This year, LTP is proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary. Since the company was founded by Anthony Robb in 1984 much has changed, not least the breadth of tile and surface care products now available and the company’s own reach. Today, LTP supplies over 700 stockists throughout the UK and Ireland and has become one of the major suppliers of sealing, cleaning and maintenance products to the tile and stone market. It also exports to countries including Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Ireland, Romania, Spain and the UAE. Turnover, during the last three years, has increased by over 300% and much is planned for the future.
LTP’s history dates back to the creation of Wellington Tile, a company founded by Anthony Robb to import terracotta from Portugal. Recognising the need for an ageing liquid to give terracotta an antique finish, Anthony mixed up a secret brew in his cement mixer, bottled it in one litre jerry cans and branded it LTP OLDTONE OIL. Why ‘LTP’? Because the terracotta was sold as Lionheart Terracotta, so the sealer – and subsequent treatments – became known as Lionheart Terracotta Products, or LTP for short. A few weeks later, the cement mixer was in action again, this time concocting a clear finish sealer called LTP CLEARTONE.
Today, production has moved to a specialist chemical packing company based in South West England – and the range now includes over 32 products formulated to seal, clean and maintain every type of natural and engineered tile and stone. In 2016, LTP also launched its ECOPROTEC® brand – a range of products specially developed for the contract sector.
On the ground, the five strong sales team, which is forecast to grow, is headed by Emma Lock. Director, Mark Atkins – the first person responsible for LTP sales – now concentrates on research and development, marketing, export and expansion into other markets including white labelling and ‘own branding’ its formulas for other businesses.
‘Over the past 40 years, the LTP range has been developed based on our first-hand experience of the tile trade and issues experienced by installers. And, despite our rapid expansion, close ties with our customers are key; we remain a business that’s committed to offering a good after sales service and to developing products that customers need, rather than chemicals that we want to sell,’ commented Richard Osborne, LTP’s Managing Director.
In terms of formulations, LTP water-based products are gaining considerable traction. Extensive research and development into water-based formulations, coupled with increasing withdrawals of solvent based raw materials, has created a new breed of high-quality products that are equal to or superior to their spirit-based equivalents. LTP now offers a water-based equivalent alongside all its traditional sealers, with sales continuing to grow year-on-year.
‘It’s taken some time but we’re now seeing an inexorable march away from spirit-based sealers,’ explained Mark Atkins. ‘Our own goal, over the next five years, is for 75% of our production to be of water-based, non-hydrocarbon formulations. The tile and stone industry still needs encouragement to support this strategy but the environmental benefits are irrefutable.’
Alongside the switch to water-based formulations, other LTP environmental initiatives include the development of new PFA-free stone and tile sealers (free from microplastics), a reduction in waste disposal throughout its production and reusing of pallets; the sourcing of cardboard packaging from FSC accredited suppliers and the use of recyclable bottles made from recycled materials.
‘What does the next decade hold beyond product development? We’re dedicated to bringing along the next generation of LTP, through our apprenticeship scheme and recruitment. We’ll also be growing our export network and manufacturing partnerships. It’s been a fabulous journey to date and the future ahead, despite current economic challenges, looks very bright indeed,’ Richard concluded.
To find out more about LTP, please visit http://www.ltp-online.co.uk, call 01823 666213 or email info@ltp-online.co.uk.
