Meet the founder of Aquapax
In 2006, Aquapax became the world’s original carton water brand and pioneered the sustainable water category. We chat with Neil Tomlinson, founder of Aquapax about all things water, packaging and sustainability.
I grew up on pristine beaches on the east coast of South Africa and, following a year as an exchange student on the west coast of the USA, I left Africa at 21 to travel the world. I see myself as a marketer and a ‘mindful industrialist’ who spent 30 years climbing corporate ladders, before finally setting out my stall to try and make a real difference in the world.
What inspired you to launch Aquapax and what is the end goal?
I was driven by the sheer volume of single-use plastic I was seeing on our beaches & hedgerows and it struck me that there’s no prospect of stopping the catastrophe until someone offers consumers an alternative. Then in 2006 it dawned on me that maybe that someone could be me. The end goal is for single use plastic bottles to become a thing of the past!
How do you set yourself apart from other water brands in your category?
Pure Water Evolution. Pure reflects every part of our business, from our water source to our delivery methods and ethics. Our 100% recyclable cartons are the more sustainable alternative to plastic, glass or cans, made from majority plant-based materials including FSC Certified paper and renewable sugar cane screw cap closures. Aquapax water is sustainably sourced and has low sodium concentrations and only trace nitrates, meaning Aquapax is pure enough to prepare infant formula without the need for boiling first. We then deliver Aquapax cartons through a carbon balanced supply chain and every Aquapax sold contributes to the ‘Aquapax Communitree Project’ funding reforestation projects worldwide. Last year we planted 5,000 trees and secured 50 jobs, and we’re aiming to plant a further 10,000 trees this year. Rain or shine, we’re also on a beach every Monday morning before work helping to clear rubbish!
How did you fund the launch Aquapax and what creative strategies did you use to execute a minimal cash flow?
My wife and I saved until we had enough money to see us through 18 months. Ultimately we had to make our resources last much longer than planned, which meant going without more often than I care to remember. It’s all been worth it though.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
It’s something author and speaker/philosopher Simon Sinek crystalised for me, to communicate from the inside out, “to tell people our Why rather than our What!”. It has been proven to me time and time again, that wherever we are able to help people understand why we do what we do, we’re already half way towards securing a loyal customer.
With all the success stories around entrepreneurship and how innovative people have to be to take the leap, how do you think you’ve innovated your sector and why?
Before Aquapax the consumer didn’t have a choice of a pure, more sustainable portable water; now people have an increasing number of choices, albeit that the options rarely have the same purity and integrity as Aquapax.
What are your thoughts on failure?
No-one enjoys failure, but failures are necessary for any individual to learn to accept. Failures offer us moments of learning; insights that can’t be taught to us in any other way. Failures help us back on the road to success.
Do you have a morning routine or ritual to get your day started on the right foot?
I try to connect with my kids each morning to help me start the day with a positive mindset... oh and a glass of water of course!
If you could be in a room with four entrepreneurs, who would they be and why?
Not sure we’d all get on, but Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezoz and perhaps Peter Jones. Those guys have a lot more experience than us at breaking down barriers to grow their businesses and while we’ve laid our foundations deep, it would be great to just have a frank brainstorm around alternative strategies for going and growing global faster.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
Trust and talk to three or four trusted friends and see what they think of your idea, weigh up their feedback, tweak your idea as necessary and just do it!
How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?
Extremely important – our team understands and believes in what we’re doing – how one gets that right is down to alchemy but having an uncomplicated communication style and a flat structure helps.
Any moments where you thought you’ve bitten off more than you can chew?
Every time my one of my kids says (in a serious voice) “Dad, can I ask you a question?!”
What’s in the pipeline for Aquapax over the next 12 months?
It’s our 15th anniversary next year so we’re celebrating! We have a 15-year anniversary Aquapax launching Spring 2021 designed by Lois O’Hara, an artist who has an extremely bright future ahead of her. We're also teaming up with Skateboarding England on a new project. Watch this space!
