Looking Back on 30 Years of Poplar Insulation
Since 1995, we’ve been bringing specialist thermal insulation and sheet metal contractor to the industrial, commercial, retail, and education sectors – while also supporting our local Bristol community through sports and sponsorships.
We’re prouder than ever of our achievements, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the exciting new opportunities on the horizon.
- 1995 – formed from a bedroom office on Poplar Road by Mike and Rosa Nolan
- 1998 – incorporated as Poplar Insulation Ltd.
- 2002 – moved into our first commercial premises on St. John’s Lane, Bedminster
- 2003 – Blaine Nolan (now the Managing Director) joined us as our first apprentice
- 2003 – became an accredited Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) member
- 2005 – expanded to larger premises in Lynwood Court, Cater Road Business Park
- 2007 – began sponsoring Bristol City FC
- 2009 – maintained strong growth throughout the recession, and moved to Whitchurch Lane, Bishopsworth
- 2008 – Blaine Nolan became a Director
- 2010 – Luke Andrews achieved ‘Apprentice of the Year – South West’ at TICA, coming second nationwide
- 2013 – expanded with a new office in Cardiff to service South Wales
- 2014 – Director Rosa Nolan walked from Jordan to Petra and raised £5,000 for Bristol Area Down Syndrome Support
- 2014 – began sponsoring Bristol Rugby
- 2015 – 20th anniversary with a black-tie event at Ashton Gate Stadium featuring 200 attendees
- 2015/6 – supported the development of Ashton Gate Stadium
- 2017 – hosted the Poplar Cup, raising over £1,000 for Bristol Area Down Syndrome Support
- 2017 – began sponsoring Bristol Rovers
- 2018 – moved to our current home at Poplar House, Cater Road, Bishopsworth
- 2018/19 – worked on the new BBC HQ for Wales in Cardiff
- 2019 – worked on a number of high-profile projects for ICCW Celtic Manor, HMRC, the MoD, and Dyson
- 2020 – founder and managing director Michael Nolan sadly passed away
- 2020 – Blaine Nolan becomes the new managing director
- 2021 – launched a hot air balloon at Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
- 2022 – our first football match with the late Mike Nolan’s local football club, Bristol Spartak, becoming an annual event celebrating Mike’s life
- 2023 – began sponsoring a local racing car driver
- 2024 – achieved our largest order book to date, with a turnover exceeding 5.8m
- 2025 – celebrating 30 years of trading
The Next Chapter for Poplar Insulation
With continued growth throughout the hardships of covid, Brexit, and the passing of our beloved MD Mike Nolan, we have shown resilience even in the toughest times. As Mike often said, when one door closes, another opens – and we have taken this to heart.
We’ve tackled bigger and better projects, growing our team and enriching our community. In the last five years alone, we’ve increased our turnover by 16% to £5.8m while expanding on our many sponsorships for local sports.
Three decades at our back have led to the trust and relationships that make us who we are today. We would like to thank everyone that has contributed to our success, and look forward to a brighter future together.
