Rainbow Professional has been around since 1961, when it began producing the Rainbow tree tie. Fast-forward to 2021 and it is now an international company with new owners, producing a wide range of landscape and forestry products including spiral guards, Bio spiral guards, Defender Pro tree shelters and many more landscaping-based products, including the Rite Edge range of edging.

In 2019, the business was bought by Belgian brothers, Alex and Pierre Talpe, who were existing customers of Rainbow. After nearly two years of ownership, it was time to ask some questions on their progress so far and how they are gearing up to embrace UK tree-planting aspirations. Simon Place caught up with the brothers to ask how the business is developing.

WHAT ENCOURAGED YOU BOTH TO BUY RAINBOW PROFESSIONAL?

P: Working together with the industry to find a way to achieve our tree-planting ambitions and doing that in the most sustainable way possible is a very exciting challenge. All our innovation projects have an environmental angle, which is very important for us as young entrepreneurs.

A: When looking at Rainbow we were enthused about the innovation side of the business and about the team. We feel it is important to look at what is but also at what could be. The former owner presented us with many interesting projects and innovative products that pushed us to enter into Rainbow.

READ MORE: NRW welcomes Welsh Government's tree-planting ‘call to arms’

YOU BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS; HOW DOES THE BUSINESS COMPARE WITH OTHERS YOU HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH?

A: Before joining Rainbow, I worked at our Belgian landscaping wholesaler business (Callens Montauban). Working together with gardeners and foresters on small and large projects was very fulfilling and interesting. It gave us the insight into the needs of our clients to better support them.

P: My background is quite different. I worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, helping large companies solving specific business challenges. This is still what I most enjoy doing – working towards making big leaps forward, be it by setting up partnerships, adopting new ways of working, or developing new products.

Forestry Journal: Alex and Pierre Talpe.Alex and Pierre Talpe.

ARE THERE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE BELGIAN FORESTRY/LANDSCAPING MARKET AND that of THE UK?

A: Both countries encourage tree planting and are very aware of the beneficial effects for biodiversity, the fight against climate change and its impact on our well-being. Of course, the UK has many more forests and much more wildlife. We also see that the collaboration between farmers and forestry is positively more intense in the UK, which offers more opportunities for both sides.

P: Compared to Belgium and other countries in the EU, the UK seems to be ahead of the curve.

IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE TO THE CORE BUSINESS?

A: In the first six months we had the opportunity to travel intensively and look for partnerships and sales outside of the UK. Then COVID-19 happened, and this brought us to the factory floor where we invested more than ever before in our machinery, our recycling division, and even in our warehouse. It was a great opportunity to work closely with the great people from Rainbow and to try to find ways to better serve our customers.

P: The change was quite sudden. From spending most of our time on growing the business, we had to focus on the factory floor and strengthen our supply lines. But it was a good way to get to know the factory inside out. We are extremely proud of being able to deliver every single order during the pandemic, almost all of them within acceptable lead times.

Forestry Journal: Bio Spirals on site.Bio Spirals on site.

WITHIN THE FACTORY, HAVE YOU carried out MANY COST-SAVING INITIATIVES OR much RESTRUCTURING?

P: Initially, we focused most on growing the business and on finding some smaller cost savings to free up additional budget to invest. When COVID-19 hit us, instead of restructuring, we focused on working in a safer but smarter way. We launched a programme, ‘Saving Lives, Saving Livelihoods’, that allowed us to work much safer and spread out during the week, allowing us to work more efficiently by encouraging teamwork.

A: We also improved efficiency by investing in all departments and we invested a lot on our new products. Waste management has been significantly improved by recycling materials within the factory.

READ MORE: Survey shows 'strong' support for forestry

RAINBOW FAVOURS RECYCLED MATERIAL IN MANY OF THEIR PRODUCTS; IS THIS SOMETHING WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESS?

A: Yes. As young entrepreneurs, business goes hand in hand with sustainability. We need to leave a positive impact behind on the environment. Today, over 95 per cent of our products are made from recycled materials. Most of our products do not require to be 100 per cent precise or visually perfect, making them an ideal use case for recycled products.

P: We are heavily focused on our carbon footprint. By sourcing waste from factories across the UK and Europe, we prevent plastics from ending up in landfills. If they can then be given a second life to help trees survive and thrive, that is a double win.

WHAT NEW PRODUCTS HAVE YOU INTRODUCED OR MODIFIED SO FAR?

P: We’ve worked on several products. This went from minor changes, such as improving the buckle on the buckle tree tie and adding a new anthracite Rite Edge to the range in line with the latest garden design trends and a new 20 cm Bio vole guard, which was launched earlier this year.

A: And, of course, in spirals we now have the Rainbow Bio II, which we have launched in various sizes, with 68- and 80-mm diameters. The Bio II is made from 100 per cent recycled bioplastic.

Forestry Journal: Defender Pro tree shelter.Defender Pro tree shelter.

THE BIO SPIRAL HAS BEEN A BIG SUCCESS FOR RAINBOW. WILL THE BIO SPIRAL II CONTINUE THIS INNOVATION?

P: Yes, the major difference between the Rainbow Bio Spiral and Rainbow Bio II will be that we aim to use only post-industrial waste. So, imagine Danone manufacturing a yoghurt pot from PLA. Well, any defects in such a process are a valid feedstock for our Rainbow Bio II. This helps make the whole industry more effective and further improves the green credentials of the product.

THE MATERIALS USED IN BIO SPIRAL II ARE BASED ON BIO PLA. IS THIS MATERIAL USABLE IN OTHER APPLICATIONS IN THE RANGE?

P: We manufacture weed pegs and weed mats from this product. However, it is not necessarily the same type of PLA that can be used. Additives and formulation are also quite different. It is a very complex, but exciting world!

YOU HAVE BROUGHT OUT A RECYCLED PVC AND BIO II VOLE GUARD, WHICH USES 25 PER CENT LESS MATERIAL. HOW IS THIS ACHIEVED?

A: We have great engineers who love to tackle problems like this. Our engineers were able to do that with the vole guard by building a new line from scratch and working on material properties. By using recycled PVC and not virgin polypropylene, less overlapping material is needed to keep the strength and shape.

Forestry Journal: EasiFix tree strapping.EasiFix tree strapping.

THE RAINBOW DEFENDER PRO RANGE OF TREE SHELTERS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS AND THEY HAVE A LOYAL FOLLOWING. HOW IS THE FLAT SHELTER BETTER THAN A ROUND ONE?

A: It is a brilliant product. Again, it shows the innovation that is in Rainbow’s DNA. The question here was: how can we make a shelter that is equally good but has a better impact on nature? A Defender is two times as efficient to transport to the field (resulting in significant cost savings), but 10 times as efficient to collect from the field! An impressive reduction in carbon footprint if you consider the impact of the trucks transporting these goods back and forth.

P: I agree. What’s also exciting is that this is done without compromising on quality – the product is made from the same raw material as other tubes (twin-walled PP) and the area of the square is designed to fit in a tube, so there is at least the same amount of space for plant growth. The flat shelter does not require a tie of any sort, which makes it quicker to install, and there is less plastic to deal with post service life.

READ MORE: Partnership aims to spark lifelong passion for nature in children

RAINBOW OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF OTHER PRODUCTS, IN PARTICULAR THE RITE-EDGE/PAVE RANGE AS WELL AS THE CLASSIC RAINBOW TIE AND STRAPPING. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS LANDSCAPING MARKET TO THE FUTURE OF THE BUSINESS IN RELATION TO THE FORESTRY SECTOR?

A: Very important. We like to see Rainbow as a company that offers smart solutions to improve environmental applications. Landscaping and Forestry are both well invested in, green and are seen as brothers at Rainbow.

THE TREE SHELTER MARKET IS AS STRONG AS EVER AND WE SEE NEW MANUFACTURERS ENTERING THE FIELD. WITH CONCERNS ABOUT RURAL PLASTIC AND OFTEN POOR AFTERCARE, HOW DO YOU FEEL RAINBOW IS AHEAD OF THE GAME?

P: We feel that, as a young and dynamic company with a strong focus on R&D and an emphasis on sustainability, you could say Rainbow is ahead of the game, but our tagline is to protect a whole lot more than our trees.

The more parties that join this effort, the more effective we will be at this and the more we will be able to generate a positive impact.

A: There are multiple ways to reach Rome and multiple valid ideas. Reaching our tree-planting goals in a sustainable way is a joint objective we have with the wholesalers, tree planters and trusts, but also with other manufacturers. We therefore welcome partnerships with anyone who wants to tackle this challenge.

www.rainbow.eu.com

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