Alistair Houghton meets SIMON CARROLL,managing director of plastics recycler Centriforce

IT’S hard to believe the thin plastic films that cover so many of our supermarket purchases can be transformed into tiles as tough as concrete.

But that’s the story of Centriforce, whose Stokbord recycled plastic boards are used to protect underground cables throughout Europe and the Middle East.

The north Liverpool firm converts plastic waste including polythene film and milk bottles into products including cable protectors, benches and boardwalks.

Managing director Simon Carroll has seen the firm’s turnover double to £10m since he took the helm four years ago as its push into overseas markets has paid dividends.

And he is quietly confident that, as the UK emerges from recession, Centriforce will be able to double its turnover again in the next five years.

The secret, he says, is that the company’s products have been successful for their quality and not just for their green credentials.

“Our products really don’t compete against other plastics,” he said. “They compete against other materials.

“We’ve replaced concrete with cable tiles. In some places, we’ve replaced steel. We’ve replaced timber.

“Our products sell because they are better than the alternative.

“But we have noticed in the last two years that there is a great incentive for companies to be seen to be doing the right thing, and to be associated with recycling.

“We fit the bill quite neatly.”

Centriforce, originally called Chisholm Plastics, was founded in 1976 by Niall Roy.

“It was one of the first plastics recyclers in the city at that time,” said Carroll.

“Niall recognised at an early stage that, to add value to what he was doing, it would be ideal to make products rather than just making granules. He started to make sheet products and the company started to grow.”

In the 1980s, utility companies began using Chisholm’s plastic boards instead of concrete tiles to protect their underground cables, giving the company a boost.

In 1991, Chisholm took over Worcester rival Plastics Recycling. The two companies operated separately but shared a new central sales force – christened Centriforce.

In 1997, that became the name of the whole group, while the Worcester business was eventually closed down and moved to Merseyside.

Today, Centriforce employs 70 people at its home off Derby Road that was expanded substantially in 2000 and can process up to 20,000 tonnes of raw material a year: “We’re probably the largest in Europe at what we do,” said Carroll.

Centriforce buys in raw materials including polythene film, food packaging, bubble wrap and milk bottles.

Firstly, the plastic is melted into pellets in the recycling room.

Next that raw material feedstock is extruded – heated and pressed – to make rolls, sheets or boards of new material.

The finished products bear no resemblance to their raw materials. Bundles of polythene and plastic packaging are turned into the rock- solid Stokbord, Centriforce’s core product.

It is used to protect underground utility cables, including electricity and fibre optic cables, from damage.

The product – which has bright warning labels printed on its surface – is so robust it has now replaced concrete as the cable protector of choice for many developers.

“We supply virtually every utility contractor in the UK and we sell it all over the world,” said Carroll.

Stokbord is also used in agriculture as it is rot-proof and, crucially, resistant to chewing. It is often used in stables and in pigsties as an alternative to plywood.

Meanwhile, plastic milk bottles are transformed into planks that can be used as boardwalks, made into benches or used for potato boxes.

Carroll repeatedly calls Centriforce a “true recycler”, melting down waste and then creating new products with it.

“With recycling, the terminology has got a bit lost,” he said. “People refer to recycling as materials being collected and taken away.”

The vast majority of Centriforce’s raw materials come from the UK, whether from supermarkets chains such as Waitrose, from local authorities or from other intermediary firms.

“Getting hold of the raw material is probably the hardest part of the business,” said Carroll. “But we’ve been doing this for 30 years, so we’ve got good relationships.”

Centriforce’s UK sales have been hit during the recession, but the company has been able to maintain its impressive growth by increasing exports. It sells throughout Europe, but its main export market is the Middle East – its boardroom contains examples of Arabic-printed cable protectors.

Its key markets include Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“We set out four years ago with the strategy of doubling the size of the company,” said Carroll. “We achieved that last year. We are going through a similar strategy now.

“We see lots of growth in existing products and we’re also looking for new products.

“We have had a good year. We have seen some drop-off in the UK market, but we’ve made that up with exports. That’s been the result of hard work, and something we set out to do four years ago coming to fruition.

“It’s been a tough time for manufacturing companies, but we’ve battled through.”

Carroll, originally from Durham, became a management consultant after university before joining Stockton-based chemicals firm Bridge Polythene Industries.

A decade later, in 2001, he joined Centriforce as sales director.

“I was part of a very large organisation,” he said. “There were layers and levels of management. But I wanted to be part of a decision-making team, making a difference.”

Carroll, who lives in Southport with his wife, Hilary, and their four children, became Centriforce managing director four years ago.

Founder Mr Roy is still chairman and his family owns the business.

Carroll is quietly confident that Centriforce’s growth can continue.

“We’ve got the foundations for a fantastic future,” he said.

“We talk about doubling our size, but we’ve got the potential to take it even further.”