IDEAL - A Family Business Formula for Success

The Kallis – father, Mike "Magic-Mix" and son, Phillip – run their family business, Ideal Manufacturing, out of their one-of-a-kind facility in Northamptonshire.

Mike Kalli became the founder of a family business partially by design and partially by accident. After getting his PhD in Chemistry, Mike got a job as a chief chemist at a large chemical company. However, he didn't find his calling until he overheard a conversation among colleagues about one of the largest laundries in Europe, the James Hayes Group. They couldn't solve a problem with persistent staining, or at least not with conventional chemistry.

So Mike Kalli went home and made his "Magic-Mix" – an innovative chemical formula that immediately impressed the James Hayes Group, so much so that they ordered 4 tonnes of the product on the spot directly after Mike demonstrated its efficacy. Within a few years, Mike's fledgeling company, Ideal Manufacturing, picked up the whole of Europe in terms of commercial laundry clients.

Phillip Kalli, Mike's son, was aware of the family business growing up, but never imagined he'd play an integral role in its future. For many years, his career took a different path through music and mass media.

In 2008, Mike Kalli was thinking about selling the business, but when Phillip came to him and offered to join, he decided to give it another year just to see if the father-son collaboration could change his mind.

So, Phillip Kalli became part of Ideal Manufacturing, bringing his experience to bear on the company's somewhat outdated marketing. Innovation is part of Ideal's DNA, and just as his father innovated the chemical formulas the company was built on, Phillip innovated not only how the independent detergent business reaches its customers but also how they sell their product.

Now, Ideal has a robust presence online and thousands of followers on social media. Their detergent is available all over the UK in farm shops that will refill any container customers bring in. This way, the family detergent manufacturer keeps its plastic footprint to a minimum.

Mike and Phillip Kalli now share a vision for the future of their family business, and Ideal Manufacturing hasn't looked back since.

Every family business is host to a hundred entertaining anecdotes, tales of courage, devastating failures, and soaring successes. The lessons that can be learnt from them are countless, and the next generation of owners is entrusted with the task of continuing the tale. The medium of film offers an exciting channel to capture the essence of your family business and motivate the next generation to share in your vision and legacy. The experience of making a film about your legacy offers a unique opportunity for emotional connection, creating a powerful space for meaningful dialogue across generations. It is also a powerful tool for external marketing that can help build brand awareness and authenticity around your company’s reputation.