Product labels, marketing brochures in 24 different languages
and safety data sheets in 15 languages – everything
is prepared as Lahega prepares for its European market
launch. With its climate-neutral degreasing agent, the
company shows that it’s possible to be environmentallyadapted
and still have fully-efficient products.
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“We have a lot of prejudices to
fight against, misconceptions that
can be hazardous for the working
environment as well as the global
environment. Generally, many in
the car-wash industry think that
cleaning products should smell
a little with the misconception
that the car will become cleaner.
We have consistently believed
in environmentally-friendly
products and long-term market
advantages. At the same time
we must think of functionality. If
the products don’t do what they
are supposed to do, then the customer
won’t use them and might
choose an environmentally inferior
alternative instead,” says export
manager Christer Ekstrand.
PROVEN FUNCTIONALITY
Five different brands are now to
be launched throughout Europe,
one of them a climate-neutral
degreasing product for cars.
Christer Ekstrand, exports
“We have sold this particular
product in Sweden and Norway
for a number of years and
we know it’s effective. Through
buying CO2-emission rights we
have made the complete chain of
production climate-reduced.”
However, to develop environmentally- |
adapted cleaning
products takes time. Marketers,
who demand quick and easy solutions
for customer needs, have
been impatient.
“Our research department
comes up with solutions to most
of the questions. By the fact that
the whole process is undertaken ‘in-house’ from development,
manufacturing to sales, we’re
able to steer operations ourselves,”
says Christer Ekstrand.
NEW RESOURCES
When Lahega, during the 90s,
dabbled in the market with “green” products that were not
up to standard, it was decided
to invest in increased competence.
Today the company has
11 chemists among the 80 staff
and the accent on environmental
work permeates throughout
operations.
Nowadays, alkaline cleaning
and degreasing agents work just
as ffectively as environmentally
hazardous thinning agents.
Through a unique collaboration
with Helsingborg’s sewage works,
Lahega now has full control over
the raw materials it uses during
production and improvements are
constantly being made.
Christer Ekstrand points out
that the company is very knowledgeable
about REACH, (Registration,
Evaluation, Authorisation
of Chemicals), the new
chemical EU legislation.
“We’re years in front of our
competitors. When they start to
adapt their processes, we’re already
fully prepared.” |
