Cormac delivers £60m in social, economic and environmental benefits
Civil engineering, highways and environmental services firm Cormac has delivered £60 million in social, economic, and environmental impact across the past 12 months.
The firm has invested more than £1m in training and development, generated £30m in local economic value, and more than 34,000 hours of community volunteering.
Across the year, Cormac delivered 2,244 weeks of training and welcoming 14 new apprentices, and currently has 39 apprentices working across the business. Its commitment to developing its apprentices has payed off with Arron Pengelly winning the Highways and Winter Maintenance Apprentice of the Year Award at the Association of Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards in Glasgow earlier in the year.
In terms of social impact, its schemes focused on improving biodiversity and creating space for nature. This resulted in transformative effects on local areas as well as enhancing social interaction and wellbeing for those involved. They currently work with more than 170 groups, with numbers growing year on year.
In addition, 42 employees obtained the Mental Health First Aid qualification, nearly doubling the number of certified individuals in the business. They also delivered more than £15,000 in valuable charitable donations throughout Cornwall.
Environmental impact focused on transforming waste from construction and highway maintenance activities into quality, affordable materials, reducing demand for new aggregate and reducing carbon. It recycled 62,900 tonnes of construction waste (equivalent to 6 Eiffel Towers in weight), representing 570 tonnes of CO2e savings.
The company’s innovative project to recycle Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) also yielded significant results, with 0.84 tonnes of PPE successfully recycled and a further 2.8 tonnes of CO2e savings in 2023/24. As part of the initiative, it made high-visibility wrist lanyards and keychains for schoolchildren.
Employees’ involvement in volunteering for environmental conservation also had a positive social impact, raising awareness about environmental issues and inspiring others to take action to create a more sustainable future.
Managing Director of Cormac, Dominic Bostock, said:
“It is essential that our actions contribute to the wellbeing of the communities where we operate and our employees. To add value to our communities, it’s important we innovate, make responsible business decisions and strive to surpass our obligations. For every £1 of revenue, we contributed 41 pence in 2023/24, positively influencing our people, planet, and partners.
“Over the past two years, using the National TOM System™ (Themes, Outcomes, Measures), we have generated £98 million in social value. We rely on Social Value Portal to assess and validate our impact; and ensure transparency and third-party validation of our data, safeguarding us against claims of greenwashing or social washing. Our greatest challenge in measuring our impact is capturing all the contributions made by our employees, who add value every day.”
Guy Battle, CEO of Social Value Portal said:
“Cormac’s contribution of £60 million in Social Value over the past year is truly impressive – but what’s even more significant is the real impact behind the numbers. Thousands of weeks of training, over £30 million spent locally, and hundreds of tonnes of CO2 saved. These are just some of the tangible examples of how Cormac is creating lasting value for both communities and the planet.
“Having worked closely with Cormac to measure and validate their impact, we’re proud to be part of their ongoing journey towards building a better future.”
Image courtesy of Cormac