Business Franchise Australia

Ecomist

Ecomist: Ready For the Future

Business Franchise magazine recently interviewed Gary Vandoros, General Manager of Ecomist Australia, about the company prospects and how they compete in the dynamic and highly competitive hygiene market.

Who is Ecomist?

Ecomist started in New Zealand in 1993 and was introduced to Australia in 1994. From its humble beginnings in a back-yard shed in Nelson, it has developed into a multi-million dollar business with a presence in Australasia, Asia and Africa.

The business was founded on the invention of a programmable aerosol dispenser which was used initially for insect control in domestic homes. It then expanded into fragrancing and odour control through a partnership with French perfumist, Yves Dombrowsky. Together, we have developed hundreds of fragrances to meet the needs of our customers.

While we specialise in insect and odour control, we also help our customers achieve best practice hygiene through our extensive range of high-quality hygiene products.

Ecomist has 36 franchised territories across Australia, and we service all metro and most rural areas. Over the last 25 years, we have developed a secure and proven franchise model with a set of values that are common to both the franchisor and franchisees. At the centre of our values is mutuality, which ensures that we act in the best interests of both parties.

The main markets we service are schools, aged care facilities, childcare, hospitality, restaurants, farms and domestic homes.

What needs do you satisfy, and how do you compete?

The hygiene market is very competitive ranging from large multinationals to small individual businesses and many of our customers want a single provider for their hygiene needs. While our core focus is on insect and odour control, we have sourced a range of high quality hygiene products that allow us to meet our customers’ need for a single source provider.

We treat each customer according to their unique needs and our solutions are tailored accordingly. We pride ourselves on having best-in-class products and services and our ultimate aim is to enhance the working and retail environments of our customers to allow them to focus on their customers.

How have you helped your franchisees grow and become more profitable?

Our franchisees operate with between one and 10 staff, depending on the size of their business. Their time is primarily split between servicing existing customers and developing new customers. Two years ago, we recognised that many of their businesses were stagnant. They were spending too much time on servicing and not enough on business development. We introduced new technology in our systems to allow for longer service intervals, thereby saving time on servicing and using this time to gain new customers.

The new technology has also improved service profitability by 30 per cent and helped drive business growth from low single digits to double digits this year.

We have introduced 3 new products that meet the criteria of “best-in-class” over the last 12 months:

  • The toughest metal soap dispenser on the market
  • Futurize Blue Light Insect Traps
  • Scent Diffusors with a new fragrance range

Why should a customer choose Ecomist?

We have national coverage of both Australia and New Zealand, and our franchise partners are all passionate about their service, which we believe is the best on the market.

Our core products are of the highest quality:

  • Aerosols are manufactured in New Zealand.
  • Our natural pyrethrin is sourced from Tasmania and East Africa providing invaluable support for local farmers and subsistence farmers in Africa.
  • Perfumes are sourced from France and are manufactured according to the International Fragrance Association standards.
  • Our solutions are fully serviced and maintained.
  • We are “local businesses” and have a deep understanding of our customers’ needs.
  • Customers are not locked in to contracts so there is no risk in giving us a go.

Are there opportunities for people wanting to become an Ecomist franchisee?

We currently have opportunities in Melbourne, Central Victoria, WA, North Queensland and Tasmania. Anyone interested is welcome to contact me:

Gary Vandoros

Email:  gary.vandoros@ecomist.com.au

Phone: 044 774 3157