ecoTrus didn’t start in a boardroom — it started on a roof.
Back in the early 2000s, Tom our founder, was working in the TV and film industry as one of the youngest licensed pyrotechnicians in the UK.
His job was to make explosions look real for camera — and then rebuild the set so it looked untouched.
That skill — removing roofs fast, rebuilding them perfectly, and understanding how structures behave under pressure — laid the foundation for what would become ecoTrus.
During those years, Tom began to notice how much empty space sat unused in the roofs of ordinary homes. The potential was huge. So he took that experience and launched ecoLoft — a small, efficient loft conversion company focused on pre-manufacturing parts to make installations quicker and cleaner.
The Problem
Traditional loft conversions relied on heavy RSJs, dusty timber, and days of disruption. The process was slow, expensive, and unpredictable often damaging the house requiring the owners to move out.
Tom still remembers one freezing morning in Plymouth, balancing a 300kg steel beam into a semi-detached house. It was unsafe, inefficient, and clearly outdated. Something had to change.
That moment started the journey. Tom began reinforcing roof structures differently — first with timber, then with light-gauge galvanized steel — searching for a smarter, lighter, and safer way to build.
The Breakthrough
In 2016, after working with Peter from Glenelg Product Design, the first engineered prototype of what would become the ecoTrus system was created.
Drawings were finalised, and the hunt began for manufacturers willing to take a chance on something new.
After meeting Mark Prentice and David Thurston, the idea finally found the right support — and the ecoTrus system was born.
Today, ecoTrus holds 12 separate patent claims across the United Kingdom and Europe, with patents granted in 2025 in the USA and Ireland leading the next phase of expansion as the first international territory for rollout.
The Evolution
ecoTrus officially launched in 2020 — right as the world went into lockdown.
While most companies slowed down, ecoTrus pressed forward, completing more than 750 installations nationwide and opening a dedicated training and learning centre to teach others how to use the system properly.
In 2021, Ian Davis joined ecoTrus as Managing Director, bringing a wealth of business management experience to the team. What followed was a restructuring of business goals and ambitions, beyond the installation of the revolutionary ecoTrus system.
As the technology proved itself, the company shifted focus — moving away from installations and towards design, engineering, and innovation.
ecoTrus developed its own 3D scanning, VR, and mixed-reality tools, allowing clients to see their new loft in life-size before it’s even built.
We now work with architects and approved installers nationwide, all supported by the ecoTrus app, system data, and technical team.
Today
ecoTrus is now a recognised LABC Type 1 approved system — a mark of quality trusted by Building Control across the UK.
Every day, new homeowners, architects, and installers join the ecoTrus network — building smarter, faster, and cleaner loft spaces without the disruption of old-fashioned methods.
And it’s still just the beginning.
