About Kleenso Awarded the Golden Brand Product Award.
KLEENSO RESOURCES SDN BHD
BUILDING A WORLD-CLASS DETERGENT PRODUCT
The household and industrial detergents market is a highly competitive market with international brand names like Unilever, Procter and Gamble and Colgate Palmolive dominating the hypermarket shelves with a wide range of their products. Many local brands have attempted to penetrate the market but were largely unsuccessful.
That is until recently, when a local household detergent brand “Kleenso” started to make its presence felt in the hardware stores and do-it-yourself outlets in the country. Today, Kleenso is marketed in over 1,200 hardware and DIY stores as well as consumer retail chains and shops throughout the country.
Consumers, both household and industrial users, are attracted to Kleenso products for their environmental-friendly and effective cleaning solutions. Its products ranged from household detergents, enzyme cleaners, pest solutions, silicone, glue and double-sided tape, car care and maintenance, industrial cleaners, batter, sponge to bio-degradable garbage bags.
The wide range and growing popularity of its Kleenso cleaning solutions in the secondary market has prompted the big hypermarket players to invite the manufacturers of Kleenso to put their products in their chain of hypermarkets. Some has requested the company, Kleenso Resources Sdn Bhd, to OEM a range of its Kleenso detergent products for their hypermarkets.
Kleenso products are also exported to over 10 countries all over Asia, namely Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Maldives, Brunei and Australia.
What has made Kleenso an up and coming player in the highly competitive detergent industry which has more than 10 major players and numerous back-yard cleaning solutions and detergent manufacturers?
Kleenso Resources Sdn Bhd was started in 2003 by 43 year old Lee Teck Meng, who has spent more than 10 years studying and developing the raw materials for making cleaning products and cleaning solutions for both the household and industrial products market.
Holder of a MBA (Masters in Business Administration), Lee understudied a master chemist for several years and became a small partner in a commodity detergent manufacturing firm known as Matechem Sdn Bhd. Matechem was one of the pioneer in the use of palm oil to manufacture chemicals for the detergent manufacturers.
However, the going was tough, work was repetitive and margins were low as there was intense competition in the market. After several years with Matechem, Lee decided to branch out and venture into the more challenging and competitive cleaning solutions and detergent products market himself. With his long-time Matechem partner, he set up Kleenso Resources Sdn Bhd to handle the development, marketing and distribution of Kleenso products. But this time round, he is in the driver’s seat, no longer a minor partner.
Unlike other wannabe entrepreneurs who come out with their guns blazing with a fanfare of advertisements and loud promotions in the market, Lee adopted a low-key and low-profile business approach.
He started by undertaking a detailed study of the cleaning solutions and detergent market to determine what are the strength and weaknesses of the industry and the likes and dislikes of the consumer. He also did detailed research and development to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the cleaning solutions and detergents and came up with a refreshing range of products that are anti-bacterial, non-stick, shiny, moisture-rich and even perfumed or smell-enhanced. More importantly, the Kleenso range of products are environment-friendly and healthy to the users.
With such niche qualities in hand, he approached the hardware stores and the DIY stores to market his “Kleenso” range of products. The going was very tough initially as the hardware and DIY stores doubted the authenticity and effectiveness of the Kleenso products.
Lee had to personally explain and demonstrate the use of the various detergents and cleaning solutions to his potential customers. Over time, consumers who bought the Kleenso products, returned in droves to purchase more of the products, which gave the hardware and DIY stores confidence to stock more and market the Kleenso products aggressively.
Today, after six years of research and development, and travelling the length and breath of the country to promote and popularize his products, Lee has succeeded in building a strong brand name for “Kleenso”. The name “Kleenso” is synonymous with high quality, environmental-friendly anti-bacterial cleaning solutions and detergents.
Although the product price is slightly higher than the market in general, its sales are growing steadily as consumers realized that the ingredients used in Kleenso products are not only effective, safe but also long lasting. In the long run, consumers feel there is good value for money in Kleenso products.
However, there is much that needs to be done if Kleenso Resources is to be successful.
“We need to continue to develop our product range and build up our finances and human resources to tackle the growing demand for our products. In particular, we need to beef up our marketing team so that we can promote our products nationwide as well as to the global market, “ says Lee.
“We also need to come up with new products to serve new and niche markets. One such product that we are developing for the niche market is insect repellent. This product, using a special natural oil formula, will repel insects and bugs such as mosquitoes, ants, flies, cockcroach and even lizards’ Lee added.
Lee feels the market for niche and customized cleaning solutions and detergents is huge and relatively untapped in Malaysia. There is much opportunities for growth, but we must remained focused and committed to develop the market.
Lee thinks the international market for such products is even larger. We are not only increase our range but also expanding our presence in the overseas market.
Lee’s dream is to put an environmental friendly, safe anti-bacterial detergent product and cleaning solution in every household. He plans to transform “Kleenso” into a global brand and in the process, make Malaysia proud.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step. Lee Teck Meng has taken that first step on his journey to make “Kleenso” a world class product used in every corner of the world.
Ends.
