Eco-friendly cleaning business makes Howbery Park its new home

Commercial cleaning company, Ecocleen, has relocated its Head Office from Henley to Howbery Business Park, Wallingford. The environmentally-friendly cleaning operation which employs a workforce of 1100 through its network of franchisees built up over 25 years, operates right across the UK, providing commercial cleaning for businesses, schools, nurseries and medical facilities.

Managing Director, Jean-Henri Beukes, and his father, Executive Chairman, Henry, who acquired Ecocleen in January last year, were both Ecocleen franchisees before taking over the management of the company. With an annual turnover of £10 million, Ecocleen’s customers include some household names such as Mulberry, Numatic, the makers of Henry vacuum cleaners, and Williams F1 in Wantage.

The green focus runs through all areas of the business from the eco-friendly, bio-degradable cleaning products, and pulse-technology mops that use less water than conventional ones, to energy and paper-saving measures. The company has embraced automation which is not only very efficient but also reduces paper usage, with staff recording their time via a mobile app.

Jean-Henri Beukes said: “We wanted to find a home for the business that suited the company ethos, and which provided a better environment for our employees. I was invited to Howbery Park by a company already based here, and I fell in love with the campus feel. Donna and The Estates Team have made us really welcome and we already feel part of the park community.”

Donna Bowles, Howbery Park Estates Manager, said: “Ecocleen is a great example of a family-run business with a culture which really values its people, and we’re delighted they have chosen to relocate to Howbery. We work hard to look after the park landscape, so we’re very pleased to hear that it was the look and feel of the park with its solar farm that attracted Ecocleen to move their business here.”