$2 million wanted to grow greener cleaner

Disinfectant wipes may not be the sexiest of products, but the potential market certainly is. By MIKE PRESTON.

By Mike Preston 

Every Tuesday ‘Money Wanted’ features a new entrepreneur or inventor pitching their products or services.  

Entrepreneur: Craig Frank
Industry: Manufacturing
Company: SunnyWipes
To: Expand disinfectant wipe business

SunnyWipes chief executive Craig Frank acknowledges that the humble disinfectant wipe is not the most glamorous product in the world, but it is one of the most ubiquitous, he says. “Cleaningwipes in the home, for hygiene or safety function in health care, the range of industrial and manufacturing sectors, in mining, in food preparation, these things really are just everywhere” he says.

Frank says SunnyWipes has developed a non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning agent that he hopes will give the company an edge in what he acknowledges is a crowded market.

SunnyWipes’ ethanol (derived from corn) and eucalyptus-based formula is more effective than conventional cleaning wipes that often leave a smudge on glass or involve a two-stage “clean and polish” process, Frank says. 

It is also much less likely to irritate the skin and eyes than the petrochemical-based cleaning agents prevalent in the market, Frank says, an important factor in cleaning items such as eyeglasses, respirators and earmuffs.

It has been a long seven-year journey to get to the point where SunnyWipes is now ready to tackle what is a mature global market dominated by a few big multinational players.

“We’ve really had to overcome market perceptions in terms of what our product can do.We’re taking on the big guys, so we need to make sure any claims we make are tested and verified. They’ve got deep pockets and we haven’t,” Frank says.

The process of independent testing has been time-consuming and expensive, but Frank says SunnyWipes’ products have now overcome verification hurdles including certification as a hospital-grade disinfectant by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) accreditation for use in food manufacturing and preparation environments.

The company, which is majority-owned by Frank, company founder Peter Steve and another private investor, is now seeking a $2 million investment to help it build an international distribution network (it already has a distribution agreement in place for the occupational health and safety niche in Australia and New Zealand) and to finalise development and marketing for a new range of cleaning products, including surface sprays and hand cleaning gels.

Frank says he is particularly hopeful of breaking into Europe, where new regulations are being considered, which would reduce the use of environmentally harmful or toxic chemicals, could help SunnyWipes gain a foothold in the market.

And, he says, there are good prospects of a rapid exit for investors. “The more noise we make in the global market at this stage, the quicker we’ll be taken out of the market. My target is a trade sale for $20–50 million in the next 12–18 months. Given the industry, that is quite realistic,” he says.

Contact Craig Frank: +61 3 8823 5706

Get the latest intelligence on how to grow your business from our Growth Resources: Finance section. See Getting money to start-up, Private equity and Investing in start-ups.

For information on what we SmartCompany looks for in the businesses featured in Money Wanted, contact COMET business adviser Bob Beaumont on 0415 597 080.

For information on Federal Government grants and programs, click here