Ignition has been helping a banker fulfil his dream to start up a new business providing sustainable and eco-friendly solutions for garden and home improvements.
Ransi Bandara had been working as a banker at Santander for 10 years before taking the leap to found the Dara 7 Group in November 2020. His new start-up began trading in May this year and he is already busy with projects across Cornwall and into Devon.
Based near Truro, Dara 7 consists of three key brands: Lowen Lodges designs and builds eco lodges, garden rooms and shepherd huts using sustainable materials. Set models are available as well as bespoke designs. Lowen Scapes bridges the gap between indoor and outdoor living, providing eco-friendly landscaping and construction services. The third arm to the business provides the sale and installation of ground screws for Swedish company, Stop Digging. The ground screws offer an effective and long-lasting alternative to concrete foundations for supporting a range of constructions from garden rooms, wooden decking and conservatories to signs and fences.
Ransi comments:
“Setting up a business in the midst of a pandemic may seem like a bold move, but the timing was perfect for Dara 7. Lockdown gave me lots of time to undertake thorough research into the market and consolidate my ideas about the direction of the business. At the same time, the local demand for ecological garden and home improvements has soared, since we’re all spending so much more time at home.”
Like any new business, Dara 7 needed essential equipment to get started, so contacted Ignition for help with financing a Ford Ranger Thunder pick-up truck with an Ifor Williams Box Van Trailer. Colourful and eye-catching, the branded vehicle is essential for day-to-day work transporting materials and equipment to project sites.
Ransi continues:
“The team at Ignition were a great help in swiftly organising finance for the truck and trailer so that we could get to work. With several projects now completed, business is booming, and we’ll need them more than ever!”
