35 years of Kleen Strike
August 30, 2018
In our latest issue, The Recycler includes a feature on Kleen Strike, which is celebrating 35 years in the industry.
As Laura Heywood of Kleen Strike explained, the company was started by her father in Baltimore back in 1960, “the era of the door to door salesmen”. At that time, offices used impact typewriters for printing; these were then replaced by matrix printers “that used nylon ribbon cassettes.”
As Keywood explains, that was when she and her partner Don Barker “entered the market”, setting up their own company “with the technical support of Kleen Strike Inc.”
They introduced the new concept of reloading in nylon matrix printer cartridges and correctible cassettes, and using a Kuhn inker, began inking black and purple nylon in addition to four process colour ribbon. Within weeks of setting up, as Heywood describes, the company was approached by a large firm based in Liverpool and a business relationship was forged which went on for years.
With the advent of laser toner cartridges, Kleen Strike began collecting and reloading these as well, and when mono inkjet printers were introduced, they began refilling those.
Following a test conducted by the Europe’s Independent Digital Test Laboratory, it was found that Kleen Strike’s remanufactured toner cartridge “achieved one of the best results tested”.
The business continued to go from strength to strength, relocating to its current location near the town centre of Rochdale in 2013. Heywood attributes its success to the excellent customer service and assistance provided by Kleen Strike, as well as the loyalty of its staff.
Heywood became Secretary of UKCRA over 18 years before and has experienced many changes and developments in the industry, while Kleen Strike itself has garnered a number of awards, including, most recently, a Lifetime Achievement Award for Heywood’s contributions to the global remanufacturing industry.
Looking ahead to the next five years, Heywood says that while they are never able to predict what will happen next, “should a new concept or opportunity occur we’ll be sure to embrace it as we’ve always done.”
Find out more about the company’s path to success in Issue 310 of The Recycler.
Categories : Around the Industry
Tags : Business Growth Issue 310 Kleen Strike Success The Recycler
