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A Cheshire-based manufacturer of eco-friendly domestic cleaning products, supported by Made Smarter, has told how it aims to produce more sustainably packaged products.

Qualkem, based in Crewe, has already taken action with the introduction of its PCR tube filling service. 

It rebranded from Repclif Chemical Services this year, and is a second-generation, family business providing chemical products across a range of sectors including medical, leisure, construction and retail. 

Ivan Anketell became managing director in 2015 and has enriched the company's offering to distributors and third parties alike - across own label brands. This is through the creation of dual-branded products, and through formulating, branding, blending and packaging specialist products. 

During 2021, Qualkem worked with Made Smarter on the PCR tube filling service project and secured £20,000 funding towards the investment in plant & machinery. 

The service - which uses up to 100 per cent recycled plastic tubes and closures, 85 per cent recycled polyurethane labels that are in-line applied, and 85 per cent recycled cardboard packaging - is unique to the market.

It could generate significant sales growth of up to 25% of current turnover over the next three years.

Made Smarter is a programme designed to help manufacturing and engineering firms utilise new digital technology.

Ivan Anketell-Clifford, director, said: "We are also working closely with our suppliers and customers to manage our packaging away from a reliance on virgin plastics to more recycled and recyclable plastic sourced materials.   

"Our investment in the automatic tube labelling and filling machinery, supported by Made Smarter, will see the start of our commitment to digitalisation."

Anketell-Clifford said the company is also planning to take advantage of Made Smarter's digital internship scheme. It will also take on a postgraduate in the field of automation and robotics, who will help them extract and report on the business and process data gathered by the new machinery.

Qualkem is presently working with Made Smarter on a new project moving its antiquated stock inventory system and moving it over to an App-based barcoding system, and then integrate the stock inventory to a ERP system. This will allow the business to more automatically and confidently manage physical stock, batch production, and have tighter financial control of its processes.

In terms of growth, he said it is "very much organic", managed sustainably with a genuine focus on digitalisation, improving its ESG profile and continued investment into the business.

The tube filler service will also generate a minimum two new jobs locally, one of which, its new machine setter and production operative, has already joined last month.  

Anketell-Clifford also believes the government needs to support and incentivise the production of British manufactured products and level up across the whole country. 

"To support manufacturing, continued investment in the Net Zero by 2050 will gain long term control over our own fuel resources, clean up our environment and generally improve society’s wellbeing and the environment we live in," he said. 

"At a more local level, SME needs incentives, access to resources and financial support to achieve our own carbon neutral goals.

"Also at a local level, Government needs to continue to recognise the good work us SMEs are doing in these testing times."

Looking ahead, he added: "We have a clear vision, sense of purpose and energy for our future growth and in January 2022, having celebrated our 50th anniversary on I July 2021. We signalled the extent of our commitment and intent by rebranding from the founding company name of Repclif Chemical Services to Qualkem – a more bold step, but a far more descriptive trading name."

Ben Butler, Digital Staff Writer T: 0161 907 9743 E: ben.butler@newsco.com

Adrian Simcox, Sales Director T: 0161 907 9745 E: adrian.simcox@newsco.com

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