However, to maintain temperatures as air moved through the ductwork and avoid condensation, it was necessary to wrap ducts with thermal insulation. That introduced problems.

Heavy and hard to handle or fit, metal ductwork plus insulation comes with a large carbon footprint; is supplied in a limited range of shapes and sizes; and provides poor thermally efficiency.

This ‘transformative ductwork technology ’ springs from the innovative design and production skills of EcoDuct Operations Director Craig McNaught, says co-founder and Business Development Director Paul Groves.

Design excellence and a bespoke manufacturing process has given the company in excess of  260,000-products to service its growing client base, he explains.

In parallel, the Blackpool-based company has also been supported on its innovation journey by RedCAT which helped it to improve and test new manufacturing processes, boost productivity, break into difficult to penetrate markets – and could help to raise its export potential.

What EcoDuct has created, explains Paul, is a breakthrough product that knocks spots off its competitors. “We are a growing market disrupting company with a highly-innovative product,” he says, which operates across the UK and has a number of prestigious overseas projects under its belt.

“When we talk to architects, planners, design engineers and construction companies they say the EcoDuct concept is a no-brainer, but nevertheless ask us ‘what is the catch?’ The answer is that there is no catch,” Paul continues. “We soon realised that we have unrivalled green credentials which we now want to maximise.”

The company’s success is based on a simple but clever and fundamentally different design approach.

The basic product and manufacturing system is straightforward. It consists of a series of precision cut non-metallic phenolic wedge sections that can be quickly folded and sealed into 3D tubular lock-tight shapes – supported by a range of accessory connecting pieces. As such, EcoDuct fabricates phenolic insulation panels to form ductwork with no metal component and only one process for both the ductwork and insulation.

Its performance is impressive.

EcoDuct meets all stringent new building regulations and supports the ESG strategies now driving major changes in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry. In practice, its sustainability credentials have already won over the likes of Nike, Santander, ALDI, Lloyds Bank and JLL, all of which use innovative concepts to reduce the environmental impact of their properties.

The EcoDuct story began 30-year ago when a major insulated material producer brought out a novel pre-insulated ductwork system which Paul and Craig considered innovative, but severely limited and with poor execution.

The company has won a number of awards recently for its green innovation. These include the H&VN Awards 2025 where it was an Innovation in Construction and Building Engineering Award Winner, and the Wyre Business Awards 2025 where it became a Climate Action Award Winner.

With various twists and turns and product development challenges enroute, five years ago they decided to develop their own system and product portfolio to tackle a UK market estimated to be worth some £300m to £500m annually.

One initial cutting machine has now grown to three; staff levels have increased from 5 to 12. In the next 12 months, a further 10 will be recruited for the factory.

EcoDuct is now working in a market where more than 90% UK ductwork has to date been made of galvanised sheet steel (GSS) – mainly in rectangular profiles produced by small manufacturers and with significant performance and product development limitations.

Its alternative sustainable green-tech products have an all-round CO₂ footprint up to 75% smaller, make energy savings of up to 45% with AC systems, weigh circa 85% less than insulated metal ductwork, and can cut installation times by up to  70%, with greater flexibility at lower costs.

Their recovery, re-use, and recycling potential fits well with the circular economy. They are also ultra-airtight with an enhanced airtightness and pressure resistance rated at Class D for air leakage at 2,500 Pa – unprecedented in the UK and the EU. The amount of space needed is up to 30% lower than traditional systems.

At the same time, smooth inner surfaces mean clean air delivery with reduced contamination from pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Airflow performance is optimised, as is thermal efficiency with excellent fire/smoke performance.

The robustness of closed-cell corrosion resistance non-toxic manufacturing materials with high thermal properties and resistance to moisture and hostile environments means longevity is at least equal to the mechanical plant, says the EcoDuct team.

The system is quiet with better temperature, humidity, quantity and velocity control. It meets all building regulations, standards, and major international building assessment programmes – including BREEM, LEED, the International WELL Standard, and NABERS Design for Performance.

RedCAT is helping EcoDuct in two technical and business development areas as part of a bespoke commercialisation journey which takes entrepreneurs with promising post-prototype models systematically through the difficulties of funding, scaling up for manufacture, and reaching their full potential in regional, UK, and world markets.

RedCAT Group specialist commercial consultant, Ian Trow has worked closely with the company in both areas.

In the first, he was instrumental in raising in-house operational efficiency and productivity while also accurately qualifying and qualifying the type and size of EcoDuct’s potential markets.

RedCAT activity focused mainly on exploring the key drivers of operations, processes, certifications, finance, capacity, and supply chain, he explains. A second support theme involved  considering a plan around marketing and sales structure and strategy for a two-year growth window, aligning this with an investor deck, and starting to help build an investor argumentation pack. 

Ian has also helped to ease the company’s entry into sectors like the mainstream construction industry which is traditionally notoriously difficult to break into. A third area could be developing overseas markets.

To support sales traction for future investment discussions, RedCAT also helped to develop a Marketing Messaging & Promotional RedCAT Advocacy strategy to enhance EcoDuct’s presence throughout the Northwest.

“Construction is a sector that works through established contacts and contracts. When you say you are innovative, they ask for a 100 successful examples. Generating credentials is really important and Ian helped to us create credibility through networking,” explains Paul.

“The problem with other innovation networks is that they tend to be based on book learning. In sharp contrast, Ian is extremely practical and really knows how a small innovative company works.

“He is also very proactive in bringing us great business support ideas. This is unusual in my experience. He was also quick to identify our growth, jobs, and future export potential.

“New product developments all have to be tested. The challenge is to get products and processes working together efficiently. This again is one of Ian’s forte. We now have two new machines and he has helped us to triple our factory space as part of our RedCAT journey.

“However, one of our biggest pluses was joining the RedCAT Network where we can actively share problems, ideas and outside-the-box solutions with like-minded, enthusiastic and skilled innovators, developers and business owners”, Paul adds.

The benefits of EcoDuct go further.

Exposed retail or office ductwork can be supplied with an aesthetic laminate in any RAL colour or effect. External ductwork is covered with a weatherproof laminate. Plant rooms ductwork has an additional strengthening laminate.

Applications include areas where un-contaminated IAQ (internal air quality) is critical – medical and sterile environments, hospitals, surgeries, labs, and clean rooms – with specialised ductwork such as non-ferrous for x-ray rooms.

EcoDuct also supports the UK Green Building Council mission to radically improve the sustainability of the built environment by transforming how it is planned, designed, constructed, maintained, repurposed, and operated.

The company now has several impressive credentials. EcoDuct products are the only HVAC ductwork to be included in the UKGBC Trends in Sustainable Solutions in the Built Environment Report, and the company continues to go from strength the strength … all with RedCAT’s support, says Paul!