A family business which almost folded after being destroyed by fire almost nine years ago has developed a revolutionary “green” DIY water based paint brush cleaner.
It is hoped their Clean Spirit alternative to white spirit will become the latest product to boost Bartoline’s record profits for 2011, bucking the economic trend.
Bartoline spent 3 years developing the bio-degradable product at its state of the art factory in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
“This is a really exciting and revolutionary new product in the DIY market,” said Managing Director Simon Barton.
“After use, every year hundreds of thousands of litres of toxic white spirit are poured down sinks and drains and gets into Britain’s water ways. Either that, or institutions have to spend thousands safely disposing of the liquid.
“As a water based cleaner, our Clean Spirit is a safer alternative. It is a product with excellent cleaning power but without the toxins, smell and flammability that can easily be disposed of after use by pouring down the sink”
Bartoline, who have been run by the Barton family for four generations, had to be re-built from scratch after fire destroyed the factories, warehouses and offices in 2003.
But that gave the company a one-off opportunity to build Europe’s most modern and safe factory for the storage and packing of solvents – and allowed the business to develop and grow.
Since the fire annual turnover has increased from £8 million to £23 million and Bartoline hope orders for Clean Spirit from all major retailers will create a turnover record again this year:
“Eight years ago, we thought it was the end of Bartoline. And it has been a challenge to re-gain our place in the market.
“But not only have we done that, even in a recession, we are now leading the way,” said Simon Barton
Around 12 million litres of white spirit are used each year. Bartoline’s Clean Spirit has attracted orders from all over the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Iceland, Cyprus and Estonia.
“Everyone is looking for green alternatives, and we hope this is the first of many environmentally friendly DIY products we can produce here in Beverley.
“As we spend more time and money on home improvements, it is important the products we use are as green as possible. Bartoline is proud to be leading the way.”
Last year Bartoline was nominated for a manufacturing excellence award by local MP Graham Stuart.
The company employs 95 full time staff.
