Dave Williams leads Future Developments, a Stoke-on-Trent based manufacturer of cleaning products with an ever-expanding range.

His latest venture, effervescent tablets in tubes, has created additional jobs at the company’s Burslem base after catching the eye of a national panel of judges looking for inspiration in the DIY, home and garden sector.

The tablets work when water is added and have multiple uses including plant feed, screen wash and appliance de-scaling.

As well as significantly reducing packaging waste and transportation resources, the tablets need less storage and shelf space for distributors and retailers – reflecting Future Developments’ long-standing focus on driving down environmental impact.

Five new members of staff have been recruited by Future Developments to run its effervescent tablet manufacturing facility.

They join the company’s existing 17-strong team at its Burslem site, where Future Developments has manufactured a wide-variety of cleaning products since the 1980s for distribution across UK and international markets.

Dave Williams said: “We’ve built a new tablet-manufacturing plant, which will enable us to meet stringent quality controls, and ramp up production to meet demand.

“We’ve always focused on sustainability, including operating a comprehensive bottle-filling service for our products.

“Now, with the tablet system in production, we can achieve even greater efficiencies and develop products for new and emerging markets.”

Dave drives a constant stream of new lines to ensure business growth, with products made at the company’s headquarters on shelves in household name stores.

Future Developments can also be seen on QVC and is gaining a strong following on TikTok.

Dave launched Future Developments (Manufacturing) Limited in 1987. The company was set-up to design, blend, develop and produce chemical products for customers, but it wasn’t long before he realised there was an opportunity to launch his own brands that he could sell direct to retail.

This dual approach has been hugely beneficial for the business, which now employs 26 people.

In 1995 the company opened its own aerosol plant, where it manufactures and fills aerosol cans, ensuring its independence in manufacturing and packaging.

Future Developments currently has more than 1,500 products to its credit and the number is growing substantially year on year.

Dave is still plotting a growth curve, with the help of an experienced manufacturing department, a successful nationwide sales team and a tenacious delivery team.

To maintain its industry-leading position, Future Developments is constantly striving to keep ahead in the marketplace and is always researching new products, such as Genie Pop Fix and Grow.

This approach ensures that the company can deliver one of the most varied range of products in the United Kingdom.

At the beginning of 2009, Future Developments opened up the retail side of the business, selling products to the likes of Ideal World and QVC TV Channels, as well as large retail chains. The company is also expanding rapidly into international markets.

Dave is now joined in the business by his son, Brad, and plans for the future include increasing the workforce (in design, manufacturing and commercial), as well as looking for retail outlets and distributors for all of their fast-selling lines.

Dave Williams has entered the Entrepreneur of the Year category of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.