From Cowsheds to Continents

Tucked away in the Sussex countryside, operating from a converted cowshed is Kalimex, a thriving family business. It’s the business behind K-Seal permanent coolant leak repair, as well as the distribution of JLM’s range of DPF products and the epoxy paste QuikSteel. But not much is known about Kalimex as a brand, so for this exclusive feature, PMF caught up with Mike Schlup, Managing Director, to discuss all things Kalimex.

Q. Where did the name Kalimex come from?

Mike Schlup (MS): My father, Jurg, wanted a name that fused together my name and my brother Alex’s – hence Kalimex. He founded Kalimex in the late 1980s as a general trading company with activities in a variety of industry sectors. The business became increasingly focused on repair solutions, especially within the automotive aftermarket. This is where we still focus our efforts today.

Q. What made you join the family business?

MS: I’d spent several years in international sales and marketing for a medical company. Coincidentally, when I was looking for a new job with a different challenge and less travel abroad, my father was looking to step back from the business. It made sense for us to team up. I now run the business and wear many hats, but first and foremost I’m a marketer. In the early days, though, you’d find me in the store shed packing up orders and loading the delivery van. Now I spend a lot of time advising our overseas distributors and helping them to make the most of the K-Seal opportunity.

Q. What was your vision for Kalimex in the early years?

MS: The business was distributing a good range of products, primarily for US based brands. I realised it was important to develop our own technology and brand so we could take Kalimex to the next level.

Q. How did K-Seal come about?

MS: We were distributing an old school liquid glass block sealer which had limited appeal due to compatibility issues with antifreeze. We realised we needed a pour and go coolant leak repair which could fix any leak in the cooling system. That’s when we came up with the K-Seal formula, the first antifreeze-friendly and multi-purpose permanent coolant leak repair. Its success in the UK was phenomenal, and despite heavy competition we’ve managed to stay at number one. We realised there was a big gap in the US market for this type of product too, so in 2005, we set up a joint venture in the US to develop the K-Seal brand. It’s a tough market but so far we’ve sold three million bottles in the US alone.

Q. What do you think the secret to your success has been?

MS: We develop and take to market innovative products that meet the needs of motorists and mechanics. We have to be better at meeting them than our competitors. We also look after our stockists with monthly marketing promotions and incentives and have built a reputation for being friendly and accountable. The team at Kalimex concentrates largely on ensuring that our brands remain at the forefront of the automotive market – in the UK and overseas. We ensure that our distributors and customers are always happy.

Q. Why the converted cowsheds?

MS: They are about 20 minutes from my home and 20 minutes from my parents’ house. It is lovely countryside stretching as far as the eye can see.

Q. How can you be a ‘global player’ operating from a converted cowshed with just four employees?

MS: Our business model is deliberately designed to be lean and efficient. The core functions such as logistics, manufacturing and sales representation are outsourced to carefully selected third party specialists. This enables us to concentrate on marketing, which has made our product brands incredibly successful. We’ve also invested heavily in clever software that automates a number of routine business functions.

Q. Plans for Kalimex in the next five years?

MS: We’ll continue to represent and grow third party brands such as JLM and QuikSteel in the UK and Europe. We’re working hard to continue the global growth of K-Seal with new international markets opening up monthly.

Q. What are you most proud of with Kalimex?

MS: Every year we commission an independent survey of the automotive aftermarket. It’s great to see that K-Seal continues to lead the market, but what I’m really proud of is the incredible feedback about Kalimex. Motor factors and retailers love doing business with us, which means everything. It’s something we’ll never take for granted.

Favourite Kalimex milestones