As Jenolite celebrates its 85th anniversary, Neil Braidwood speaks to CEO Neil Wildon and MD Connor Heap to see what their plans are for the future.
When John H Lawrence set up his innovative company Jenolite in 1939, he could never have imagined that the world would be plunged into conflict just a few months later, or that his products would be so useful to the war effort.
The company’s rust removal and inhibitor products became invaluable in North Africa for example, where guns and machinery were prone to rust.
Ships were also treated with the company’s paints to reduce maintenance costs. Aircraft were cleaned with its degreasers. It was no wonder then, that after the war, Jenolite had become a household name, with offices in countries all over the world. Many products were developed specifically for the automotive industry at this time too.
In 1955, when the Eiffel Tower needed to be refurbished, it was Jenolite the French turned to. Donald Campbell’s Bluebird and even the SS Great Britain have all been ‘Jenolized’. More recently, Big Ben, the famous bell in the Westminster clock tower, was renovated using Jenolite products.
The company then went through several new owners. The oil giants Duckhams took the reins for a while before selling to Shell in 1988.
Shell had no interest in the Jenolite brand – it had bought it for the degreasing products associated with the sale, so when Neil Wildon made Shell an offer, the company sold it in 2013.
Neil and his father Norman have experience in the adhesive and chemical industry, and Norman had come across Jenolite while working as a consultant for Loctite. He knew it was a good opportunity, and so the father and son set about building the brand back to where it had been.
Bringing in son-in-law Connor Heap as MD, the trio began to look at adding products that had gone missing over the years. Paint had almost disappeared from the range as the previous owners had discontinued it.
“We went from having a range of five or six products in 2018,” says Neil, “to having more than 400 today. We had a lot of the original formulas, but some had disappeared, so that’s when you need to have a good relationship with your manufacturers. You go to them and say: ‘This is what we want the product to do.’ Then you develop it together.
“We are an employee-owned trust and although much of our manufacturing is outsourced, 95 per cent, if not more, is done in the UK.”
Connor continues: “Most of our sales are online, although we would like to get back on to the shelves of some DIY stores. We sell through Highland Industrial Supplies and McGregor Supplies in Scotland though.
“The e-commerce model has been good for us. We have a Find Your Fix section of the website, which allows you to find the right product for your job in a matter of seconds. If you’re still not sure, then you can pick up the phone and speak to our customer service people for further advice. In the first six months of launching, Find Your Fix guided 1,000 users to the right product, while our telephone operators help around 5,000 customers a year.”
“We would like to see Jenolite in other parts of the world,” says Neil. “Our export market is strong in
Europe and we are setting up in the US, Canada and South America. Export sales account for 35 per cent
of our turnover.”
The company’s best-selling items are still the rust removers and inhibitors, but take a look at the website and you will find products such as specialist paints, sealants, adhesives, cleaners and lubricants.
“Many of our paint products come as aerosols,” Connor says. “It’s much more convenient. We recognised that our customers would rather buy our products in this form as it means they don’t need a brush and the paint won’t have dried up next time they go to use it.
“Obviously, we would recommend wearing the correct protective equipment when using our products – especially aerosols – and to do the work in a ventilated space.”
The team has big plans, aiming to launch 100 new products a year. Certainly, as the company celebrates its 85th anniversary, it is on a firm footing for the future.
See jenolite.com