By Casey Neill
Greencare Developments’ Iain Chaney made “a rare thank-you to a bank” during his acceptance speech at the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.
The Dandenong South business took home the Corporate Social Responsibility/Innovation Award from the Wednesday 30 November event at Greyhounds Entertainment in Springvale thanks to a nomination from the National Australia Bank.
“We’re really passionate about natural, environmentally-friendly products,” Mr Chaney said.
“For the past four years now we’ve really focused on skin care products and we’ve really developed a lot.”
Greencare Developments is a 26-year partnership between Mr Chaney, Bill Daft, Andrew Chaney and Graham Smith.
They put their success down to knowing each other’s key strengths, meeting regularly to discuss the business and not proceeding unless everyone agrees.
They originally had a licence to manufacture sunscreen and developed the first sprayable version of the product.
They sold that arm in 2004 and developed Orange Power and other products that were “genuinely natural, not just claiming to be natural”.
Brands include Orange Power, Aware, Actzme and Organic Choice, plus contract manufacturing for companies including the Thank You group.
Company growth in the past two years has been as high as 35 per cent.
Greencare employs 45 people – 20 who’ve started in the past 18 months and several who’ve been there more than 25 years – and is looking to expand into export.
“Particularly into China, as probably everyone is,” Mr Chaney said.
“It’s a difficult market to get into but we’re hopeful.”
Greencare has plans to build Australia’s first environmentally-responsible factory in Melbourne, incorporating a thermal natural grass roof, water recycling, wind and solar-assisted power, and more.
