Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 25th April 2024 Issue no. 1111

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Connect Hygiene: at the heart of a new £50M business

Announcing a new force in the away-from-home paper market! Formed from the amalgamation of Connect Hygiene Products and Peter Grant Papers, Northwood Hygiene Products will be operating under its new name from July this year. Headed by Chris Wickham and his management team, the operation - which will have a combined turnover of nearly £50m, will be a clear number three in the UK  away-from-home disposable paper market, with a 15.0% volume share. Like the majors the new company will benefit from being both a converter and a manufacturer...

Unlike them it will continue to be a UK based, family owned and run business, able to respond quickly and positively to local market requirements. "The existing synergy between the two companies meant that there was little overlap in the market sectors they serve, with the branded Leonardo and Essentials ranges complementing the valued private label and established wiping businesses, the latter including the well-known Bosswipes and Perform names," explained Jonathan Hooper, (pictured). 

"Personnel changes are not expected and customers of the new company will see little, if any, changes in their current supply relationships. It is Northwood Hygiene's stated management priority that all customer relationships will be maintained on a 'business as usual' footing. The two companies' tradition of having a paper business run by paper industry professionals will be embedded into the DNA of the new company, giving both stability and a foundation for exciting future developments. New sectors and new opportunities will be evaluated, all aimed at providing even greater flexibility and choice." 

Jonathan explained that such is the future potential, it is expected that a recruitment programme will be core to achieving the company's growth targets. 

With the four other associated limited companies, Northwood Paper Sales, Northwood Tissue, Northwood Recycling and Northwood Logistics, Northwood Hygiene will be able to deliver an integrated, reliable and UK based supply of disposable paper products to the away from home market. 

Paul Fecher, Chairman of the companies said: "We are pleased to start combining our converting operations in the UK which, with hard work, investment and direction will grow to represent an even more important share of the UK market for virgin and recycled tissue as a complete supply source of hygiene products." 

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21st March 2013