Business Profile
It was 1st October 2003; I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited to join Clentec’s family-run business as their financial controller, and since I knew of their good reputation, it did not take me long to accept. In my early days I studied the structure, business, and weaknesses and strengths of the company. After some serious discussions with the board, we then had a clearer view of where we needed to steer the company, which at the time was one of the youngest cleaning companies around.
I am proud to say that during my 20 years at Clentec I have played a major role as a financial director that has enabled the company to achieve the success that it is enjoying today. This was established through financial strategy, thus maximising profits without lessening the standard and the quality we deliver to our clients.
Part of my responsibility was to oversee and scrutinise all procurement of assets to get better value for money. This helped in keeping our costs down, which in return increased our client base. For example, some 10 years ago, the company decided to manufacture our own detergents under the brand name VAP. The decision was taken as prices of imported goods were increasing, threatening to render the business uncompetitive.
The next step the company is looking to take is to become greener by using less harmful detergents and more eco-friendly products.
It was also necessary to improve the equipment and machinery used by our operatives to make us more efficient in delivering our services. All our floor scrubbers, mechanical sweepers and other machinery were upgraded to better models that can deliver better frequency, less noise, and better filtration. We have also purchased vacuums for specialised areas such as clinics with 0.3-micron particle size.
I am proud to say that we have strengthened our teams through regular meetings. Through this, the board and myself looked into our corporate image, which needed updating, together with the premises, as the company was growing rapidly. New premises were purchased, where we still operate today, which also include our own cleaning academy. Among the measures taken to update our corporate image there was the introduction of colour-coded unforms for each of our teams.
My job doesn’t stop there. Besides my regular meetings with the CEO, banking officials and team leaders and managers to discuss budgets, I also decided to advance my position through further education, and in 2018 I enrolled in the ACCA.
Having achieved so much to date, I look forward to the future with great excitement, where I continue to look to more innovative ways to help with the company’s growth and the environment, including through the introduction of more electric vehicles, an increased focus on recycling, the possibility of utilising greener products, and by investigating ways of achieving a cleaner, brighter future.
Our motto is getting it right the first time, every time, while providing good value for money.
