Autumn 2022Salt Separation Services

The Rochdale-based independent water treatment company is aiming to double turnover in the next five years.

Salt Separation Services - which sells water purification technology to the cruise ship industry, offshore oil and gas sector and the Royal Navy – has a turnover of around £8.4m, employs 81 staff and has contracts in place for the next decade.

Director Sarah Ashworth says the company is on a trajectory to keep growing and reach a £15m turnover in the next five years, a far cry from its humble beginnings 32-years-ago when it was founded by her father, Stephen Grindrod and Kevin Shackleton.

Sarah became a director of the company when Stephen, tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 2019. Kevin’s son, Daniel, took over the reins when he retired in 2011.

She said: “We’ve had a turbulent few years but we’re trying to change our culture. We’ve launched a career development programme and an apprenticeship scheme using Rochdale Training and the local college.

“We had an estimated turnover of £8.4m last year and we hope to double in size in the next five years. We’ve just grown and grown over the last 32 years.”

Sarah was eight months pregnant with her daughter when she became director, and says she learnt a lot in that period of her life.

“I put myself on several leadership courses. In a way, being director is like being a mum; I used the same skills which I found easy to replicate in the workplace,” she explained. “I do see myself as the mum of the business."

The apprenticeship scheme was launched in April 2022, with at least one employed in each department. Sarah hopes to take on two more welding apprentices and plans to look at a graduate scheme after a big site renovation.

She continued: “Before this year we had a couple, but we noticed a big driver was succession planning. With the market being very niche and bespoke, we thought, why not have apprentices in every department up to specialist level.

“We’ve got a big site renovation this year; we’re going to move things round for more space and build a new workshop."

The company recently held a successful family and friends open evening on the back of July’s National Manufacturing Day. On the day, manufacturers across the UK throw open their doors to give local communities the opportunity to see potential careers in the sector.

For security reasons and the nature of Salt Separation Services’ business, staff held a family and friends open evening in lieu of opening to the public.

Sarah added: “The evening went really well. It was lovely to see the staff and their family members.

“We thought it went so well that we’re doing another in October, as a family fun event for charity with a barbeque and bouncy castle.

“It is a family-run business and we try to keep that element as one of our core values. We want everyone to have a close-knit relationship.”

Salt Separation Services works in the offshore oil and gas, marine (both naval and commercial) and industrial markets, where it removes salt from water using reverse osmosis and nanofiltration. This ensures that water is suitable for drinking, process and industrial purposes. Their plant types can treat tap water, right the way through to producing fresh water from seawater on-board ships.

The company has previously been rated one of the 100 most innovation small businesses in Greater Manchester, whilst Stephen and Daniel were both named joint winners of the Business Man of the Year award at the Rochdale Business Awards