All the news from an Ideal world

8 March 2021


UK
The market may be quiet at the moment but exciting things have been happening behind the scenes at Ideal Manufacturing. A new website, recognition for the company’s R&D work, a Government sponsored grant for innovation and ISO re-certification were just some of the high points achieved while, along with the greater part of the professional textile care industry, the company and its staff endured lockdown and associated privations.

Ideal’s new website is lively, informative and very easy to navigate, and is refreshingly tell-it-as-it-is in its approach to current circumstances. And, in terms of product information, useful advice and matching the right chemicals to the job, it is exemplary.

On recertification of ISO, managing director Phillip Kalli commented: “The ISO 14001 standard is a big deal to us here at Ideal. So, that means we are all absolutely thrilled to have been re-certified for 2021 after a pretty intense audit during what’s been a tumultuous year for our industry and we don’t mind admitting – a pretty stressful one for our business. The passion, commitment and determination to achieve re-certification demonstrated by our team has made us very proud. This means something for a small, independent, family-run manufacturer like us and we know that it’s always worth all the extra effort to do things better.”

In the Ideal lab, said Kalli: “Development chemist Vicky Lovegrove has deservedly made it into The Manufacturer Top 100 cohort for 2020, as a Young Pioneer for her brilliant R&D work at Ideal over the past year. Also, for bringing calm, order, efficiency, good humour and her own particular brand of North Warwickshire no-nonsense to the lab in these mad times. Congratulations from the whole Ideal team Vicky.”

Kalli is also energised by the news that Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, awarded Ideal Manufacturing a de minimis grant for “an exciting innovation project amidst an unprecedented and incredible response from the innovation community against 8600 applications – the highest number ever. That’s pretty cool”.

“We know there are a lot of hyperbolic claims being made out there right now, some of which we just can’t get behind and some which are frankly outrageous and unfounded. So, we wanted to put some real science into action and further our ambitions to be the most responsible supplier of laundry and cleaning products we can possibly be.

“So, we decided to enter a government sponsored competition… Business-led innovation in response to global disruption. The aim of this competition was to support UK businesses to focus on emerging or increasing needs of society or industries during and following the Covid-19 pandemic. The response exceeded expectations, especially during such difficult times.”

In November last year, Ideal’s factory crew at HQ installed energy-efficient LED lighting in the liquid production area of the factory, reducing nearly 2,500kg of CO2 per annum, based on British LED calculations (compared with old-fashioned flourescent tube lights).

That follows the company’s switch to Bulb (the renewable energy provider) offsetting about 26 tonnes worth of CO2 emissions in the first year.



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