Second Nature UK Ltd, the Cumbrian based ecological insulation expert, was the centre of attention recently when it hosted a special visit by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and high profile business leaders. The visit formed part of His Royal Highness’s ‘Seeing is Believing’ initiative, which arranges opportunities for business leaders to witness first-hand the difference that businesses can make in tackling issues affecting Britain’s companies, ranging from the environment to rural decline. As President of Business in the Community (BITC), HRH visited Second Nature to learn more about Thermafleece, the company’s insulation product manufactured from the wool of British hill sheep, and to hear about the unique challenges that Second Nature has faced and overcome to create a thriving sustainable business.

Christine Armstrong of Second Nature commented: “We have fought hard to develop a product range that utilises natural materials but we have a long way to go. Second Nature has some great products in the pipeline and our team includes some of the best people in the sector.

“We have made the market and are working hard to capitalise on our efforts. There is a wide misconception that ecological products compromise quality, performance and cost. This is far from the case and we need to convince more specifiers and end users that our products meet the highest specifications and perform better than many conventional materials.

“To be able to talk to HRH The Prince of Wales and other leading business figures about how we have made this happen has been a great experience. HRH is obviously renowned for his enthusiasm and commitment to promoting sustainability so we are honoured that he has shown such a strong interest in our business.”

One of the leading figures to join HRH The Prince of Wales in learning more about Second Nature UK Ltd was Will Cockbain, NFU National Uplands Spokesperson and North West Regional Sustainable Food & Farming Champion. Will commented: “Second Nature has harnessed the thermal properties of wool from hill sheep and developed a product that matches and even exceeds the thermal performance of ‘traditional’ forms of insulation.

“They have effectively created a marketplace which has ecology at its heart, and should be commended for their achievements. Too many companies give up on or shy away from their initial values and foundations. Second Nature is the perfect example of how belief and business can be balanced successfully.”

During the visit, HRH and the business leaders were also given a preview of further products Second Nature is developing, all of which are based on the principle of using naturally occurring materials to create quality alternatives to more traditional insulating materials. Further information on these will be available throughout 2009.