Save water, boost profits
March 31st 2008 Ecosave designs and manufactures water saving products, developing new technology along the way. What's more, it can help other companies bring products to market through its design and manufacturing department. Brendan Coyne reports
Formed by ex-water company professionals, Ecosave focuses on designing, developing and manufacturing water conservation and water control products. Based in Paignton,Devon, the company works with several UK water companies, of which South West Water is currently its strongest affiliate.
Although a young company, managing director, John Ellacott says its directors have been involved in water projects as individuals for around 25 years, with 45 years combined experience at director level.
"Our aim is to use innovation to develop new ways of saving energy and water in domestic and commercial properties,"says Ellacott."From a washroom perspective,we have solutions for each of the water-using devices that you find in a washroom – automatic taps, WC flushing devices, urinal flushing devices,water leak alarms and controls and systems that turn water on and off automatically when people enter or leave the washroom."
But aren't there other established companies doing very well in that area?
"There are established water control device companies that are very competent at what they do, but they use traditional technology.We create new technology to outperform those products, taking the design and the development one step further."
He says the Ureco, a new patented form of urinal sleeve which fits all types of urinals globally, is one such example:After spending the best part of a year in development, the company devised a solution where the enzyme that breaks down uric salts is now positioned above the water line rather than below.The result is that it fits all urinal types by negating the need for a stem.This means it can be sold globally, rather than limited to countries that use similar types of urinal to the UK.
"Our strength is our R&D capability.We're one of the only companies in this sector with our own in-house facility where we can design, rapid prototype and manufacture:we even make our own electronics and develop our own systems;most companies outsource those facilities. So we have a very intimate knowledge of our components and control of our products that other firms just don't have.
"But we are not averse to helping other companies coming to us for help with product design, or assistance in bringing the product to market – it's one of the services we offer in the design side of our business."By way of example, Ellacott says Ecosave helped develop and manufacture the Sani-Sleeve for Enviro-Fresh, which was subsequently bought by Rentokil for £9m.
Richard Lees, a specialist in computer aided design (CAD) for engineering, heads up the firm's design department (ecosavedesign.co.uk).With the Ureco newly launched via distributor Hygienex, he says the focus is to build Ecosave's product portfolio and develop more products for other companies.
"The software and equipment we have at our disposal means we can go into immense detail in terms of testing and flow analysis – we can tell exactly how a product will react and solve any problems that would otherwise arise before going to market.
"There are many companies within the washroom sector and we can help them differentiate their products by making them functional, aesthetically pleasing and user friendly.Whether they want a complete in-house design and manufacturing service for every single component, or just the design and source their own components and manufacturing, we can deliver it." More articles from Ecosave Systems Limited: | 
