CRC Industries is successfully anticipating market demand for sustainable products and providing greener and safer solutions.
By Frank Leggett
For more than 50 years, CRC has positioned itself as a market leader in the manufacture of cleaners, lubricants and anti-corrosion products for the maintenance and repair operations industry. Since 1969, the company has been providing these specialty products across a wide array of Australian industries including automotive, industrial, mining, food and beverage, utilities and defence.
Ongoing legislative changes to environmental standards, as well as occupational health and safety regulations, has driven CRC Industries to develop a safer and more sustainable range of products.
“Our future is all about sustainability,” says David Bailey, CRC’s Trans-Tasman business development manager. “At CRC, we are proactive, moving forwards before forced compliance by regulations. We take the lead, embrace initiatives and manufacture effective products that people want. CRC is not a business that ever plays catch-up.”
Continuous innovation
Through extensive research and development, CRC is providing an eco-product range to meet the demands of a more environmentally aware market. This new range is backed by the expert advice of health, safety and environmental managers who work closely with customers to create products people want and need.
“CRC’s mission is to supply sustainable products that makes our customers’ jobs faster, easier and safer,” says Bailey. “It’s wonderful to be involved with a company that can utilise science and technology to create products that don’t damage the environment.” Whether it’s adapting existing products or developing new cutting-edge solutions, CRC is committed to making a positive environmental impact.
Sustainability is key
While the CRC product lines were traditionally solvent-based, advances in technology have seen the company embrace sustainable practices with gusto. Some of the new products almost seem like science fiction.
Brakleen Water Based is an eco-friendly addition to CRC’s family of brake and parts cleaners. Originally developed in 1971, it remains CRC’s flagship product today. Brakleen Water Based penetrates and dissolves tough grease, oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, hardened deposits and other contaminants but with a positive clean safety profile.
It’s biodegradable, non-toxic, non-hazardous, non-flammable, pH balanced, and water soluble. This powerful cleaner is also non-corrosive, solvent free and has no volatile organic vapours, making it ideal for use in confined spaces.
Brakleen Water Based is used in a wide variety of applications, especially where there are regulations or restrictions concerning the products that can be safely used or allowed onto specific sites.
Around the world
CRC exports its products to China, South-east Asia and the Pacific Islands. It also has manufacturing hubs in New Zealand, Europe, the UK and the USA.
One of the most popular products in all these markets is the Bio Degreaser range.
“The science and technology around degreasers has advanced so dramatically that water-based degreasers are now as efficient and effective as solvents,” says Bailey.
“Products such as our Smart Washer range work like a dream and don’t harm the environment. For users, the added benefit is that it’s non-caustic so there’s no skin irritation.”
Smart Washer was CRC’s first foray into developing eco-friendly products that utilised sustainable technologies. The health and safety of the customer and the environment is always at the forefront of any product development. It uses bioremediation, a treatment that contains naturally occurring microorganisms to consume and break down undesirable substances. The process creates nothing but harmless by-products.
“This same technology has been used in clean-up efforts following major oil spills and other environmental disasters,” explains Bailey.
All the products in the Bio Degreaser range use high-performance cleaning technology that’s easy on the planet.
It was designed to be effective across the industrial, automotive and service industry sectors. There’s also a food grade range of Bio Degreasers.
This product is so gentle on the environment, it doesn’t even require an Environmental Health & Safety warning on the label.
Make it easy
The stand-out quality of CRC products is how easy they are to use. Evaporative degreasers disappear, cleaners are sprayed on and left to do their work, residues and contaminants are broken down to their component parts with no effort.
One product that eliminates the need for elbow grease is Evapo-Rust. This completely non-toxic product removes rust with no scrubbing or sanding. It’s an easy and efficient way to clean rusty tools, hardware, automotive parts, household items, antiques or any rusted equipment.
Wide applications
From agriculture, automotive and defence to mining, transport and marine, CRC Industries products are used to keep businesses operating and the wheels of commerce turning. Whether you’re a home handyman or maintaining heavy machinery, it has a high-quality product that’s going to make your life easier.
“We have reps and business development managers in every state and every region,” says Bailey. “As so many of our products cross over into different markets, it opens up multiple opportunities. The core end users are professionals such as mechanics, machinists and welders. Supplying sustainable products that makes their jobs easier is very satisfying work.”
