Green Means Go For Ambitious Smart Cartridge

Scotsman.com:

Smart Cartridge intends to take advantage of the current enthusiasm for recycling to help it meet ambitious targets for growth.

The fast-growing Edinburgh firm has rapidly become Britain’s second largest franchise operator in its sector with 60 stores in 5 countries and is seeking further funds as it embarks on an expansion plan.

International development director Suzie McCafferty (photo) believes it can hit 500 outlets in 5 years as it expands in Europe and into America. ‘The time is right for us because our product is in recycling. If we don’t do it now we will miss the boat,’ she said.

The keenness of companies to introduce environmentally sound business processes, particularly to reduce waste, is playing into Smart’s hands. Every year hundreds of thousands of cartridges are sent to landfill and the firm sees this as a huge business opportunity.

‘Only a few years ago a lot of businesses wouldn’t let us in the door,’ said McCafferty, 29, who joined majority shareholder Graham Little in 2001 to build the franchise network. ‘A lot of designers, schools and councils are now using us regularly.’

She also sees big opportunities in putting franchised concessions into big stores and already has some in branches of Woolworths.

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