Last week I met with Nathan Reilly and Steve Hodges the dynamic duo behind the brand Cleaner Products who are celebrating a “Decade of Achievement” to find out more about this success story. Here’s what they had to say.
Nathan as you are entering the final year of your first decade of trading what was vital to the achievements of Cleaner Products.
Well, to start with we knew that product quality was paramount and to rely on other chemical manufacturers to partner us was not an option, as they prefer to supply you products that they already manufacture for other brands and simply put your label on the packaging, you therefore have to make do with the quality standard they provide. We did not want to fall into this category so becoming the manufacturer of our own range of products was a necessity. This would make us an independent brand and we could embrace a new style that was original and were then able to set new standards. The research and development took two years and thankfully we had some very good friends who are chemical engineers and chemists that helped us design modern formulations that were more effective than the lackluster chemicals that were available in the market place.
Steve what would you say has been the most important contributor to the success of Cleaner Products
Cost has been the main contributor to our success, the products we manufacture are undoubtedly the highest quality in the chemical supplies sector, but our costs are the lowest, this is because there are no middlemen involved in our operation, our clients benefit from our unbeatable value for money concept, in most cases we are 30-40% more competitive that any other supplier, and that makes all the difference when your trying to keep a lid on your costs. We are also constantly looking for ways of reducing our client’s costs, we run a very tight ship and we help our clients do the same.
Steve is the service you provide any different from your competitors
Yes very much so, we could also see the antidote for the uninspiring service that was available and had to build an intrepid team that could deliver exceptional service, we selected individuals who had a natural sparkle and excel in teamwork. We looked for that ‘x’ factor because we knew that the service element of our business was where we were going to raise the bar. We have a great mixture of young blood and experienced campaigners who helped to design a service system that is now second to none. We wanted to be the first choice for operators in the hospitality sector and our list of star studded clients are a testament to the fact that we got the service element spot on.
Also, the back-up we provide our clients is unprecedented, we are known for being honest and straightforward and our company byline of No Frills – No Jargon really sums up what we are about, the majority of our clients are high-end operations that are willing to go that extra mile to provide exceptional service, and we do the same. We work with our clients to train their staff not only relating to the COSHH regulations but also in best practice, our training team frequently work with our clients staff during night time clean downs, we’re not a 9 to 5 operation, we are there for our clients when required, not many of our competitors can say that.
Nathan you must be very proud of the growth you have achieved.
Absolutely, we never planned to become the biggest in the chemical supply sector but being the best was our number one priority. When we started we were manufacturing a couple of batches of each product per month, but now we are manufacturing and delivering over 300,000 liters of chemical and over 200,000 individual ancillary items per year and it’s growing at a very consistent rate.
Steve what are you plans for the next decade.
More of the same, the potential market place is massive for our type of products and service, we are targeting a four million pound turnover and this is achievable within the next five years and will be a comfortable business for us to manage, but it is of the utmost importance that we maintain the level of customer service that our clients enjoy and deserve. As for the next decade you will have to watch this space.
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Cleaner Products Limited, PO Box 36, Orpington, Kent, BR6 6ZD
Phone us on 01689 861984 or if you prefer you can contact either myself or my son Nathan on the following emails:
pete@cleanerproducts.co.uk , nathan@cleanerproducts.co.uk
We interviewed Cleaner Products here