When global supply chains faltered, Puragen found a smarter way to stay ahead. With support from GM Business Growth Hub, the company brought quality testing in-house – unlocking major cost savings and greater operational efficiency.
Per annum projected turnover increase by 2027
Rise in productivity per hour
Jobs created
Puragen manufactures and supplies high-performance activated carbon, a material used to remove impurities from air, water, gas and food. With a strong presence across the UK and Europe, the Wigan-based company serves a wide range of industries, including air and water treatment, odour control, gas capture, and gold recovery.
Innovation is central to Puragen’s strategy of growing its presence in strategic markets such as drinking water and olive oil purification, while also developing cleaner, more sustainable ways to reactivate used carbon.
Read below to find out how support from GM Business Growth Hub helped turn this ambition into action. While the project focused on edible oil purification, the lessons apply to any business working with advanced or sustainable materials, where quality control, speed to market and the ability to adapt are critical.
How a single machine transformed productivity and resilience
Puragen has built a strong presence in the olive oil purification market, supplying activated carbon to remove contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can form during oil production and storage. With olive oil prices rising and supply shortages growing, producers are increasingly using activated carbon to clean up lower-grade oils and meet quality standards.
As it became harder to source consistent supplies of activated carbon, the company needed to find new suppliers, and make sure those alternatives met the high standards their customers expect. That meant bringing testing and quality assurance in-house, rather than continuing to outsource the process.
Thanks to a capital expenditure grant, Puragen was able to invest in the equipment it needed, explains Andy Leatt, Technical & Development Director: “Activated carbon is like gold or other minerals in that it varies depending on where and how it’s sourced. To maintain quality, everything has to be tested. But relying on external labs meant delays, costs, and a slower route to market.”
Puragen invested in a gas chromatography machine (GCMS) – advanced lab equipment that allows Andy and his team to validate new carbon materials on-site, in real time. “With the GCMS in-house, we can respond quickly to changes in the supply chain. We’ve got the scientific expertise already, but this speeds everything up,” says Andy. “The ability to be able to test the activated carbons on site, as opposed to outsourcing this service, is massively improving our productivity.”
Testing that previously took up to 10 working days can now be done in a matter of hours, leading to a 31% increase in output per hour and 9% more per employee.
The new equipment has also opened the door to wider possibilities. Puragen can now benchmark a broad range of carbon types – including more sustainable, bio-based materials like wood – which gives greater flexibility when sourcing, and reducing reliance on fossil-derived products. This is strengthening both the company’s supply chain and its environmental credentials, helping to set Puragen apart from its competitors.
Innovation funding and strategy support
This progress was underpinned by expert support and strategic funding. Puragen secured a £16,980 innovation grant from GM Business Growth Hub to cover half the cost of the new equipment. And that investment has already paid off: during a recent olive oil project, the team had to re-test more than 250 samples to meet strict purification standards, a task that would have cost around £120,000 if outsourced.
The funding was critical in giving the business the confidence to move ahead, but the support didn’t stop there. In addition, we supported Puragen with project risk planning and helped them integrate the new capability into their commercial and marketing strategy, ensuring the investment created lasting value.
Since investing in the new equipment, Puragen has added eight new roles, including two lab assistants and a mix of engineering and technical positions to support the expanded capability. And the business isn’t slowing down. With demand for purification solutions growing rapidly across the water, gas and food sectors, Puragen expects to double its turnover from £30 million to £60 million by 2027.
An unexpected bonus for the company has been the new connections
opened up through Greater Manchester’s wider support network. “We didn’t even know about GM Business Growth Hub before this,” says Andy. “But they’ve opened up so many opportunities, including future collaborations with universities and other innovation partners.”
Inspired? Let’s talk
In 2025, Puragen was named winner of the Research & Innovation category at the AD & Biogas Industry Awards, a global showcase of excellence in the anaerobic digestion (the process of turning organic waste into renewable energy) and clean energy sector.
This is just one example of how Greater Manchester businesses are turning innovation into impact. Our Innovation Service helps businesses do exactly that, accelerating the journey from idea to commercial success.
Contact us today to see how we can take your ideas to the next level. Call 0161 359 3050 or email bgh@growthco.uk.
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