When Cleanzine launched 22 years ago, an early advertiser was Greyland - a small, northern England-based family business supplying a range of industrial and institutional cleaning chemicals which, having started officially trading in February 1999, was itself in its infancy.
Its owner, Richard Dyson, kept us updated on new, often overseas customers contacting him as a result of what they'd seen in Cleanzine and subsequently coming on board - and, impressed with Greyland’s consistent quality and service, becoming regular customers.

As John Austen and I had envisaged it would, the company grew very quickly and we weren’t surprised to learn that it boasted a £10million turnover last year. It's now a huge organisation with a reputation to match, and one that truly champions sustainability. So what have Richard and the team achieved over the first 25 years and what are the plans for the future? 

  

Richard, who was in the industry long before the launch of Greyland, puts the rapid early and then continued growth, along with the enormous success of the company, down to industry savvy… “Knowing exactly what the market wanted and delivering just that,” he tells us. “Simple things such as product affordability and meeting delivery times with an industry-leading, nigh-on 100% order fulfilment. 

  

“Plus of course ensuring that not only did the products work, but that they were also products that the cleaners enjoyed using - with clear, concise labelling and no obscure brand names or code numbers… just plain English descriptions of what each product was expected to do: i.e. Toilet Cleaner/Descaler, Lemon Floor Gel, Machine Dishwash, Ivory Lotion Soap, being just a few examples. 

  

“Those early products are big Greyland sellers to this day.” 

  

Richard says that reinvestment has been another key factor, with the company moving into a much larger, modern, manufacturing, warehousing and administration facility some 14 years after start-up, which not only incorporated automated production lines but far greater numbers of staff. Further expansion has taken place since, too, and staffing levels are now at 58 compared to a start-up team of five. 

  

“You can’t automate everything but what we have automated has made a big difference,” explains Richard. “For example, a pallet can now be stacked full with the required assortment of 5-litre containers, 1-litre angle-necks and 750 ml trigger-sprays, in around 30 minutes. This means we can turn around orders very quickly indeed. 

  

“We’ve kept to our ‘simple labelling’ ethos but our labels are now printed in-house with state-of-the-art equipment that enables us to augment standard information if required, with something more complex including images and pictograms, as well as a new visible coding system that supports accurate stock control. Naturally these are incredibly durable and are chemical-resistant, anti-fade and designed not to degrade when wet.” 

  

Sustainability has long been hugely important to Greyland and Richard has become something of a sustainability champion, not only within his own organisation but the industry as a whole. 

  

“We’re using as much recycled plastics in our product containers as possible,” he says. “They currently comprise around 75% recycled materials and although we’d like to increase the amount, we’re in the hands of the bottle manufacturers and their industry’s technological advances. Companies like ours are helping drive things forward though with our support and investment and the more we can get others involved, the more quickly we’ll be able to achieve our sustainability goals. 

  

"We've always been environmentally conscious, delivering a sustainable range of cost-effective products for a wide variety of applications, but one of the things that has set us apart is our early recognition of the issues regarding the use of plastics and how harmful they are to our environment. All our containers are fully recyclable, with the vast majority containing an impressive 40% UK recycled polymer. We were proud to be the first UK manufacturer in our market sector to take these steps in eliminating harmful plastics from the environment, significantly reducing our carbon footprint at the same time. 

  

“Recycling plant investment and capacity in the UK and Europe is woefully short of where it should be and some UK plastic bottle manufacturers are importing recycled polymer from across the globe. Their clients are marketing the products within them as using up to 100% recycled polymer yet they’ve conveniently forgotten to reveal the full extent of their newly extended carbon footprint as a result of the origin of the plastic bottles!” 

  

Greyland is ISO 9001 and 14001 compliant, Planet Mark certified and a long-standing member of the Green Network, the UK Cleaning Products Industry Association and the British Safety Council. It is also a long-standing member of the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association and a CMAS Accredited Manufacturer, (the renowned ‘peace of mind’ CHSA certification that, from volume accuracy to eco credentials, 'what's on the box is what's in the box'). Richard has also served on the CHSA Council, representing UK & Ireland Cleaning Chemical Manufacturers. 

  

“Our official 25th Anniversary celebrations saw a gathering of valued customers and industry friends at Haydock Park,” says Richard. “We certainly had a great deal to celebrate – not just our 25 years in business but our achievements regarding sustainability, of which we’re particularly proud. I’m delighted to say that ‘a good time was had by all’!” 

  

Here’s a timeline of some of the company’s highlights: 

  

2001 - Launched the 1-litre angled neck Toilet Cleaners into UK marketplace 

  

2002 - Reached a £1 million turnover 

  

2003 - Exhibited at the UK Cleaning Show in Birmingham as the 'New Force in Cleaning Chemical Manufacturing' 

  

2005 - Reached a £2 million turnover and exhibited at the UK Cleaning show again as 'The Best Distributors are coming to Greyland'. 

  

2008 - Joined the Cleaning & Hygiene Suppliers Association 

  

2011 - Moved to Dukinfield Factory 

  

2015 - Hit a £5 million turnover and gained ISO 9001 & 14001 Certifications 

  

2016 - First exhibited at the Manchester Cleaning Show. 

  

2017 - The London Cleaning Show exhibition featuring Dook the Duck Mascot promoting the 1-litre angled neck Toilet Cleaner Range 

  

2018 - Launched the Maximum Range 

  

2020 - Launched the Maximum Eco Range 

  

2020 - Richard Dyson elected to serve on the CHSA Council, representing UK & Ireland Cleaning Chemical Manufacturers 

  

2021 - The London Cleaning Show exhibition - Virucidal Cleaners launch 

  

2023 - The London Cleaning Show exhibition - 2-litre Super Concentrate and Biotech ranges launch 

  

2023 - Reached a £10 million turnover 

For further information along with full details of the ranges of products available, visit: 

  

www.greyland.co.uk

Images: Top picture is from Haydock Park where Greyland held yesterday's 25th anniversary celebrations

2nd picture is Greyland's stand before the Cleaning Show Manchester opened

3rd picture is also from the Haydock Park 25th anniversary celebrations

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