Norfolk Industries employs people with disabilities to produce bedding and nesting materials for small animals from recycled materials. It has operated for over 100 years, and now supplies products globally while maintaining a social mission. Their products include shredded paper, viscose, and cardboard tubes for nesting. They seek new business partnerships to further their mission of providing meaningful work to people with disabilities.

1. Norfolk Industries for Disabled
People
95 Oak Street, Norwich, Norfolk NR3 3BP
Tel : 01603 667957 Fax : 01603 624265
Website : www.norfolkindustries.co.uk
Email : sales@norfolkindustries.co.uk

2. -1-
Business Profile
Norfolk Industries has been in existence for over 100 years and
was originally set up to provide work for the Blind people of
Norwich within a holistic setting providing accommodation and
services for living also.
Over the years, the working element of this service has moved
premises and become part of Norfolk County Council’s
Community Services Department.
Now employing people with various disabilities (not just visual
impairments), we have also worked hard to improve the reach
of our service delivery across Norfolk and Suffolk and now
support and assist people who are long term unemployed or
have other disadvantages in the work arena.
Norfolk Industries continues to demonstrate that individuals
with disabilities are able to contribute effectively to a business
which takes a little time to find out exactly what they are
capable of achieving and working to utilise those strengths
within the day to day operations of the business.
Attempting to assist individuals to reach their goals
and aspirations to the best of their ability through
meaningful work is also what our logo attempts to
portray.
The business has been under review and has gained
continued support and remodelling assistance from Norfolk
County Council, in order to provide a financially sustainable
business within a given period.
Within the last 5 years, the business has grown it’s commercial
activity within the small animal sector by 500% and now
supplies quality products to many of the larger contracts in the
UK, as well as exporting product to both Japan and Spain.
Unfortunately, as we tend to pack into our customers own
brand packaging, this has not enabled Norfolk Industries to
raise it’s profile within the marketplace, which may be why you
have not heard of us, until now!

3. -2-
Commercial Responsibility
Norfolk Industries would like to offer you the opportunity to
support a small Social Enterprise in Norfolk which has big
ambitions!
We are able to provide a quality product, in large volumes to
your specification and branding if required. Alternatively, this
product could also be supplied under our own branding which
has been limited in distribution.
Whilst employing people with disabilities, Norfolk Industries
also prides itself in recycling on a large scale.
Some 60% of our raw materials are waste
products, from the food and newspaper
industries, which would go to landfill in many
cases.
So we can tick many of your ‘Corporate Responsibility’ boxes
whilst supplying a required product to your shelves.
Hence, our tag line -
‘Caring about people, caring about nature.’

4. -3-
Products
Viscose Fibre Products
Originally working with viscose some 17 years ago, Norfolk
Industries purchases this material in bulk to gain the best
prices. Also, opting to purchase a top quality material which
you would expect to find in human toiletry products, ensures
that the product is consistent and safe for small animals.
Viscose can be supplied in
white, pink, blue or yellow or
indeed any mixture for ‘Multi
Packs’ if this is required.
Designed for the nesting instincts of small animals, this product
has been designed for hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats for
many years.
However, in our experience, we would advise that this material
is not wholly suitable for hamsters due to their pouching
instincts.

5. -4-
Products – cont.
Flaked Paper Products
White absorbent paper flakes produced from waste food grade
papers enables Norfolk Industries to recycle on a grand scale.
This product is our most popular with most customers utilising
various bag sizes of this product.
Mainly aimed at hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, rabbits, mice
and rats, however, it is also useful for ferrets, pigs and horses if
purchased in larger formats.
Allergy free, pets
with an aversion to
materials such as
straw and hay are
ideally suited to
this material.
There are no issues
with the material
scratching,
becoming caught in
feet or causing
irritation.
Ideal for indoors as well
as outside, these paper
flakes provide a clean
way of keeping odours
down and providing a
comfortable bedding for
all small animals.
And of course,
we are looking
after the
environment,
because it’s
recycling too!

6. -5-
Products – cont.
Recycled Newspaper Products
Norfolk Industries is fortunate to have a secure long term
supply of 100% recycled newspaper material. This is provided
to us on large reels which is then ‘Strip Shredded’ to provide a
narrow cut.
This material is biodegradable and digestible and so is also
good for pets with allergies.
Creating a nesting
material which is quite
suited to gerbils, rats and
mice, this product is also
suitable for any small
animals.
This product is also friendly
to the environment because
it is 100% recycled material.

7. -6-
Products – cont.
Cleaning Cloth Products
Although this is not as widely used, cleaning cloth is also
available for bedding material if required. Again this is a waste
material and can be provided in many different colours and so
looks bright and interesting. However, as this is a waste
material, specific colours could not be guaranteed although
requests would be accommodated as far as is possible.
This material is generally shredded up into flakes for the small
animal market.
Again, contributing to the environment by utilising
waste materials, this product is recycled from waste
generated by the production of cleaning cloths.

8. -7-
Products – cont.
Snooze Tubes
A new product to Norfolk Industries, these robust cardboard
tubes are utilised from the paper cores of food grade waste
paper, so we are double recycling!
Designed to provide a nesting place with bedding material
inside, this product can be filled with any of the materials
described on previous pages. A mixture of materials in boxes
of 12 works well, with 3 x cleaning cloth, 3 x white flaked paper,
3 x recycled paper and 3 x coloured viscose. Other
combinations can easily be provided if preferred.
Compared to our competitors, these tubes are extremely
robust, lasting many days or weeks, even with the most
enthusiastic gerbil! As the actual cardboard tubes are from the
food industry, they are suitable for ingestion with no harmful
chemicals or toxins involved. Just labelled and shrink
wrapped, the packaging is also kept to a minimum.
These tubes are branded
under one of our customers
formats, but we are in the
process of developing an
own brand label for Norfolk
Industries, which includes
‘Hank’ our company
character.
Our own label ‘Snooze Tubes’ will
continue to emphasis the social
enterprise and environmentally friendly
aspects of the business, as well as
providing a quality product at a
reasonable cost.

9. -8-
Norfolk Industries Brand
Many years ago, Norfolk Industries developed a ‘Snooze’ brand
which has recently been completely redeveloped into a
modern, stronger own brand for both shredded paper and
viscose products, as well as our new product ‘Snooze Tubes’.
This new packaging is designed to highlight the social
responsibility and recycling aspects of the business, ensuring
that the consumer is fully aware of the contribution they are
making by purchasing our products.
‘Hank’ is our newly developed
character and we are proud to
introduce him onto our own
brand packaging. Aimed to
appeal to the young and old as
well as being modern and eye
catching, potential customers
are welcome to utilise this
brand if they would prefer.
Information about Norfolk
Industries features quite
prominently on the back of this
packaging and this information,
as well as the instructions for
use, is printed in French,
German and Dutch.
Quality ISO9001
Of course quality is the most important aspect of any product, if
it is to retain a place in the market and gain repeat sales.
Norfolk Industries is an accredited ISO9001
supplier and drives a continuous programme to
improve quality.
We have dedicated production lines to each of the raw
materials to avoid contamination and our machinery tends to
be custom built for purpose.

10. -9-
Our Staff
As a Social Enterprise, our most important asset is our staff.
We have a small number of core staff, at least 50% of which
have disabilities, but we also support up to another 20 people
per year who may have various barriers to work, through a
programme of short term placements.
We are currently working to expand this element of the
business through local employment agencies and sensory
support groups, as well as schools and
colleges in the County.
Whilst these individuals add an element of
‘new blood’ to the workforce, our key staff are
the back bone of the business, with our
disabled staff often providing support to
others in order to improve their confidence,
time keeping, work ethic and general attitude.
Core staff are employed on good terms and
conditions of service, with pay above minimum wage levels and
a generous sickness scheme. The National Joint Council for
Workshops terms of employment are also referred to.
Customers purchasing from us can be assured that they are
directly contributing towards the employment of people with
significant barriers to work, who may find it difficult to sustain
alternative employment, particularly in today’s employment
market.
Whilst profit is not the first aim of the business, growth is, and
in order to accomplish this we need to grow our customer base
and raise our profile in the market.
Norfolk Industries would enjoy the opportunity of supplying
product to you, and we encourage businesses to utilise the
positive publicity which can come from a relationship with a
Social Enterprise. In fact, we are prepared to get involved in
marketing which could assist in improving sales for your
business through the use of Corporate Responsibility aims.
Caring about people,
caring about nature.