Business Junction Spring Expo 2024

What a great evening at the Dockside Vaults, St Katharine Dock in London for the Business Junction Spring Expo 2024.

Thanks to Dean from The Modern Agency for your hospitality. An enjoyable and informative event with interesting and varied businesses exhibiting some great innovations.

Lots of exciting things are on the way at Futures Supplies so watch this space! 

www.futures-supplies.co.uk

Celebrating 29 Years of Progress and Commitment: Reflecting on Our Journey

As we mark our 29th year in business, we at Futures Supplies take a moment to reflect on the milestones and achievements that have shaped our journey. What began as a humble family business in Mandie’s garage back in 1995 has evolved into a leading independent distributor of washroom, cleaning, janitorial, and associated products, catering mainly to the B2B sector.

In 2005, after a decade of growth and dedication, we made a pivotal decision to invest in our future by purchasing our own self-contained, purpose-built offices and warehouse in South London. This move not only solidified our commitment but also provided us with the infrastructure to better serve our expanding customer base.

Quality has always been at the forefront of our operations. In 1997, we achieved independent certification for our Quality Management System to British Standard ISO 9001, ensuring our customers’ confidence in the quality of our goods and services.

The transition of leadership within the company has been seamless, with Marc, our Managing Director, stepping into the role in 2018 following his mother Mandie’s retirement. With over two decades of experience within the business, Marc brings a wealth of knowledge and a vision to drive our company forward.

Our journey hasn’t been without its challenges. From surviving the Millennium Bug to overcoming a substantial fire in 2000, we have persevered, never faltering in our commitment to our customers. In fact, it was amidst these challenges that we achieved our first £1 million in annual sales in the same year as the fire.

But it’s not just about business success; it’s also about making a positive impact on our community and the environment. Since 2004, we’ve been dedicated to improving our environmental, social, and economic footprint. From providing work experience placements to disadvantaged youth to pioneering the use of eco-friendly products and sustainable business practices, we’ve remained steadfast in our commitment to sustainability.

Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. Over the years, we’ve been honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Green Mark accreditation, recognizing our dedication to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Innovation has always been at the heart of what we do. From being early adopters of social media to introducing a complete environmental product range, we’ve continuously embraced new technologies and practices to better serve our customers and the planet.

As we look ahead to the future, we remain committed to our core values of service, quality, value, reliability, and sustainability. Our refreshed logo, unveiled in 2024, symbolizes our evolution, growth, and optimism for the future—a future where we continue to shine bright as a beacon of excellence in our industry.

We are immensely proud of our team, whose dedication and hard work have been instrumental in our success. From Andy, our Office Manager, with over 22 years of service, to Ian, our driver, and Dave, our Warehouse Manager, each member of our team plays a vital role in our journey.

And to our customers, suppliers, and partners, we extend our sincerest gratitude for your continued support and trust. Together, we look forward to shaping a future where sustainability, innovation, and excellence go hand in hand. Here’s to the next 29 years and beyond!

Sustainability or Greenwashing?

Always keen to keep up with regulatory changes, our Managing Director Marc Kemp and Office Manager Andy Hills, recently attended an event hosted by the Finnish-British Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with their Patrons Borenius and Metsä Group.

Held at the Leonardo Royal London St Pauls, the event consisted of two keynote speeches, as well as a panel discussion moderated by Lord Justice Snowden.

Sustainability and associated topics are top-trending subjects, on all platforms, across all organisations. However, what does sustainability really mean? What is required, legally or ethically, how is it achieved and how do you sort out the “buzz” from the reality?

Aksu Tuominen from Borenius gave an insight into the Green Claims Directive, the Proposal for Regulation on Packaging and Packaging Waste, and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).

The second keynote speech was provided by Maija Pohjakallio and Kalle Ikonen from Futures Supplies’ partner Metsä Group. They focused on the practical experiences against the background of recent regulations, also shedding light on current EU deforestation regulation and nature restoration laws.

The insightful speeches lead to an interesting and insightful panel discussion on how the topics affect the ongoing concerns of businesses with panellists were Kalle Ikonen and Maija Pohjakallio from Metsä Group, Casper Herler from Borenius, and Andrew Griffiths from Planet Mark.

You can find out more about out sustainability initiatives on our website at www.futures-supplies.co.uk

Launching the UK’s First Biological Soluble Paper Cleaning Sachets

Futures Supplies, in partnership with BioHygiene, are delighted to launch THE cleaning sachet to help businesses of all sizes create safe, clean, healthy spaces and reduce their environmental impact.

BioHygiene’s market-leading cleaning products harness the power of microbes, enzymes and natural plant derivatives that work deep into surfaces to quickly break down and remove dirt, grime and grease.

The new generation Biotechnology and Ecotechnology targets dirt, grime, grease and odours for a superior cleaning performance. Water-soluble paper sachets & recyclable packaging eliminates plastic waste and low-hazardous formulas protect staff from injury and ill-health.

Kinder ingredients protect our aquatic ecosystem and biodiversity. Smart dosing reduces storage and costs to streamline operations and sustainable, renewable raw materials reduce CO2 by up to 80%.

Try them now www.futures-supplies.co.uk/product.asp?p_part_code=007%2E702W

Amazing Trip to The Metsa Paper Mill in Finland

Marc and Andy braved temperatures reaching an incredible -31 degrees in a four-day extravaganza trip to visit the Paper Mills and HQ of Metsa Tissue in Mantta in Finland.

Wow what an experience! Not only to see the live production environment at the mill but to get the opportunity to drive snowmobiles on the ice, ride on the sledges pulled by a team of huskies and enjoy the food and culture in nearby Helsinki.

We cannot thank Mark Dewick, Jo Long and Vicky Anslow of Metsa enough for their fabulous hospitality. A truly memorable, informative and fabulous time was had by all.

Stunning Tallow Chandlers Hall!

A great day on the 7th February attending The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners Election Court Luncheon at the stunning Tallow Chandlers Hall in the City of London.

Its always a pleasure to meet with fellow industry partners, both familiar and new faces. Sharing and exchanging knowledge along with celebrating the newly elected to the livery movement. It was a privilege to support this WCEC event and of course enjoy a fabulous lunch!

Thank you to our partner Louis Beaumont, Hive Cleaning for your invitation and hospitality.

You can find out more about the WCEC and its great work here https://wc-ec.com/the-company/

Making a Real Difference, Right Here Right Now!

Futures Supplies were delighted, on 22nd January 2024, to be awarded the Green Mark Level 1 accreditation for our environmental performance and commitment to sustainability.

The Green Mark Sustainability certification process assesses, audits and certifies a business’ impact on the environment and wider community. It provides an internationally recognised environmental certification, endorsing a company’s environmental credentials through a journey of independent certification.

Futures Supplies have been able to demonstrate through this certification process, to both our clients and employees that we are conducting business, to a recognised international environmental standard.

Mariana Kit, Green Mark’s Customer Support Executive commented ‘I would like to say a big congratulations on achieving Green Mark Level 1! You had a fantastic submission and scored 100% across the board which is an amazing achievement’.

Congratulations to Andrew Hills our Office Manager for his work on this exciting project and to all the  team at Futures Supplies who work tirelessly on improving our environmental credentials to help provide a better and more sustainable future for us all.

You can find out more about the Green Mark Certification here – greenmark.co.uk/our-approach/

The Real Living Wage

With as many as 1 in 6 individuals earning below ‘The Real Living Wage’ and inflation intensifying the squeeze on low-income families, we were delighted to attend the recent round table breakfast event at The Globe Theatre. co- hosted by Cleanology and The Living Wage Foundation, it was both thought provoking and engaging.

We were delighted to share our thoughts and experiences with a group of like-minded business colleagues who whole heartedly agree that paying people ‘The Real Living Wage’ makes both business and crucially community sense.

Lets spread the word and continue to work together to spread this important message.

https://www.livingwage.org.uk/

Cleaning Up Hygiene Poverty

As a headline sponsor, Futures Supplies Managing Director, Marc Kemp and Office Manager, Andrew Hills were delighted to support Cleanology ’s third annual charity evening at The Globe, in support of The Hygiene Bank.

Raising over £30,000 for the charity in cash and product donations, it is fast becoming one of the cleaning industry’s biggest annual flagship events.

The Hygiene Bank believe that basic hygiene is not a privilege and their vision is that one day everyone living in the UK will have access to essential hygiene products. With a mission to bring communities, businesses and thought leaders together they hope to tackle hygiene poverty providing access to products and being a voice for change.

We would like to extend our thanks to Dominic and the fabulous team at Cleanology for all their hard work in pulling off such a successful event. We look forward to continuing our support of this worthy cause.

Find out more about The Hygiene Bank here www.thehygienebank.com

Bee Kind!

Our Managing Director, Marc Kemp was delighted to be invited to visit the beehives at the Bee Urban site in Kennington Park by Hive Cleaning who we have been in collaboration with, though their sponsorship program, to support this worthy project.

Bee Urban is a social enterprise that aims to work with communities to improve the environment for the benefit of us all. Focusing on responsible urban beekeeping, horticulture and community growing. It’s not just about bees, people are vital to Bee Urban.

Community engagement and volunteering is important to the project, providing opportunities to contribute to the locality, be creative and reduce social isolation.

Our friends at Hive Cleaning are a B Corp certified, ethical office cleaning company who are committed to making a positive impact on the environment. As part of their efforts, Hive Cleaning have pledged to sponsor a beehive for every new cleaning contract they are awarded. 

Futures Supplies are delighted to sponsor this worthy project as of one of our key sustainability initiatives.