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A fast-growing sustainable manufacturing business has appointed a former Ecolab and LIFCO consultant, Ashley Butler, as Non-Executive Technical Director to support its rapid growth. The Friendly Chemical Co. (FCC), based in Cononley, North Yorkshire, has also invested heavily to upgrade its facilities and equipment, as it looks to double production capacity again.
Ashley Butler joins FCC as its first Non-Executive Technical Director. An industry veteran chemist with years of chemical experience, Butler will support the business’ R&D and production teams to further help FCC pioneer and expand its domestic cleaning range, Miniml.
Speaking about the appointment Butler said: “The eco consumer goods market is ripe for disruption, and what FCC has achieved in its short history has established it as one of the true leaders in the industry. I’m thrilled to be on board and working with the team to drive new product R&D and ensure the business grows its position as one of the UK’s most sustainable manufacturers.”
In addition to Butler’s appointment, FCC has also hired seven new team members in the last six months, as demand for its eco products grows. The business now supplies 2,500 stores across the country.
With demand for its eco-friendly products on the rise, the business has invested heavily towards equipment that will help it to double production capacity.
This includes specialist mixing vessels from Greaves Mixers, bulk filling machines from Universal Filling Machine Co, bespoke built industrial washers to enable it to clean and reuse all its empty packaging and a UV filtration system to purify water from the Yorkshire Moors so it can be used in all FCC products.
As one of the UK’s most sustainable chemical manufacturers, FCC is a pioneer of the ‘closed loop’ manufacturing system. It reuses and refills every bottle it sells to create a completely zero waste supply chain, collecting empties directly from customers and stockists alike. Its Miniml range is also currently available in 2,000 refill stations in the UK.
Scott Rudd, co-founder of The Friendly Chemical Co., said: “We’ve enjoyed considerable growth in the last twelve months. With more customers than ever before wanting to live more eco-friendly lifestyles, they’re opting for products and companies that make truly sustainable choices, which is FCC’s core mission.
“The demand for our Miniml range put us in a position where we need to rapidly grow our team and facilities, and in both cases, we’ve gone for the best equipment and best people. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge that will be key to our R&D plans, and our industry-leading machinery will also support this. Our sights are now firmly set on 2022, with the launch of Good Human Skincare on the horizon and new retailers in the pipeline.”
