Background

Ancol was formed in 1971 by Ann and Colin Lane. Colin had a vast amount of experience in production management and was currently working with a large fancy leather goods company, producing high quality notebooks and wallets.

Ann had recently left the world of finance to start a family but was very much involved with the creation of the business from the start.

Whilst working with his current employer, Colin developed the idea of manufacturing collars and leads for dogs, alongside the fancy leather production. Colin's' employer was focussed on the core product range and collars and leads were viewed as a "distraction".

Colin and Ann viewed this "distraction" as something bigger, with greater potential for the future. Today, Ancol have a supremely professional company that is viewed by many in the trade as the brand leader.

What makes Ancol different?

Ancol view business through very simplistic eyes. All you have to do to succeed is to offer the right product, the right quality at a fair price and above all, be able to deliver the product on time. Simple!

Offering the "right product" is not so easy. They have over 30 years of pet care experience of deciding what the right product is. Over the last 30 years, they have  developed the range to such a level that the Ancol brand is recognised as the marker leader for collars, leads and accessories.

Quality and price are relatively easy to get right, once you know what the actual product is going to be. Furthermore it is their philosophy that quality is prioritised above piece. Based on that strategy Ancol have an excellent reputation for quality, after 30 years building this reputation, They would rather decline to offer a lower quality than damage the world-renowned reputation.

Finally, nobody in the supply chain can make a profit on an item if it's not available to the customer! A very basic assumption, but how often do you hear the comments "sorry, out of stock", or "sorry temporarily unavailable"? Ancol carry large stocks and have recently implemented an excellent IT system that gives the information to avoid having to apologise to the customer because of poor stock keeping.

Facilities

Ancol is situated very centrally in the UK. With excellent infrastructure all around, getting to any part of the UK is quick and easy. The Ancol site houses the offices, the manufacturing facility, the warehousing and the distribution. With over 5000 square meters of efficient high bay storage, and a modern manufacturing plant, they are prepared for future expansion.

The recent developments in the IT systems have seen the implementation of a new sale order processing procedure that involves operators using hand held computers for order processing. This in turn has helped make the factory floor even "leaner" than before. The result is an industry leading short lead time.

The future

With an excellent track history of volume growth since 1971 and a projected growth of 20% between now and 2006, they are well positioned to increase the lead on the competition. With ever watchful eyes on the East, Ancol welcome the exciting trading opportunities that the future holds.

They have an excellent trading reputation in Asia and hope to develop with its trading partners in the future.

Brand & Private Label

They favour the distribution of the Ancol branded product. Many thousands of pounds are spent each year, supporting the brand and raising consumer awareness. It has been noted that consumers actually request Ancol by name, this is partly due the marketing activity and testimony to the quality of the product itself.

But they also supply private label to various customers, Masterfoods and Pets At Home being the two largest private label customers. They also have clients in Asia where they are treated as the sales agent and the customer takes delivery directly knowing that the Quality Control has been carried out to the Ancol standard. The customer, in this case, obtains the cost benefits due to the Ancol buying power in Asia. This method of doing business is a developing area for them.

Specific trends and developments

They have developed the business by setting the stand ards. The standards of the products have themselves Progressed upwards over the years. Today, Ancol firmly believe that price is not the "be all and end all", consumers expect the product that they buy to "perform". With ever higher consumer expectation, they have slowly developed the core product range towards the middle to upper price points which is proving ever more popular with the customers.

One of the product ranges with revolutionary growth, 400% over the last three years, is fashionable dog wear or dog coats to you and me! They have worked closely with an American designer to produce an outstanding range of dog coats that the UK buying public adore! The items produced are looking more and more like human apparel and made to the same high standards. Look at the new 2004 quilted jackets for example.

For further information: sales@ancol.co.uk

Brief history of Ancol

. Over 30 years of professional pet care.

. Over 1 million collars and leads distributed each year.

. 1200 products, 1400 active customer accounts.

. 65 loyal staff members, 30 with long service merits.

. 14 million plus collars and leads made to date!

PETS International Magazine No. 6 - September 2004