Cold snap boosts sales at Kilfrost

Jan 7 2010 by Chris Knox, The Journal

AS snowstorms sweep through the northern hemisphere, a leading global de-icing company has been working around the clock to help support the world’s transport infrastructure, and now expects to grow its sales by over 20% as a result.

Newcastle-based Kilfrost has seen one of the busiest periods in its 75-year history, with production of its de-icing fluid in December doubling to 8 million litres compared to the same month last year.

The firm also said that the 60 workers at its production plant in Haltwhistle had been working overnight in recent weeks and that they had only taken Christmas day and New Year’s day off to service the firm’s international clients.

It has provided Italy with a year’s supply of de-icing fluid in just 14 days in December and was experiencing unprecedented demand from its airline customers in other parts of Europe and East Asia.

Although the firm’s export operations have themselves been affected by the cancellation of international flights around the world, it said that its manufacturing plants in Japan, Korea, Belgium and the USA were helping to keep the business moving.

The firm, which employs another 50 staff in other countries, also said that, although it had not dramatically increased its workforce as a result of the conditions, it was looking to build up its team of chemists over the next 12 months to help develop its range of products.