CHTMAG.COM INDUSTRY INSIGHT NEWS JULY / AUGUST 2016 5 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY BUY-OUT PUTS CLEANEVENT BACK IN THE GAME CHURCHILL HAS CLEANING CONTRACT EXTENSIONS IN THE BAG INVASION OF THE ANTS Pest control expert Rentokil is advising Brits to take precautions to prevent ants spreading indoors this summer, following a 64 per cent increase in residential ant enquiries and a 26 per cent increase in commercial calls in Q2 2016, compared with the same period last year. While cold winters can be a killer for ants, they tend to maintain the same nest for several years at a time. After the third warmest winter in Britain past 100 years, and the warm start to spring, conditions in the UK are right for ants to mate and thrive. This has resulted in an 83 per cent increase in enquires to Rentokil in the month of May. The most common ant species in the UK is the Black Garden ant, which generally lives outside in nutrient-rich, moist environments. During the spring and summer, they are often found in the warm, damp area beneath paving slabs. They frequently make their way indoors in search of food and additional places to nest. Should they find a food source, the ants will lay down a chemical trail to give other ants a signal to follow, causing a potential problem to quickly escalate in your home or business. The future of the CleanEvent Group of companies has been saved by nationwide insolvency practitioners SFP and secured the jobs of c.700 employees. The CleanEvent Group, which includes CleanEvent (UK) Limited, CE Facilities Services Limited, CE Risk, Safety and Security Services Limited, and Clean Domain Limited, all providers of cleaning services, was bought by CleanEvent Services Limited (formerly known as CE Revo Services Limited). Despite being an established Group with a previous year’s turnover of c.£10 million, the CleanEvent Group suffered from reduced margins and increased competition, causing cash-flow troubles and unmanageable liabilities. One of the entities within the group had also been presented with a winding up petition. Churchill has been awarded a number of cleaning contract extensions in Essex, Hertfordshire and East Anglia. Following a successful three-year partnership with Shenfield High School in Essex, Churchill has had its contracted extended for an additional two years. Excellent relationships between the school and Churchill management, as well as an improved service delivery and the commitment from Churchill’s dedicated on site team were said to be key factors in awarding the extension. Also in Essex, Harlow Council has stated its intention to extend its contract with Churchill for a further two years and demonstrated its commitment to the workforce by continuing to support the Living Wage Foundation pay rates across the cleaning contract portfolio. In Hertfordshire, Churchill’s contract has been extended at Bishop’s Stortford High School. The partnership which commenced in 2011, will continue for a further two years providing a “best value” approach to the schools needs. Whilst Churchill’s East Anglia team has extended its partnership with Bungay High School, Suffolk for a further three years. The new contract will deliver enhanced productivity levels and continued high standards with total focus on a “working in partnership approach” to service delivery. ZENITH HYGIENE ACQUIRES CCL PENTASOL UK manufacturer, supplier and distributor of cleaning and hygiene products, Zenith Hygiene Group, has completed its acquisition of UK-based supplier of chemicals for the Food, Dairy, Brewing, Beverage and Pharmaceutical industries, CCL Pentasol. The acquisition will strengthen Zenith’s position within the cleaning and hygiene sector, adding new growing markets to its portfolio such as Water Treatment, and industries such as Food, Dairy, Brewing, Beverage and Pharmaceutical. The initial part of the integration process will see CCL Pentasol’s Water treatment division rebranded as Zenith Water Engineering. This is a new market for Zenith Hygiene, and one which it expects to grow in importance for businesses in the future as water becomes a precious commodity, with global water demand expecting to surpass availability by 2050.
CHT July / August 2016
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