The history of the company starts with a man named Harry Crook (b 1889). Whilst trying to seek his fortune in America in the early part of the 20th Century, he obtained employment with the Fuller Brush Company. After his return to England in 1923, he set up his own brush business in Bristol called the Kleen-E-Ze Brush Company.
The original Kleeneze site in Bristol
The first major milestone in the company came in 1930 when, despite the shortage of available money, the annual turnover topped £1 million for the first time.
Diversification came in 1937 with the introduction of wax polishes to compliment the brushes. Kleeneze obtained a place in industrial history in 1959 by becoming the first company to introduce the 40 hour week.
Kleeneze are a founder member of the Direct Selling Association (DSA) who hold their member companies to a strict code of trading ethics.
In 1970 Kleeneze lead the way as one of the first companies in the UK to pioneer network marketing – a bold step at the time, but one they have never regretted.
The first Kleeneze catalogue, called ‘Shopping at Home’ – was produced in 1982. This replaced the door to door salesman with his suitcase, who became the new door to door salesman with his catalogue.
After celebrating their 75th anniversary in 1998, Kleeneze extended its field of operation into Ireland and changed its name to Kleeneze Europe Limited. Just 6 years later, the company expanded its operations into the Netherlands and more recently in 2016, Kleeneze launched into Spain.
Since its inception in 1923, Kleeneze has made profit every year.
Currently turning over around £80 million, Kleeneze’s turnover is projected to grow significantly over the years ahead. Not only is the company set to expand, but so are the earning potentials of their self-employed distributors.