Chris Holland charts the progress of a family-run chemicals firm which has invested heavily for the future

STARTING at the bottom is a Chadwick family tradition.

Richard Chadwick, chairman of Cross Hills-based Airedale Chemical Group Holdings, joined the company founded by his late father in Bradford, as a 17 year-old school-leaver in 1981 helping in laboratory and then for several years was its delivery diver.

His brothers, twins David and John , both now retired, also started as school-leavers on the shop floor - as did current sales director Chris Chadwick, Richard's nephew, who is being groomed to take over as managing director in a couple of years or so.

From small beginnings in the garage of founder Brian Chadwick's garage at home in Heaton, Bradford, Airedale Chemical (the lack of a final 'e' catches many out but the business started as The Airedale Chemical Company Ltd ) has grown into a £50 million turnover business with three divisions.

Brian Chadwick was a former laboratory technician and successful salesman for Swiss -owned textile dyestuffs company Sandoz, working in Scotland in the late 1950s before returning to West Yorkshire in 1966 to join the company's then new base at Horsforth, since demolished for housing.

He founded Airedale Chemical in 1973 with mixing textile dyestuffs mainly carpet manufacturers in a cement mixer in the garage at his Heaton home. The operation later expanded into a disused chapel on Toller Lane until 1981 before relocating, first to Shipley, and then to Cottingley in 1984.

The company moved to its current site in 1992 since when it has bought and developed surrounding land and buildings, including the former Midland Mills, and now occupies around four acres.

Airedale also has a new £1.5 million filling plant and warehousing for its Airedale Solutions subsidiary in Skipton which supplies private label household and automotive cleaning products, including for leading discount chains, as well as its own Glo range made at Cross Hills.

Richard Chadwick said: "The Cross Hills business was originally established on the old Kildwick Gas Company site as a separate operation from the textile dyestuffs business after we expanded into other chemical products.

"We have not stopped developing the site in the time we been here, buying and developing buildings and land as they became available."

Overall, Airedale Chemical has invested more than £5 million in recent on redeveloping and building premises, buying new plant and renewing and expanding its 20-strong delivery fleet.

Richard said the investment programme had put the business into a position where it could now focus on future growth without the need for extensive further spending.

Since becoming managing director in 2008, he has led the business from a £9 million turnover to its current level and from 30 staff to around 150 employees, including 40 in Skipton.

But it has not always been plain sailing.

In 1983 the downturn in textiles, along with a former senior employee leaving and taking

away key customers, forced Airedale to shed around 20 staff and return to just five Chadwick family members.

" It was a tough time. We basically had to start again," said Richard.

Chris Chadwick, 32, who joined the business 15 years ago, also gained broad experience in various departments before moving into sales in 2006.

Along with Airedale's operations director and finance director, he is increasingly involved in overall day-to-day management of the business under Richard's guidance . Chris is acutely aware that it will be mainly his responsibility to ensure Airedale's bottom line benefits from recent expansion, investment and diversification.

He said: " More sales in new markets is key to our future growth and we have expanded our sales and marketing operations to a 17-strong team. I will also be focusing on streamlining our product range, currently about 500-strong, removing low volume and loss-leading products in favour of lines with growth potential.

"Following recent developments, it's now necessary to maximise our current operations

to underpin growth; diversify into new areas as markets for commodity products become saturated and to invest more in manufacturing."

The group manufactures and distributes chemicals to more than 24 industries, including carpet manufacturing ; food, beverage and dairy; engineering, personal care and healthcare, detergents and plastics.

One of its key products is phosphoric acid which it supplies to 80 per cent of UK utility companies. Water companies use it to prevent bleaching of lead into the system from Victorian lead water pipes.

Airedale Chemical is also looking to become one of Europe's 12 leading manufacturers of peracetic acid which is replacing chlorine in a range of applications, including in the food and medical sectors.

Richard and Chris see this as a potential major growth area and the company has invested around £500,000 working with consultants in its move towards becoming a leading UK producer.

"We have been working on this for around 18 months to put us in a position to become a leading manufacturer as new legislation limits and controls what products can and can't be sold.

"Fully biodegradable products are replacing chlorine based chemicals and this market is expected to increase by around 20 per cent per annum; offering us the potential for major growth. It will be our first truly global product and is set to make a major contribution to our bottom line," said Richard.

The company is seeking worldwide distributors with a view to selling 5,000 tonnes a year, with high potential in Europe, Japan and Chinas, and has already won its first order from Africa.

Airedale Chemical has received official DEFRA approval for its disinfectant products aimed specifically at the agricultural market, opening up a raft of additional supply opportunities.

Under strict DEFRA guidelines, only products which have the seal of approval from the government department can be used in a number of specific processes within the agricultural industry.

Airedale Chemical’s peracetic acid and detergent product, is now one of a select group of approved chemicals legally allowed to be used in processes such as the routine cleaning and disinfecting of livestock transport vehicles, and animal gathering areas. Approved products can also only be used in abattoir vehicles, and animal holding areas as part of regular cleaning routines.

The company recently acquired food ingredients and preservatives supplier Rigest which now forms the group's ingredients division .

Richard said: “Our acquisition of Rigest provides us with even greater potential in the ever-expanding and increasingly competitive food and beverage industry. This move will give even greater added value to the Airedale group’s existing and potential customer base."

Another priority for Chris Chadwick is building the company's relations with the local community. It has started holding open mornings explaining its operations and product range - mainly non or low toxic chemicals- to its neighbours and introduced a newsletter. Chris said it would also invest in selected community projects.