Quat-Chem; Celebrating 20 Years in Business

Directors, Naweed Chowdhary and Dr Rubinah Chowdhary from Quat-Chem celebrate 20 years in business

Quat-Chem Ltd, a family-owned business in Rochdale, marks a milestone this week as the Company celebrates its 20th year in business.

In 1996 Quat-Chem set up a factory in Oldham for the manufacture of Benzalkonium Chloride, a biocidal raw material with an exceptionally wide range of industrial applications. The modest factory in Oldham initially operated with just one reaction vessel and only 3 employees.

In 2011, the Company moved to new purpose built premises in Rochdale to facilitate the development and launch of its innovative formulated hygiene products. These hygiene products are of considerable importance in livestock agriculture and food processing, and ensure a safe food supply for human consumption. They are also essential in safeguarding animal health and protecting against infectious diseases such as avian flu, foot and mouth, and mastitis in dairy cows.

Quat-Chem soon developed an international customer base.

Today Quat-Chem is active in the Far East, South & Central America, Middle East and North Africa, with export sales accounting for 75% of its annual turnover. Quat-Chem is increasingly recognised for its success in overseas export markets, and has been presented awards by UKTI, Chemicals Northwest and the Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, Quat-Chem received the China ‘Rising Star’ award for its success in Greater China with substantial growth in sales over the last few years.

From its humble beginnings two decades ago, Quat-Chem now employs 35 people at its new site in Rochdale.

Increasing demand has led to the Company’s acquisition of an adjacent property in December 2015, providing an additional 35% in manufacturing and warehousing capacity.

The Company also continually invests in improvements of its operational systems and processes. These improvements have allowed Quat-Chem to continue to serve its growing customer base and handle larger orders from newly acquired customers and markets.

Dr Rubinah Chowdhary, Scientific Director at Quat-Chem, said: “We take enormous pride in what we do and in the achievements of our team, who share our enthusiasm in developing and growing the business. Huge thanks to all who have contributed to Quat-Chem’s success.”

On Monday, employees celebrated Quat-Chem’s 20th anniversary, with Richard Farnell, Leader of the Rochdale Council, and Chris Norwood of the Rochdale Development Agency.

Guests took a tour of the site before joining the Quat-Chem team for a celebratory lunch.

Councillor Richard Farnell, Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate Quat-Chem on reaching this important milestone.

"I’m constantly impressed with the stories I hear about what businesses across our borough are achieving and Quat-Chem is a great example of this. The fact that the company has created products which have effectively revolutionised parts of the farming and dairy industries and are now exported to over 60 countries around the world is nothing short of incredible. I’m sure they will build on this success in the years to come.”