BUSINESS NEWS
From Fuller Industries Inc....
Fuller Industries Inc. sits at the nexus of two notable growth trends in the world of cleaning products.
The total global market for these is growing, with a value of $302.9 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.3% between 2024 and 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.
At the same time, the environmentally sustainable product market is expected to grow from $270.89 billion in 2022 to $430.61 billion by 2030, data from Zion Market Research shows.
“We are well positioned to capitalize on both of these,” said Joe Mann, Fuller general manager and vice president. “We are focused on growth, and we want to do so in an environmentally responsible way.”
This makes earth-sense and business sense, he said. As the longtime Great Bend manufacturer courts new customers, more and more clients require green certifications.
Mann pointed to two of many examples of the company’s efforts.
First, Fuller is looking at what it uses as surfactants, compounds that reduce the surface tension in a cleaner that allows the dirt to rise to the surface. Petroleum-based products have been the industry standard for decades, and Fuller is changing completely over to natural ingredients.
Second is Fuller’s award-winning monopod dosing system. Monopods are 100 percent water-soluble capsules containing concentrated formulas that simplify cleaning and provide easier dosing. These make it possible to use fewer and smaller plastic containers, and they save on shipping/costs by allowing more products to be transported in a smaller, lighter manner.
“We go to great lengths to ensure that we behave as responsible global citizens,” Mann said. “We have learned that being environmentally aware and business-oriented can exist hand-in-hand.”
And, they have the certifications to back this.
Fuller products come with the Environmental Protection Agency Safer Choice label. Products are entitled to this distinction because they are identified as an option for consumers and commercial buyers with safer chemical ingredients.
“We voluntarily participate in the Safer Choice program,” he said. “As a leader in our industry, we have made substantial investment in researching and developing these formulations.”
Products must meet stringent criteria to earn the label, and it goes beyond ingredients: standards for performance, the pH of the product, the way it is packaged, and other considerations all play a role.
The EPA uses strict safety criteria to review every ingredient, for the environment and human health, including carcinogenicity, reproductive/developmental toxicity, toxicity to aquatic life, and persistence in the environment.
The EPA audits the products carrying the label annually, to ensure the standards are retained. “The results speak for themselves: our products are safer and more sustainable,” he said. In addition, Fuller cleaners have the Green Seal label, meaning they are certified by Green Seal, a global nonprofit organization and leading ecolabel. Green Seal has maintained standards for health, sustainability, and product performance for more than 30 years, and helped to drive permanent shifts in the marketplace.
“Through its Green Seal labeling, the organization has empowered consumers to make better purchasing decisions and rewarded innovators in the industry,” Mann said. The certification program as well as other initiatives encourage the development of sustainable products for facility cleaning that are safer to use and to accelerate the adoption across the market.
To get labeled with the Green Seal, products and services undergo a review process that ensures they meet rigorous performance, health, and environmental standards. The organization employs scientists and experts who validate that a product or service meets the science-based standards for certification.
“That Green Seal certification helps buyers and consumers make healthier choices that are better for the environment,” he said. Purchasing policies used by more than 100 federal, state, and local government authorities specify Green Seal, and more than 33,000 products have met the standards set forth for performance, environment, and safety.
“As all of these demonstrate we are adamantly committed to making sure we meet the needs of our customers, while not forgetting our shared responsibility to the world around us,” Mann said. “Business is booming, and we are on the cutting edge.”