Simply a success as Aquados secures landmark Tesco deal

Aquados, based in Normanton, West Yorkshire won a listing with the world's fourth-largest retailer for two lines of its green detergent and is now selling in 500 stores.

The firm makes green laundry and dishwashing products and was set up by Gerry Hinton after he left cleaning materials business Diversey, which later became part of Unilever.

Simply Washing, for which Mr Hinton created the formula, says it offers a more efficient wash compared to rival brands, with less packaging and fewer chemicals released in the run-off, known as the critical dilution volume. It also works when used at lower temperatures, saving energy.

The firm has also grown its listings with several other supermarkets over the last 12 months, which has helped it increase turnover to about 2.5m, compared to 2m in 2009.

As well as winning space for two lines in Tesco stores last year, it now has five lines in the Co-op, six lines in Ocado, four lines in Sainsburys, two lines in Waitrose, one in Leeds-based Asda and one in Bradford-based Morrisons.

Mr Hinton, chief executive and owner of the business, said: "The sales are going fantastic and we are really pleased."

He hopes to take revenue to 8.5m this year on the back of new contract wins and said the firm is currently negotiating with large high street retailers about more business.

Aquados, which has eight staff, makes 13 products including fabric softeners, liquid tabs (capsules) and standalone liquids and is looking to add more to its range. It also carries out its own blending and packing operations and will soon move into a larger factory on the same industrial estate.

The purpose-built manufacturing facility means production will be increased up to sixfold and will also have 1,000 bays and include a factory outlet shop.

Mr Hinton said revenue growth had been hit last year by the uncertain economic conditions but there had been an improvement in recent months.

The firm has also began a web advertising campaign and been nominated in the best earth saving category of the People and Environment Achievement Awards, which take place at the National Geographic Store in London in March.

Although Mr Hinton has worked in Yorkshire for nearly a decade, he splits his time between here and living near Christchurch, New Zealand, so his daughter can receive medical treatment.

The former laundry engineer, who has been in the industry for three decades, is still able to run Aquados from New Zealand and flies back every four to five weeks.

He patented the Simply Washing process in 1995 and the firm was officially set up in 2006, after trying out different versions of the product. Mr Hinton has been growing the business since then.

He said the experience has not been without difficulty but the firm is now reaping some of the benefits.

"It has been hard. I don't think anybody would appreciate how hard it has been. It has been really hard work (but) the surge in interest in the environment has helped us.

"We are a mainstream product. We have very green credentials."

It reached a major landmark in autumn 2009 when it won a listing in nearly 300 Asda stores. At the time Julian Walker-Palin, head of corporate policy for sustainability and ethics at Asda, described it as a "sustainable product that delivers fantastic results".

Aquados' powder is designed to dissolve as soon as it hits water. Cleaning agents, which are oxygen-based, are time-released so stains are tackled throughout the cycle, which means Simply Washing uses only half as much powder as traditional ‘big box' offerings and a third less than conventional tablets.

They also perform well at low temperatures and on shorter cycles.

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Peter Edwards