Tapping into the growing demand for ethically sound and sustainable products, the Friendly Chemical Co has had a remarkably successful first five years in business.

The Keighley based firm manufacturing firm, which makes and supplies cleaning products for the domestic and personal care markets, saw its revenue soar by almost 300 per cent in the year which ended in March 2021.

And the firm has now set an ambitious target of increasing that to £3m this year, after investing in a major new warehouse development.

It’s new 6,000 square foot expansion will allow the firm to increase its production capacity to meet a hugely growing demand.

Established by Scott Rudd and Emma Tapper, who devised the concept as students after meeting at the University of Liverpool, the business has tapped into the growing market for ethically sourced and manufactured products.

It has already won recognition from the UK Ethical Consumer Guide for its “positive impact” on the environment.

Formed as a start-up in 2017, operating out of a garage, the company quickly established a reputation for the quality and sustainability of its products and processes.

The pair have worked hard from the start on ensuring the manufacturing process has as little impact on the environment as possible, spending a lot of time choosing each ingredient and component, using plant-based formulas and purified Dales’ water.

The firm prides itself on shunning ‘nasty’ chemicals and any testing on animals.

As well as producing its own brands, including Miniml, a leading manufacturer of a range of eco refillable cleaning, laundry, and personal care products, the Friendly Chemical Co also offers contract manufacturing and will provide bespoke products for others to use under their own label.

And the latest expansion plans will help with moves to diversify into new markets with the company’s own Good Human Skincare brand set to offer  a range of ethical skincare products.

The 6,000sqft expansion takes the firm’s footprint to 10,000sqft across three units.

It will house a state-of-the-art bulk chemical blending facility and will be home to the technical and production team, which has grown from five to 17 over the past six months.

It will allow the firm to blend up to 300,000 litres of product monthly, doubling production levels of the Miniml cleaning range.

And it will allow The Friendly Chemical Co to extend its closed loop system, which creates a fully zero waste supply chain.

Empty packaging – from single bottles to 200-litre steel drums – is collected from customers, cleaned and refilled on the production line. Customers can also access refill stations across the country.

Speaking of the firm’s ethos, Mr Rudd said: “We’re a proud British manufacturer making products that people love. We understand that manufacturing, transporting and using cleaning products can have a negative impact on the environment, which is why we work hard to ensure that every raw ingredient and component is chosen carefully.

“We use plant-based formulas, purify our water from the Yorkshire Dales and stay well away from nasty chemicals and animal testing.

“Demand for our zero-waste solutions has led us to diversify and we’re looking forward to launching our Good Human Skincare range later this year.”

Ms Tapper spoke of the phenomenal transformation of the business.

“We’ve gone from a start-up, manufacturing products from a garage, to selling over 100,000 litres to 1,500 independent retailers across the UK every month,” she said.

“Our focus for the next 12 months is to increase our production capabilities and expand our team across the UK. We’re incredibly excited about the next chapter.”

She said 2021 had been an incredible year for the company, and that success had played a large part in the need to expand.

The company achieved revenues of £710,000 in the year to 31 March 2021, growing 283 per cent on the previous year, and is now targeting £3 million by FY22.

“We’re coming to the close of an incredible year for the team and as we continue to grow, we needed the space to do so,” Ms Tapper said.

“As we looked to create new roles within the technical and production teams, growing our footprint was key. We wanted to maintain our Keighley roots, to keep the business Yorkshire born and bred, and we’re delighted with how the site expansion has gone.

“It’ll enable us to quickly ramp-up production and maintain the demand we’re currently experiencing for our ranges. Consumers are keen to make small switches to have a greener lifestyle, whether that’s in the products they use or the companies they support. Sustainability is at our core of The Friendly Chemical Co – and we want to share this with customers.”

One particularly significant target it has hit is the amount of plastic waste it has saved.

Over the four years or so it has been in existence, it has saved a total of 140 tonnes of plastic waste, and now saves just under seven tonnes per month.

It is one of a handful of manufacturers which operate a so-called closed loop system, reusing and refilling every bottle sold to create a zero-waste supply chain.

Customers can access refill stations across the country to top-up their cleaning, laundry and personal care products. Empties are collected by the company to be cleaned and reused on the production line.

Mr Rudd described the waste-saved total represented a “major milestone”. He continued: “When we founded the business our goal was to create a chemical manufacturing outfit that actually had a positive impact on the environment,” he said.

“To have reached 140 tonnes of waste saved is a major milestone for us.

“We know consumers are increasingly opting for greener lifestyles – and as a ‘fast moving consumer goods’ manufacturer, it’s our responsibility to make sure the entire production process is as environmentally sound as possible.

“Even the creation of eco-friendly products can be environmentally damaging, so we’re careful to use ingredients and processes that keep us carbon negative.

“A closed loop system means we can guarantee a completely zero-waste supply chain, which has been really well received by our stockists and customers. Our Miniml product has only been on the market for just over a year and we have undergone rapid growth. We’re looking to replicate the same process as we branch into skin care and cosmetics next year.”