Hydro International Makes a Splash!
A Clevedon-based company has a bright future thanks to the nation's growing appetite for sustainable urban developments. Hydro International, which develops and markets innovative products for water treatment and waste water management, has seen its turnover quadruple in the last five years to £22m and this looks set to continue.
Established 27 years ago, AIM-listed company Hydro International found itself in the right place at the right time as sustainability surged up the political agenda and public conscience. With its headquarters in Clevedon and additional offices in Ely, Cambridgeshire, US and Ireland, it has gone from strength-to-strength bedding down acquisitions and growing organically. As a result, it has been recognised for its phenomenal growth by Beacon South West, a South West of England Regional Development Agency initiative that brings together the region's best businesses.
Hydro International's customers include the UK's main water companies, who have budgets in excess of £16billion for use by 2010 and property development companies that are required to control and treat urban storm water from new developments as part of the UK's planning regulations.
The company has developed a range of technologies, requiring no power or moving parts to operate, that control urban run off, treat stormwater and municipal wastewater, all with the aim of providing cost-effective solutions for controlling the quantity and improving the quality of water in the urban environment. The company has also recently launched its own rainwater re-use system, known as the StormBank™ that can reduce the amount of potable water consumption by up to 50 per cent.
Sue Baker, director of Beacon South West, says: "We look to identify the region's leading companies and with Hydro International's impressive credentials in the 'green' arena, it is a welcome addition to the network. We are excited about the contribution the company will be able to make to the regular Beacon boardrooms where representatives from Beacon companies discuss best practice and trends."
Chris Williams, managing director for European Operations at Hydro International, concludes: "Receiving Beacon status has given our staff the recognition they deserve for all their hard work and dedication that keeps us at the cutting edge of the industry.
"We are already benefiting from being a part of the Beacon network. It provides a pool of knowledge and expertise which can be plumbed for wisdom and advice. Only last week, I contacted all the members of the network and asked for input on a business issue and within days I had received lots of feedback. Despite the fact, that we work in diverse sectors, we are still peers and there are common themes and challenges that we can help one another with, irrespective of our day-to-day focus."
