For owners and directors of commercial cleaning and FM companies, the current market presents a brutal paradox. Clients are demanding higher hygiene standards and rigorous ESG compliance, yet they are increasingly resistant to cost increases.
You are likely familiar with the internal monologue: How do I protect my margins when labour costs are rising, but contract values remain static?
The traditional answer has been to squeeze efficiency out of staff, asking them to work harder or faster. But that approach has a ceiling. To break through the "margin ceiling" and truly reduce cleaning labour costs, the industry requires a fundamental shift in surface management strategy.
It requires moving from reactive cleaning (scrubbing dirt off) to proactive surface protection (preventing dirt from sticking).
This isn't a theory. It is the proven reality currently in operation at one of the UK’s most prestigious transport hubs: Belfast Grand Central Station.
The Belfast Grand Central Case Study
When Translink, the operator of Northern Ireland Railways, looked to optimise the maintenance of Belfast Grand Central, they weren't just looking for a cleaner station; they were looking for a "Train Station Efficiency Tool."
Partnering with Lamont Cleaning & Support Services - a forward-thinking contractor mirroring the "growth-focused" mindset - they implemented Nordic Chem 2.0 across the estate.
The results provide a blueprint for any FM director looking to scale their business model without scaling costs.
1. The Metric That Matters: 30% Labour Savings
Owen Cormican, Translink’s Senior Facilities Manager, reported a staggering statistic: the implementation of Nordic Chem has led to an average 30% labour saving in station cleaning operations.
For a commercial cleaning business, a 30% reduction in labour hours on a fixed-price contract is transformative. It turns a low-margin site into a high-profit stronghold.
How is this achieved? Nordic Chem 2.0 creates a protective barrier that prevents dirt and contaminants from penetrating the substrate. This means your teams are no longer fighting against stubborn grime. A surface that used to require heavy scrubbing now requires a simple wipe. The result is a direct increase in operational output, allowing teams to clean more square meters in less time.
2. Reducing Risk and Equipment Costs by 75%
Labour isn't the only cost draining your P&L. Equipment rental and safety risks are significant overheads.
At Belfast Grand Central, the application of Nordic Chem to high-level glazing resulted in a 75% reduction in the equipment required for window cleaning. Because the treated glass resists dirt and water spots, the frequency of deep cleaning at height dropped dramatically.
As Owen Cormican noted, this directly translates to a 75% reduction in risk related to working at height. For an FM Director, this lowers insurance liability and equipment rental costs, further bolstering the bottom line.
"We are struggling to find products that clean as well while reducing the amount of abrasive chemicals... Nordic Chem aligns with our sustainability drive." - Michael Lamont, General Manager, Lamont Cleaning & Support Services
The Mechanics of Profitability: How Coating Drives Efficiency
To understand how you can replicate these savings, you must look at the technology as a business asset, not just a chemical.
Nordic Chem 2.0 works by modifying the surface energy of substrates. Uncoated surfaces - whether flooring, stone, or textile - are porous. They absorb oil, moisture, and dirt, which requires time, chemical aggression, and mechanical force to remove.
When coated, the surface becomes hydrophobic and oleophobic. Contaminants sit on top of the layer, unable to bond. This is the "self-cleaning effect".
For your P&L, this technology translates into specific line-item savings proven in our wider testing:
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Hard flooring: Average 43% labour saving on day-to-day cleaning and 84% on periodics.
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Glazing: Average 46% labour saving.
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Washrooms: Average 35% labour saving on day-to-day cleaning and 93% on periodics.
By implementing this protection, you are essentially "upgrading" the client's assets to be self-maintaining, allowing you to redeploy labour to higher-value tasks or reduce total hours to reduce cleaning labour costs significantly.
Winning Tenders with Sustainability Data
In the current B2B landscape, being the cheapest option is a race to the bottom. Being the most sustainable and efficient option is how you win high-value contracts.
Michael Lamont highlighted that Nordic Chem was key to their "sustainability drive." Clients like Translink are under immense pressure to report on ESG metrics.
By partnering with Nordic Chem, you stop providing vague promises of "green cleaning" and start providing hard data. Our solution delivers verified reductions:
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Chemical Usage: Reduced by over 25% per station at Belfast Grand Central.
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Water Consumption: Global average reduction of 63%.
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Electricity: Global average reduction of 76% (due to less machinery use).
When you submit a tender that promises a 30% efficiency gain and a quantifiable reduction in the client’s Scope 3 carbon emissions, you move from being a commodity vendor to a strategic partner.
Addressing the "Implementation Gap"
A common hesitation we hear from Directors is: "This sounds great, but my teams are used to their old ways. Will implementation disrupt operations?"
Michael Lamont’s experience at Belfast answers this directly. He described the application process as "so easy," noting his teams picked it up quickly after training.
Nordic Chem is not just a product supplier; we provide a Corporate Service Offer designed to de-risk your adoption. We don't throw a drum of chemical at you and walk away. We provide:
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Site Audits: We identify exactly where your efficiency leaks are.
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Hands-on Training: We train your staff on application and maintenance to ensure they follow the new process.
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Performance Guarantee: We are so confident in the labour savings that we back our partnership with recurring audits to ensure the results are achieved.
Conclusion: The Future of Your P&L
The success at Belfast Grand Central Station wasn't a fluke; it was the result of a calculated decision to use technology to solve reduce costs and increase standards.
If you are looking to reduce cleaning labour costs, improve your tender win rate, and protect your margins, you cannot afford to rely on outdated cleaning methods. You need a business optimisation model that turns your largest expense - labour - into your competitive advantage.
The data is clear. The case study is proven. The only question is: are you ready to protect your profit?