Squeaky clean success for Mthatha entrepreneur
Squeaky clean success for Mthatha entrepreneur UrsulaAmina Chem is an example of how good marketing and support from government can give birth to brilliant business success.
Growing and nurturing a business is what cleaning company founder Siviwe Mnyaka is all about.
He decided to leave the corporate life of marketing and founded Amina Chem in 2012.
The company produces, markets and distributes cleaning products.
The Mthatha-based business produces about nine tons a day of a range of different cleaning products which are used for laundry, automotive, bathroom and kitchen cleaning products. This company has a variety of 60 different cleaning materials.
“We specialise in the manufacturing and marketing of quality cleaning detergents and equipment for both industrial and domestic cleaning and maintenance,” said Mnyaka.
He added that Amina Chem has grown over the years with its turnover being more than a R1 million.
He added that in the inception stages of the company he only had two employees but this has grown to 17 people.
Amina Chem’s success can also be attributed to the support it received from the Eastern Cape Department of Economic Development Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT).
The company received a boost of R1.5 million for equipment. Along with R600 000 from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) which also was ploughed into purchasing equipment.
“Since 2012 we have grown from manufacturing products by hand in 200 litre drums to semi-automated stainless steel tanks. Our growth has been organic as it has been purely led by customer base growth and new product development.”
The growth led us to move from a 150 square meter factory flat to a 483 square meter factory.
Currently Amina Chem has a client base of over 200 regular customers and supplies clients including several hospitals, Walter Sisulu University as well as funeral parlours, car wash businesses and bus company AB350.
Mnyaka said the experience he received in the marketing industry helped him in growing his business to what it is today.