What we care about

Like every business, Taplanes is only as good as the people who work here. We want to attract the most talented people to join our teams and create such a supportive, fun and interesting working environment that they want to stay – some of our team have been with the company for 30 years, with many others having celebrated 10, 15 and 20+ years of service so we must be doing something right. We are investing in the future by establishing a graduate training programme and are now looking at taking on our first apprentices. Hopefully, these new starters will still be around in another 30 years running the business when Tracey and Jon have long retired.

Taplanes is the only modular bathroom manufacturer to be accredited as a Living Wage employer. Other initiatives include giving everyone extra paid time off with a 2-week Christmas shutdown so that they can enjoy spending more time with family and friends, introducing long service awards to recognise and celebrate the commitments and achievements of the Taplanes team, and investing in ongoing training for continued personal development for everyone. In 2020 we introduced a 4-day working week for the factory so that they can enjoy a long weekend every week!

We were caring about the environment long before it was trendy to do so. Taplanes has been around for 40 years and our amazing products are designed to last! They all incorporate recycled materials and we promise to take back any Taplanes products when they have reached the end of their life and recycle them – just like the Lion King, we have the circle of life for polypropylene pods although we promise that no animals get eaten!

Our production processes don’t involve anything being sent to landfill or for incineration and within our office and factory we have ditched the use of single-use plastic wherever possible, are actively looking for eco-friendly alternatives and are on a mission to reduce our carbon footprint year on year. Of course, our pods will last forever so they aren’t being returned on a daily basis – instead, when someone fancies a change, we usually offer to give them a makeover and they end up looking as good as new at a fraction of the price. Check out the University of Leeds, Coach House (Devonshire Halls) case study to see the fantastic project results there.

And, because our pods are so easy to clean, there is no need to use nasty cleaning products that then pollute the waterways, which especially pleases our MD as she likes to scuba dive and has a thing about keeping the rivers and oceans clean.

We have a unique manufacturing process where Taplanes polypropylene, with a heated weld process and patented joint, enable us to create durable and leak free modular bathroom and shower solutions.

We joke about building plastic boxes, but the reality is that our designers love a challenge and we have made bathroom pods in all shapes and sizes, even with curved walls. Whether it is a large DDA pod, a gigantic 3m tall shower pod, a tiny bespoke pod to suit a glamping pod, prison or beach hut; or a wudu for an airport or place of worship; our technical designers use their creativity to make an innovative design that works. We don’t only care about things being functional, they have to be aesthetically pleasing too.

As nice as it is, we aren’t just in business for the money. It might sound a bit hackneyed to say but we really do want to make a difference. Taplanes is proud to be a member of Made in Britain and we care about making a difference locally, whether that is by providing decent jobs, buying from other local businesses where possible, minimising any negative impact on the environment, being a good neighbour or supporting local charities.

We also want to make a positive impact further afield where we can, by sponsoring customers, suppliers and employees in their own charitable endeavours, and by raising funds and awareness of projects chosen by the people who work at Taplanes. Our corporate fundraising cause is the Toilet Twinning Project, which aims to bring toilets to everyone, everywhere. During 2019, Taplanes twinned its first toilet with a project in Mali, West Africa; which coincidentally is the first African country where we have supplied shower cubicles. We have since twinned many more toilets and will be encouraging suppliers and customers to join us in this fantastic cause.

From receiving a retro vase to sharing Earl Grey biscuits and Pink Lady apples to blood, sweat (& maybe tears) on the squash court, reaching that next summit in lycra along the Dales or supporting England at a sporting event, we have a strong bond with clients that spans many years.
To ensure that we keep them happy & supply products to the standards we believe in, we in turn need to keep our suppliers on their toes and have been selective in who we source key materials and components from. We value the strong supplier relationships that have been built over time & collaborate with them to ensure that we are providing the best to our clients. Good suppliers = good products & service = happy Taplanes clients!