by Philip John Mills
I am very proud to have been trading for 30 years, especially as some of it has been during a very tough recession period. Unfortunately, not all businesses have been so fortunate. Starting your own business is never easy and we should all acknowledge and celebrate these achievements for our businesses, large or small.
It all started in 1986. While on a business trip for my employer, Albright & Wilson, to South Africa I was approached by John Thompson of Chemical & Industrial Marketing. John was the owner of CIM a major South African distributor based in Durban. CIM was the Durban distributor for…
Read More
by Philip John Mills
Throughout most of my career agriculture has played a part. My grandad, Jim Phelps, as a young man was a very hard working milk recorder for the Milk Marketing Board; he also worked as a relief milker and turned his hand to any job on local farms to make money and save up to buy a farm which he did in 1952. A fantastic achievement. Within a few years he increased the acreage to 240 acres. His career and success was totally based on hard work and determination and I thank him for inspiring me. Today his …..
Read More
by Philip John Mills
Cayley Chemicals is based in the UK with its head office at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The UK is the best place in the world for an International Trading Company for a number of good reasons:
- The UK is home to the world language of English
- It is on GMT so that it’s easy to trade with all parts of the world during the working day
- It has the best banking and legal system in the world
- It is a free, democratic, capitalist country
Thirty years ago the UK was very strong in chemical manufacturing. For many years the biggest company was ICI Plc, initially based on Soda Ash used in large quantities in the manufacture of ….
Read More
by Philip John Mills
We first bought from India back in 1989 from Modi Alkali, a 35% Chlorine product that we sold to the mining industry in southern Africa for disinfectant purposes. In the last 20 years Indian Industry has very much developed. One only has to see how the conglomerate Tata is now a major player in Cars, buses, lorries and steel and not only in India but internationally. Indian generic pharmaceuticals are recognised the ….
Read More
by Philip John Mills
When I started Cayley Chemicals back in 1987 China was just developing its chemical industry. Prior to ’87 China exported some basic chemical raw materials but the quality was terrible. However, just as I started Cayley, China got its act together and quality Chemical products started to …..
Read More
by Philip John Mills
Albright and Wilson was founded by Arthur Albright and John Wilson as a manufacturer of Potassium Chlorate and White Phosphorus for the match industry. In 1892 Albright and Wilson became a private limited company, Albright and Wilson Ltd, and it remained a double family-owned firm for nearly 100 years, until 5 March 1948 when it became a public company. Albright and Wilson expanded considerably into silicones, detergents, food additives, metal finishing chemicals, strontium based chemicals and Chromium based chemicals. It was the second largest chemical manufacturer ….
Read More
