IMCHLO and Synerlogic: a perfect match
Startup IMCHLO contacted Synerlogic in 2022. Owner Liévin De Vriese was looking for a partner who could take over the operational aspects of his DMH business. He had coffee with Jasper de Roo, Sales Manager at Synerlogic, and found a match. The companies have now been working together for over a year. Liévin: “The complete operation part of my business has been taken over by Synerlogic and I can focus on selling IMCHLO Stab-15. We want to grow together.”
Sustainable use of chlorine in cooling water
Liévin De Vriese, living in Ghent, started IMProving CHLOrine (IMCHLO) in 2022, a one-person business for consultancy and products for the sustainable use of chlorine in biological control in cooling water. IMCHLO markets Dimethylhydantoin (DMH) under the brand name IMCHLO Stab-15. This is a 15% DMH solution that can significantly reduce the amount of chlorine bleach used in cooling water treatment. “The negative aspects can be reduced by up to 80 to 90 percent,” says Liévin enthusiastically. “You can compare it to Ad Blue® for diesel, where a commodity (urea) is also injected for combustion of diesel to minimize harmful NOx gases. I therefore like to call the approach the ‘AdBlue ®’ for the use of chlorine bleach in cooling water.”
From passion to startup
The driven entrepreneur went looking for an all-in partner. As a startup, he needed one that could handle the operational aspects for him. That became Synerlogic. Liévin is pleasantly surprised about the first contact: “I start, I’m still ‘Nobody’, and I come with a fantastic story. Then you just have to meet the people who believe in it.” The collaboration started immediately with support in obtaining the REACh certification. IMCHLO could rely on Synerlogic’s in-house knowledge and expertise in the field of REACh.
“I am completely operationally taken care of and can focus on selling IMCHLO Stab-15. We want to grow together.”
Liévin De Vriese: - owner IMCHLO
The added value of partnership
Synerlogic welcomed Liévin’s request for cooperation with interest. The company saw added value in a partnership with IMCHLO. Jasper de Roo, Sales Manager at Synerlogic, had the first contact with Liévin. He has been working at Synerlogic for 14 years and is responsible for Synerlogic Chemicals. “We are an entrepreneurial organization with growth ambitions and we want to be a reliablechemical partner for third parties. Our door is always open to discuss what we can do for each other. From start-ups to multinationals.
When Liévin contacted us, we welcomed him warmly. At the first cup of coffee, we immediately discovered how well we were a match. We can offer IMCHLO everything from storage and production to supply chain activities and support in creating and keeping up-to-date product documents such as a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and an analysis certificate (AC).
After formalizing the collaboration, Jasper transferred the operational business of IMCHLO to his colleague, process sales coordinator Freek Schopman. He is the first point of contact for Liévin and ensures that the process runs smoothly with a whole team of specialists. “I represent his interests. We have intensive and pleasant contact. I enjoy thinking along with Liévin and helping him, together with my colleagues.”
Taking care of growth
IMCHLO and Synerlogic have now been working together for over a year. Liévin: “A perfect collaboration! I can focus on my core business – sales, marketing and customer contact – without investing valuable time in administrative and repetitive tasks. After winning a customer, I can rest assured knowing that Freek will take care of the rest of the process.” The DMH powder ordered by Liévin in China arrives by ship in containers at the port of Rotterdam. Synerlogic arranges the transport to Duiven and stores this raw material in its own warehouse. Freek then discusses with Liévin how much of the powder needs to be converted into a saleable product. Ingredients are then added to produce the desired liquid end product IMCHLO Stab-15, which is delivered to various customers in France, Austria, Germany and Switzerland. Freek: “We support Liévin wherever necessary. Over the past year, we have grown closer together. The minor flaws have been polished away and we have learned a lot.”
Looking to the future
The partnership between IMCHLO and Synerlogic Chemicals is the basis for future growth. Liévin, Jasper and Freek are confident about the future. Over the past year, they have built up a solid customer base with international clients. They want to expand this in the coming years. Liévin sees opportunities to grow to a significant market share in Europe if the approach with IMCHLO Stab-15 is successful. “I feel confident to focus on what lies ahead, such as projects in the greenhouse horticulture sector, at universities and with large industrial partners. The use of IMCHLO Stab-15 as bio-fouling prevention for chlorine-sensitive reverse osmosis membranes is also being investigated.”
Extra opportunities
Jasper also sees opportunities for In2Food, Synerlogic’s business line that supplies hygiene and disinfection solutions to the food industry, among others. IMCHLO Stab-15 could also be of added value in this industry. “That’s how we think strategically.”
Liévin agrees on this opportunity: “We currently supply about 50% of our production to the paper industry and 50% for industrial cooling water treatment. My goal is to further tap into the latter target group. I find disinfection a very interesting subject. And that’s where our complementarity comes in. Where I am an expert in cooling systems, In2Food is an expert in the food industry. Together we bring expertise and that offers perspective. The sky is the limit.”
Contributing positively to the environment
Liévin worked for over 34 years at industrial water treatment companies, where he came into contact with DMH technology. When the patents became available, Liévin saw his chance to make the technology more widely known. “I jumped in with IMCHLO, because I know what the long-term improvement effects of DMH technology are. Chlorine bleach is the most widely used product in the cooling water industry. With IMCHLO Stab-15, we can control microbial growth in industrial water processes in a sustainable way and prevent biofilm build-up. It minimizes the environmental impact by not forming chlorinated hydrocarbons (the so-called AOXs). And it extends the life of equipment by reducing corrosion. By better biofilm control, the approach also promotes energy efficiency in heat exchangers and ensures a safer working environment by reducing the risk of legionella.
The application of IMCHLO Stab-15 also makes the future reuse of wastewater in industry as cooling water supplementation much easier. The very favorable eco-toxicity profile of DMH (100% biodegradable) that is extensively documented in the REACh (Registration Evaluation & Approval of Chemicals) database ensures a more positive environmental balance.
Find out more about IMCHLO? Check www.imchlo.be.
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