help customers to lower their waste footprint. Focusing on plastics, this full-circle service has continued to expand and evolve and now has more than 250 users onboard.
The scheme began with recycling plastic inserts, but now includes paper hand towel recycling and stub roll recycling, as well as dispenser recycling. We’ve already recycled more than a tonne of plastic from over 1000 dispensers.
As you celebrate Northwood’s 50th year in business, what’s your biggest highlight?
Personally, for me, it’s about people. When I established the business back in 1974, we had just one site and a few staff. Fast forward five decades and we have 10 sites and employ 1,100 people. It’s wonderful to have grown the business and to provide exciting long-term career opportunities for talented people.
I’m also proud to be making a contribution to the education and personal development of youngsters as they embark on their careers. We want to build a young and engaged workforce and I’m really pleased that we have taken on 16 apprentices this year – our largest intake so far.
From a business perspective, entering into recycled tissue production and converting in 2009 was a major milestone for Northwood. When we took over the Disley and Kruger industrial factories, we not only saved 200 jobs, but
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
also made these sites profitable and began building the Northwood business that it is today.
Today, our gross sales turnover has increased by 108% in the last five years, with external sales growing by 86% cases per year, which is phenomenal. We’ve also just marked our 50th anniversary by expanding our operation with the purchase of a 16,850 sq ft building, which has been converted into our new head office.
We continue to grow and develop as an industry pioneer, but we are still a family-run operation, and the principles that I started the business with in 1974 remain the same. I’m hugely proud of that.
What’s next for Northwood?
Our people have tremendous knowledge and enthusiasm and we all want to give customers what they need in terms of quality, value, service and support. We will continue to expand our integrated offering to our valued clients and extend our capacity and take the business to another level.
With a strong emphasis on sustainability, we will continue to develop products and processes that meet not just our own credentials, but those of our customers. Here’s to the next 50 years!
www.northwood.co.uk TOMORROW'S CLEANING | 39
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
