PennWhite to open new finished goods warehouse (February 2012)

Despite its extensive size (just over 2,000 sqm), we’ve almost outgrown the storage capacity of our Middlewich production and warehouse unit. In order ensure our service levels are maintained as PennWhite continues to grow, we are finalising a long-term lease on an additional storage facility adjacent to our current premises. This extra warehouse will be dedicated to the storage and despatch of finished goods. It will allow us to hold greater stocks of key products, so that they are always available when you need them.

The space in our current unit vacated by finished goods will be used to hold additional raw materials and utilised by extra production equipment. Both these factors will allow PennWhite to respond even more quickly to customers who need non-stocked products urgently.

Our new warehouse will become operational in April and further information will be given to our supply chain partners in due course.

PennWhite shortlisted for International Trade Award (October 2011)

The inaugural Insider International Trade Awards will celebrate the success of UK businesses involved in overseas trade. PennWhite has been shortlisted in the Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals section in recognition of its achievements in export markets.

In the North West of the UK alone, exports grew by 6% to £25bn last year, with the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies driving the expansion. Managing Director John Whitehead commented, “a healthy export business has always been a fundamental part of PennWhite, our expertise means we can identify and respond quickly to the needs of emerging new markets.”

The International Trade Awards ceremony will take place in the five-star Lowry Hotel at Chapel Warf in Manchester on 7^th December.

Airlifting Antifoam to Afghanistan (June 2011)

PennWhite has supplied its first consignment of specialist defoamer to Afghanpharma, a new pharmaceutical start-up in worn torn Afghanistan.

As part of the country’s efforts to rebuild its economy, supporting new businesses is critical to its prosperity and security. In order to safely deliver the defoamer PennWhite arranged shipment using a Lockheed C-130 transport, one of the few aircraft capable of take-off and landing on the unprepared airstrips found in Afghanistan.

PennWhite becomes a member of the Chemical Business Association (May 2011)

Following a successful audit by the Chemical Business Association (CBA) PennWhite have joined both the CBA and its Responsible Care program.

CBA acts on behalf of the UK’s chemical supply chain. It represents a wide range of organisations, from distributors and traders to manufacturers and blenders as well as logistics and service providers.

The Association’s Responsible Care program is a global initiative that defines the chemical industry’s determination to continually improve its health, safety and environmental performance. As part of its commitment to Responsible Care, PennWhite is working to achieve best practice levels of performance in the program’s eight Guiding Principles. By managing the handling, storage and movement of raw materials and finished products in line with Responsible Care, PennWhite will provide the highest levels of protection for its employees, its customers, the public and the environment.

Don’t stop the press, PennWhite launch Finasil F-5 (April 2011)

Finasil F-5 is an exciting new product for use in commercial printing. A high performance silicone emulsion, F-5 has been specially developed by PennWhite to deliver enhanced protection and re-moistening of heat-set web printing presses.

F-5 is a unique silicone emulsion with exceptional stability, high slip and superior resistance to mechanical shear at ultra-high temperatures and press speeds. F-5 allows the web to glide effortlessly while protecting, enhancing and delivering an exceptional printed signature. Its ability to offer superior protection to heavy inked substrates, and maximum hydration to the paper web, means improved delivery to a press’s folder unit and optimal slip even at very low concentrations.

An additional anti-static agent within F-5 has a unique formulation that’s aids the elimination of static charge and improves the texture and optical brightness of the printed work. Finasil F-5’s high resistance to mechanical shear promotes cleaner path rollers, turner bars, formers and belts, while an optimal amount of biocide protection ensures cleaner dosing tanks, roller trays and feed pipes.

PennWhite launch new website (December 2010)

The new PennWhite website went live on 10th December 2010. Throughout the autumn the business worked closely with the Unit Communications Group in Manchester to create a website that truly reflects the products and people of PennWhite.

One of the prime objectives of the new website is to provide a source of detailed product information for existing and potential customers. As a result, Technical Data Sheets can now be downloaded directly from the website and Safety Data Sheets can be requested on line.

John Whitehead, PennWhite’s Managing Director, was keen that the website reflect the personal touch that has made PennWhite so successful, “Talking to somebody, either face to face or over the phone, is at the heart of our business, our new website is simply another way in which PennWhite can help our customers”.

Meet the PennWhite team.

Only the names have changed (June 2010)
To clarify our antifoam product offering all PennWhite foam control products have being bought together under one established and respected name: Foamdoctor.

PennWhite is the preeminent manufacturer of antifoam products for use in commercial and industrial applications in the UK. Over the last 25 years our foam control range has grown to include Prosil, Foamaxe, Supersil and Foamdoctor. Now, to make it simpler for our customers to select the right product for their needs, every PennWhite antifoam product will be sold under the Foamdoctor name, with its own unique identifying suffix.

The products affected, and their new names, are shown below:

PennWhite moves to Middlewich (April 2010)
On Friday 16th April PennWhite moved into its new premises on the Midpoint 18 Business Park in Middlewich, just a few miles from J18 of the M6 Motorway.

The Office went live the following Monday with the Warehouse following a few days later. Production continued at our old Congleton site for several more weeks and then, following the transfer, commissioning and testing of plant, became operational at Middlewich in June.

Moving the business was a result of our growth over the last few years; the Congleton site was simply too small to accommodate PennWhite any longer. Technical Director Mark Humphries, who organised the relocation, believes that moving to “larger, modern premises will enable us to provide the most efficient and comprehensive service possible to our customers.”

ISO 9001:2008 certification (June 2009)

PennWhite's management system was certified as complying with ISO 9001:2000 (Quality Management Systems) by external auditor Moody International in 2002. Since then PennWhite have continued to revise their procedures as the business has developed and have been assessed each year by Moody International to ensure compliance is maintained.

In November 2008 the International Organization for Standardization replaced ISO 9001:2000 with ISO 9001:2008.

Throughout April and May 2009, PennWhite reviewed its operations to ensure their compliance with the revised and updated Standard. In June Moody International visited the business and carried out an assessment against the new 2008 version of the Standard. Following a thorough review of all areas of the business, Moody International certified PennWhite's Quality management System to ISO 9001:2008.