Nominee for Ernst & Young 2010 Entreprenuer of the Year Awards
In 2007, David Lumb successfully transitioned from employee to business owner, achieving sales growth of more than 35% and an 18.5% EBITDA margin in his first year of owning Clearmake Water Treatment and Recycling Solutions.
When David first purchased Clearmake it had a good brand name, market presence and technology but was not as efficient or as effective as it could have been. David replaced the centralised management style with a more inclusive business model that delegated responsibility and pushed decision-making downwards. He also moved the business from providing just products to offering customers end-to-end solutions.
The new offering expanded the business into consulting, design, installation and support, with maintenance contracts and scheduled servicing. By offering customers the opportunity of an ongoing relationship, the end-to-end service started to build repeat business and brand recognition.
Late 2008 and early 2009 was particularly challenging. Despite this, David continued to develop his team and improve the breadth and quality of Clearmake’s product range and services.
In early 2010, Clearmake had a strong enough balance sheet to acquire the assets and intellectual property of Electropure, a NSW based R&D business that has developed a highly efficient and effective technology for treating and recycling water. David believes this new technology offers significant growth opportunities for Clearmake through an expanded product and solution range. This is great news for Clearmake and the broader community as a result of the environmental benefits of the equipment Clearmake design and manufacture.
After a rigorous judging process, David has been selected as a nominee for the Northern region. Regional winners will be announced at a prestigious cocktail reception in Brisbane on Thursday 29 July.
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