Razor Chemical Taking Wholesale Business To The Retail Level

Suni McClelland is the President of Razor Chemical Co. in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It’s an understatement to say she has a “sunny” outlook on business in the Natural State.

Her cleaning products firm is moving in new directions as it deals with the aftermath of the recession and changing market dynamics. The real formula for Razor’s survival and success is taking care of its core business.

“We started off in schools and churches,” McClelland said, but before long industrial clients, such as manufacturers, were receptive to the product.

Razor Chemical Co. in North Little Rock, Ark. is tucked away in an industrial warehouse near the downtown Argenta district. Inside an unassuming building is a mixture of free enterprise, true grit, and some colorful chemicals that are combined to make Razor Chemicals cleaning products.

Started in 1992 in collaboration with the University of Arkansas’ chemistry department, the 13 different cleaning products sold by McClelland’s company come in a variety of vibrant colors: red, pink, blue, yellow, and green. And, in truth, all of the colors are green — green in that they are environmentally friendly.

“We started working with our local vendors here and created more degreaser products, made with citrus oils, things that were safer [for the environment],” McClelland said.

The 2008-2009 recession hit her hard as a number of her manufacturing clients closed their doors. This determined entrepreneur had a plan for dealing with the setbacks.

“We had a couple of things happen almost like an hour-glass when you turn it over. Things just started to fall through and we didn’t know where it was going to stop,” she said.

McClelland took an income reduction, avoided debt and looked at her expenses to save any penny she could.

“That’s how we got through it… and we prayed a lot,” McClelland added.

Those prayers were answered. Today, Razor Chemical has regained its business, and the cleaning products she’s been selling at the wholesale level to industrial companies can be purchased now at the retail level. Three local stores have picked up her product, on the strength of their environmental friendliness, and she hopes that number expands rapidly in the coming months.

Learn more about Razor Chemical Co. and its new ventures in this video below.