Expand and contract
April 1st 2007

Trevor Cripps founded TC Contractors in the mid-sixties with a mop and bucket.Today the family-owned firm turns over £48m and is one of the country's largest independent cleaning contractors.According to CEO Peter Ellis, the secret to success is flexibility, security and a long-term outlook. Brendan Coyne reports

Peter Ellis left the retail market two years ago to headup TC Contractors.Now he believes TC is the biggest independent contractor in the retail market, underpinned by an ethos of flexibility."Clients operate in changing markets and we have to remain as flexible as they are – that's the challenge the industry faces." It sounds on message, but his words are backed up with action. Launched earlier this year,TC's carpet cleaning division is a prime example:"The client needed carpet cleaning,we didn't offer it," Ellis explains.

"So we researched, sourced, learned – and returned with a new specialist division."He admits carpet cleaning is a science and the embryonic division has much more to learn.The company aims for five to six big contracts by the end of 2007."Only time will tell – our early findings suggest it's a good business, but like all contracts, it's a hard business." The ability to swiftly react to market demands and opportunities is a benefit of being an independently owned, financially secure company.As opposed to a PLC, Ellis says there's no interference and no shareholders seeking rapid returns. "You're left to get on with the job: Our shareholders are those within the business." This means the company can watch its new projects come to fruition.

Launched 18 months ago, a more developed example is the company's budding external cladding business: "We invested in height access equipment and training and selected two teams to work across the country," says Ellis."It's growing slowly – but surely – and the investment is paying off." Naturally, the company prefers to work the same way with its contracts: a long-term partnership with the client fosters innovation."We continually try and to add value to the client – and we produce that in partnership: trying new methods and technologies (such as diamond technology Twister pads which require no chemicals yet deliver high gloss floors); demonstrating them with the client and being quite open about it.

"The business is always about delivery.

I can't say we get it right 100 per cent of the time. But if we get anything wrong we right it quickly." While the impact of technology and systems on the industry continues to grow,TC, like all successful companies, is more reliant on its people to deliver the goods.Over the last few years ongoing training throughout the organisation has increased using BICSc programmes and passport scheme. Sixty five per cent of its cleaners are full time – meaning quality is retained, cleans are consistent and the company's own time and money saved and re-invested. Ellis says 70 per cent of site managers have been with the company at least three years, some for the best part of two decades."And that has a major part to play when convincing clients to agree longer term contracts – because they know that with experience you get quality, whereas with shorter term contracts it's difficult to hold that." The investment is paying off not only in terms of increasing contracts: Last year TC scooped prestigious Loo of the Year Awards in both supermarket and nightclub categories and came second in the Surrey Mega Growth Awards.The successes have encouraged the company to enter more award programmes – and Ellis is hopeful of more silverware before the end of the year.

With national contracts for Tesco, Budgens and Luminar already secured, Ellis says he will be "extremely happy to have seven or eight national in total" by 2010, suggesting a continuation of rapid growth.

While retail and leisure are its current main markets, the company now aims to increase office cleans business, alongside markets such as logistics, warehouse and distribution, heritage and the public sector. If TC's recent growth is anything to go by, competition in those particular sectors could well be set to intensify.

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