British Success Story Floors The World

First published in the Times, 2007 

Delivering innovation at ground level is helping one British flooring manufacturer reach new heights in success.

Flowcrete Group plc, which has its headquarters in Cheshire this year clocks up 25 years in the industry – and is determined not to rest on its laurels.

With a client list including Bentley Motors, Ascot Racecourse, Jaguar, Wembley Arena and the O2 Stadium, the company is a major influence in seamless flooring in both the commercial and industrial sectors.

Internationally, the American space centre NASA, as well as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok Airports, are just some of the big names floored by Flowcrete.

Flowcrete’s passion for manufacturing excellence has put the company on the map as one of the construction industry’s major success – and a shining example of what can be achieved with a dynamic approach to business.

The company’s effervescent chairman, Dawn Gibbins MBE, is a champion for change and innovation in British manufacturing, with positions on the Government’s manufacturing think tank, and an ambassador role for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’s Manufacturing Advisory Service.

Last year, Flowcrete decided to practice what its chairman preaches and – by joining forces with MAS - introduced a 5s policy to strip, sort, shine, standardise and sustain, across its entire headquarters.

Mixed with a measure of Feng Shui – one of Dawn’s passions – the entire company was subjected to a major overhaul, including a corporate and IT clutter clearance and reduction in the product range by half. The results were remarkable.

Dawn, the 2003 Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year, said: “By creating cleaner, tidier, safer, more effective environments, our floors have been catalysts in positive transformations not only in the UK but across the globe.

“With this in mind, we felt that, while we were good at transforming customers’ environments, we needed to re-energise and transform our own.

 “As a result, we increased turnover from £20m in 2004 to £36.6m in 2006, decreased absenteeism by 30 per cent in the UK – which is now down to 0.9 per cent – and reduced staff turnover by 50 per cent - from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.

“We turned a negative contribution in 2004 to a healthy profit in 2006. Flowcrete has doubled turnover and transformed itself from a £500k loss to £1.8 million profit in just two years.

“Now we are on target to achieve £40 million sales in 2007, with a forecast estimated to achieve £2.5 million profit.

“The results show manufacturers can channel their energies more productively. We feel we’ve put ourselves in a better, healthier position as a result.”

As well as a passion for manufacturing, Flowcrete has put much emphasis on research and development, based on its viewpoint that you can make something really well, but it’s got to be something the customer really wants.

As a result, it has pioneered floors that fight superbugs including MRSA and C. diff at ground level using the natural power of silver – making them the ideal platform for hospitals, nursing homes and other sensitive hygiene areas including food and pharmaceutical environments.

An ultra fast-track two-hour floor concept is revolutionising installation projects, while sound-absorbing systems make noisy neighbours less challenging.

Efficient underfloor heating – and even light reflective floors that cut down on energy bills – have also been introduced.

This dynamic approach has seen the company grow into a global brand, spanning 26 countries, with 12 manufacturing centres of excellence located in the UK, Scandinavia, Europe, South Africa, Asia, South and North America, all operating a ‘think global, act local’ philosophy.

The international influence has paid dividends. For example, when Flowcrete acquired Swedish-based Perstorp Construction Chemicals five years ago, it brought into a culture already firmly committed to ‘green’ manufacturing methods and these have now been introduced across Flowcrete’s entire organisation,

As a result, its floors are developed with minimal impact to the environment, and score highly on the sustainable agenda.

Dawn added: “To many people, floors are just something to walk over, but we see what goes on underfoot at a completely different level. Although it’s an unusual view, we think we can walk tall as a UK manufacturer that embraces innovation with a passion.”