Ensuring a high-quality effective product for our customers – every time
Each morning Grochem’s chemist Martin Turver puts on his lab coat and gets to work. He’s looking for several things through his product and raw material testing, but most importantly, he’s checking that everything going in and out of the Grochem manufacturing site is what it says it is, right down to the last decimal point.
Over the last 25 years Grochem has evolved from a business that supplied product as and when needed, to become a key supplier for Horticulture producing 10 times the amount we used to. Our value in the market has certainly grown significantly since the starting days of 1993, and the quality of our products have been a major contributor to Grochem’s success, so to continue providing this value it was imperative that our processes and quality control evolved along with it.
Today, everything from the raw materials sourced from across the globe to the ready-to-use product that leaves the factory, Grochem exercises above-industry-standard internal control methods and processes, and we’re always innovating in how we achieve this.
This commitment to a being best-in-class for quality control gives both us and our clients the utmost confidence in our products.
To do this, we employ four core steps in our manufacturing process, including:
- Raw material specification testing
- Robust risk analysis
- Independent product testing
- Final product dispatch testing
- RAW MATERIAL SPECIFICATION TESTING
It starts with the raw materials – the quantity and active ingredient need to be exactly to specification – we won’t settle for anything less. As raw material arrives at the factory, it won’t enter the manufacturing plant until it has been tested and approved for use. If it’s under spec, it doesn’t enter the manufacturing plant, and is usually sent back.
As raw materials are added into the final product, each raw material has been approved and ticked off.
2. ROBUST RISK ANALYSIS
Grochem has designed its own in-depth risk analysis matrix which identifies the top 16 products with a risk-factor (compared against their other products) of containing non-product residues. We take into consideration multiple factors to determine our top risk products, including:
- Whether the manufacturer or supplier is a single or multi product supplier
- What other products the supplier manufactures and the likelihood of contamination
- The quality control capabilities of the manufacturer or supplier
The risk matrix helps to determine what products we send for independent rigorous contamination testing.
3. INDEPENDENT TESTING
The products identified from our risk analysis are then sent for more sophisticated testing at a specialist lab in Australia for contamination screening of some 45 compounds. New Zealand doesn’t yet have the capability to test to the level of specificity that we need, so to achieve this level of confidence in our product, sending it off-shore is must.
4. FINAL DISPATCH TESTING
During the process of manufacturing, the product is sampled and tested for quality. Once the product passes the specifications, Martin will then authorise the production team to pack/bottle and label. It’s only at this point the product is prepared for dispatch.
Each batch sample is stored for a minimum of 2 years in Grochem’s designated sample library.
Nothing leaves the factory without being tested and signed off by either our on-site chemist Martin, or our site operations manager Marcus.
The quality of our products is one of the most important aspects of our business, and to commit to a high-quality effective product every time, requires a specialist team. Grochem hand-picks each member of our team for the specialist skills they bring to the business, which gives our customers end-to-end quality from source, manufacture, distribution and sales.