EcoVadis Silver Medal which cements the company’s sustainability efforts and credentials.
Contactum started this focus on packaging six or seven years ago, and many of its customers, including the big nationwide wholesalers and distributors, are very keen on sustainability initiatives such as these.
Here’s a round-up of some of Contactum’s many initiatives in this area:
• Paper packaging tape only, no plastic
• Waste streams are all segregated (such as metal, plastic, and WEEE items)
• Strict recycling processes in tandem with the company’s partners (resulting in absolutely everything being recycled, with nothing in landfills)
• ISO 14001 recognised due to the way it handles its environmental responsibilities
• A continuous improvement programme
EcoVadis achievement
As mentioned above, earlier this year Contactum achieved the Ecovadis Silver Medal, highlighting its green credentials. Ecovadis is an independent sustainability assessment platform, helping companies to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of their ethical and green practices across business operations and their supply chain. The EcoVadis methodology is based on international sustainability standards, and is supervised by a scientific committee of sustainability and supply chain experts to ensure reliable third-party sustainability assessments.
Only 15% of businesses reach the Silver Medal award level, putting Contactum among the top performers for sustainable business. With over 150,000 companies having been assessed via the EcoVadis platform, Contactum states that this is a significant achievement.
It was also the first time that Contactum had undergone the assessment, and the award was therefore based upon its long-standing business practices. It also highlights that Contactum was already operating at the required level without any prior guidance on areas for improvement from EcoVadis.
EcoVadis measures four different pillars for sustainability – Environmental, Ethical, Labour & Human Rights and Sustainable Procurement. Under each of these areas, there are seven pillars and 21 evidence-based principles that every company undertaking the process is assessed on.
Through this robust and comprehensive evaluation, EcoVadis allows for a more in-depth assessment than alternative schemes, which often focus on policies rather than practices. EcoVadis places 25% of the emphasis on policies, with the remaining split between 40% on actions and 35% on results, ensuring a real testament to award organisations who are putting into action what they state in their CSR commitments.
Bespoke assembly areas
In addition to the off-the-shelf products being shipped to customers from the warehouse, the new Contactum facility also has its own internal assembly area, whereby Contactum specialists can bolt on value added services and build customised innovations – such as distribution boards and wire sets – that are fully formed, and which customers can use right out of the box upon arrival. This bespoke customisation includes different configurations of devices, on the basis that clients may want things fitted in a certain way, and it means having less loose gear on site for the customer too – as there’s nothing for them to have to build themselves – which is also better from a security point of view.
Further adding to this customisation, Contactum can also pre-label devices (so that the customer knows exactly what to do with it upon its arrival), pack certain devices together, and even stack pallets in the order in which they’re to be used – all of which is real attention to detail that helps generate good relationships with the installers too, not just distributors. This is undoubtedly one of Contactum’s many unique selling points.
At present, around 90% of products leaving Contactum’s distribution centre are ‘off the shelf’, with the remaining 10% being the special, customised orders being pieced together in the Factory Built Assembly area. However, the company expects this 10% figure to double to 20% in the coming years, as this customisable element is deemed a big focus for Contactum, and something that’s of big value to the company likewise.
Furthermore, the company has also given a lot of thought to its staff, who are trained to work on every area of the shop floor. Depending on which projects are coming in, and what the priority is on any given day, the staff can turn their hand accordingly, and have a full working knowledge of every area of the facility and business.
Looking ahead
Speaking during our walk around the new facility, Nigel Birch, Sales Director, reported that, “We are pleased with how the new building has turned out” – and having had the pleasure of looking around each and every area in this new HQ, it’s clear to see why.
Contactum is also sponsoring the Drinks Reception at this year’s ECN Awards on 27 November 2025. The company tells us it is delighted to be sponsoring the reception and is excited to network with industry peers and make new connections. Sponsoring awards that celebrate the best of the electrical contracting industry aligns with Contactum’s values – supporting industry professionals and celebrating one another’s success and growth. Both Contactum and ECN look forward to seeing you there!
For more from Contactum, click here.
