When the lockdown began, a couple concerned about the shortage of PPE and hand sanitiser for frontline workers set up a manufacturing firm to produce high-grade hand sanitiser, which, 12 weeks later is now worth over £30 million.
ClearWater Hygiene, founded by Andrew and Rachel Montague, began trading in March, according to the Daily Mail, and has now the capacity to produce 900,000 litres of 80 per cent hand sanitiser every week.
The manufacturing side of the business is at Deeside Gin Distillery, in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, before the product is shipped to Preston in Lancashire for bottling.
The Montagues have now secured major corporate contracts for their hand sanitiser, with the Post Office, JD plc, O2 Retail, BP, and Aldi signing up, now presenting ClearWater Hygiene with expected contract values of over £30m. The business has already made over £3 million in the 12 weeks since it was launched, as well as donating significant amounts of products to NHS charities.
The company now employs 12 full-time staff, with eight more contracted workers between its head office in Edinburgh and other areas of the UK.
The Montagues were previously property developers but saw the importance of the need for UK manufacturing to reduce the reliance on imported products.
“We are proud to be providing some much-needed support in the fight against COVID-19 by gifting our product to NHS charities while, at the same time, building a successful business,” said Andrew Montague.
“We’re continuing to secure significant contracts and we’ve ramped up production to 900,000 litres per week.”
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