A year on from taking over as Managing Director of Linwoods Health Foods, Patrick Woods has put sustainability front and centre of the company’s strategy for the future.
Founded over 50 years ago by Patrick’s father John Woods as a small, local shop in Co. Armagh, Linwoods has grown into a health foods business whose range of nutrient rich seeds, fruits and nuts are now sold in 20 countries around the world.
The market for health foods and organic foods is growing as people become more aware of how their diet and lifestyles impact on long-term health. Linwoods message of the preventative health benefits of flaxseed has resonated with people seeking to make positive health changes, particularly post-Covid.
“Our purpose is about enhancing people’s health and wellbeing, helping them to feel great every day through positive nutrition,” says Patrick.
“We’re very fortunate with our product range. My dad saw an opportunity with milled flaxseed in 2003 and now 20 years later because it’s plant based, it’s organic, it’s low sugar, it’s ticking all the boxes that are very trendy now. The foresight to see that is pretty impressive,” he adds.
“It has gone from a side business sitting alongside our traditional bakery and dairy businesses, to becoming THE business. We are now a health food company.”
While health and wellbeing are undoubtedly very topical issues, Patrick is also aware that Linwoods customers who prioritise organic, gluten free, healthy foods that are suitable for vegetarian diets are also climate conscious and interested in buying from companies with sustainable production methods.
Patrick says the company has always cared about the environment, but he wanted to formalise its response to the climate crisis, so he jumped at the invitation from Danske Bank to take part in the Climate Action Programme, which the bank developed alongside Business in the Community NI.
The programme is designed to help companies understand their environmental impact, work towards implementing more sustainable business strategies and commit to take action – in Linwoods’ case a 30% cut in carbon emissions by 2030.
“One of my objectives when I took over was to put more of a focus on sustainability and Danske Bank were very supportive. We did the climate action programme, which gave us a good knowledge base and a steer on where to focus our attention,” explains Patrick.
“For example, our gas usage accounts for 66% of our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, so the first thing we need to focus on is how do we try to reduce that using biogas or trying to electrify some of the heating processes.”
To help offset some of its emissions the company has also planted 6,000 trees across 11 acres of farmland attached to the company’s headquarters. It has installed solar panels capable of generating up to 50 KW of renewable energy on the roofs of its production facilities and has plans to add a further 150 KW of solar panels.
“I always liked the idea of planting trees. It will offset carbon but also increase biodiversity – which is important as NI has the lowest level of woodland coverage in Europe. When it is mature it will also create an amenity for our team and the local community,” says Patrick.
“But sustainability is not just about carbon. We have been working on a programme to move to recyclable packaging and we are close to achieving the quality needed to sign it off. That’s been a 4-year long project but the packaging team have done a great job and we are now at the point where any new packaging that we order will be fully recyclable.”
Chris Martin, Head of Sustainability at Danske Bank says Linwoods is a great example of how food manufacturing businesses can take steps to address their climate impacts.
“Sustainability is at the heart of Danske Bank’s strategy and we have a really clear ambition to help others go green as part of our own climate ambitions. The approach Linwoods has adopted since taking part in the Climate Action Programme shows that taking time to work out where to start reducing your emissions can be a real catalyst for wider strategic action. Patrick and his team are looking at ways to go beyond the 30% reduction in scope one and two emissions and I look forward to seeing the company’s progress over the coming years.”
Geoff Sharpe, Head of Corporate at Danske Bank added: “Linwoods is a great example of a local family-owned business that is investing in sustainability not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because it makes sound business sense to do so. As a leader in the Northern Ireland’s business community, driving sustainability is a core part of Danske’s strategy and we are well positioned to support local businesses on their climate transition journeys.”
Tim McNiece, Linwoods relationship manager at Danske Bank, added: We’ve been Linwoods’ banking partners for a long time so it’s great to see the company going from strength to strength, growing its product range and establishing a strong position in its key markets. We look forward to supporting Patrick and his team through the company’s next phase of development.”
While Linwoods exports its range of products to 20 countries around the world, Patrick says the company is focused on building a sustainable brand presence in five key markets – the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy and France.
“We expect to growth 6-7% this financial year,” says Patrick. “We’re very focused on how we increase our category’s penetration into the market and recruit new customers. We’re trying to drive awareness and education of the health benefits of our products, such as reduced cholesterol. And we’re looking at how we can appeal to a wider, younger audience as well as our core demographics.”
To meet demand, the business is in the process of expanding its production facility in Armagh, taking additional units next to and attached to its current site.
For Patrick, who joined the business straight from school to learn the ropes from his father, and later completed a food and nutrition degree part time, the goal is to build on everything his dad created but also to implement his own style of leadership and management.
“My dad is a fabulous entrepreneur. I see myself more as a facilitator of the team, someone who can bring the best out of the talented people we have here. All of our senior team have progressed through the business, so they understand the culture and what we want to achieve. I believe that it’s important to communicate with people and extend a degree of trust to them,” he says.
“I want to develop a positive growth culture within the business and create an environment where people can grow. I came in brushing floors and packing bags on a production line at the start when I left school, so if I can progress up through the business to become MD, why can’t other people progress and be promoted,” he adds.
“Over half of our workforce are here over 10 years, some are more than 25 years. That speaks to the type of business my dad has built. It’s my responsibility to now make it even better. That’s what I aspire to do.”
Sowing The Seeds For Sustainable Growth
