How was 2022 for Oates (Freudenberg)?

2022 was another great year for Freudenberg. We still had to deal with challenges related to the pandemic, with the first months seeing people in their own self-imposed ‘shadow lockdown’. We learnt a lot from the previous years and our professional team was well prepared to face the challenge.

Highlights were many. All our professional team completed the ISSA Oceania Accredited Auditing Professional (AAP) certification. As trusted advisors in matters related to cleaning, our professional team is now knowledgeable to support customers, who are dealing with challenges and need support to find the best ad-hoc solution for their facility. Passion for cleaning is a key driver for continuous learning and improve the quality of service to our customer. The launch of new innovative solutions was another highlight of 2022. Vileda Professional is increasingly becoming a brand leader for the healthcare sector.

What have been some of the learnings from the past 12 months?

The main learning for us was not only to be agile in reacting to what was happening but also to have a great ability to adapt to the ‘new normal’ and take actions to seize opportunities. The pandemic has greatly accelerated smart working and the companies that have been able to plan it correctly have gained an advantage, not only in terms of productivity, but also in terms of motivation and commitment from employees.

Since the pandemic and the introduction of hybrid working models, where you work doesn’t matter anymore. The most important thing is communication and culture. Today our team is stronger than before because we managed to reorganise and make territorial barriers an element related to the past.

What do you see as the main challenges the market is facing in 202?

Supply chain is still the biggest challenge, at least the first part of 2023. Businesses will need to build protective measures into supply chains to deal with shortages and rising logistical costs. Freudenberg is in a good position thanks to global agreements that guarantee synergies and opportunity to mitigate risks of disruption.

What do you expect to be the big trends of 2023?

Digital transformation is one of the big trends. The right technology implemented throughout internal processes can generate positive impact on business and the wider industry. After launching the Vileda Professional Australia website in 2021, we have successfully launched an upgraded version of the Oates Professional website. Our digital communication channels are constantly updated to offer the best possible experience to our customers.

How do you see the cleaning industry evolving in 2023?

One of the effects of the pandemic has been an increased public concern over health. The demand for ‘hygienic’ cleaning has grown and higher standards are mandatory.

A healthier environment is subject to work towards two main objectives: better cleaning service and advanced cleaning products and equipment.

Cleaning businesses have to look at hiring better professional cleaning staff and guarantee them training to provide the high-quality service customers expect. The choice of the right products and not the cheapest products is crucial to achieve high quality results.

The industry has always focused to spend less money in the short term and not on the long-term return on investment. The choice of efficient and effective products makes a huge difference in any cleaning contract.

Are there any key sustainability commitments/targets the company has made for 2023? 

We are facing an increase in the demand for raw materials and at the same time limited essential resources. The world population continues to grow, consequently so does the demand for these finite resources. The processes of extraction and use of raw materials have a great impact on the environment and increase energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

A more rational use of raw materials can help reduce CO2 emissions. This is where the concept of circular economy comes into play, in which Freudenberg strongly believes. it is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, borrowing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. This extends the life cycle of products, helping to reduce waste to a minimum.

Once the product has finished its function, the materials of which it is made are in fact reintroduced, where possible, into the economic cycle. Therefore, they can be continuously reused within the production cycle, generating further value.

Our commitment is strong towards sustainability. We have recently launched products made from 100 per cent recycled material that can be recycled into new products.

We have developed a CO2 calculator, that can tell how much CO2 can be saved, by using products made from recycled material compared to virgin. The calculator is available on our websites. Any product we will launch in the future will always take sustainability into consideration.

What advice would you give to fellow leaders in the cleaning industry?

The focus has to be on the workplace. Company culture can impact employee’s engagement and performance. This is not something abstract.

Everyone is asked to contribute to make his workplace a better place. Lead by example, be humble and go to work every day thinking on how you can make things better.

This first appeared in INCLEAN magazine. 

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