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Founded in 2016, the young family-run business sources the pure-pulp, virgin white toilet tissue paper used across its range from manufacturers registered with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). And, over the past six years, it’s been all go for the company.

“It was my father’s business venture, so he founded the company and worked here for the first three to four years before I got more involved about three years ago,” explains Director Hashem Aslam, from Preston. “Every day presents different challenges.

“But what makes Linx different is our interest in our customers and the fact that we embrace the challenges which come with being in a competitive industry,” adds Hashem, who studied law at the University of Central Lancashire before joining Linx. “We wouldn’t be in it otherwise.”

The sustainability angle is a crucial one, however. It’s estimated that the equivalent of nearly 27,000 trees are flushed away each day globally, with the toilet paper industry accounting for an estimated 15% of worldwide deforestation. As a result, Linx is going increasingly green.

“We have an eco-friendly plastic-free range made from recycled products,” says Hashem. “We’re also looking into biodegradable plastic wrap for products, which we want to use in the near future because customers are really taking sustainability into consideration.”

The company also recently invested in new machinery to allow them to diversify the range of products they can offer. “That’s what the future is about: diversification and growth,” says Hashem. “Before, we were based in one market, which limited us, whereas now we’ve now got a more full portfolio of paper products to supply people.

“The paper game is massive, so it’s time to get our heads down.”

Covid also presented a pretty unique challenge, namely one where demand sky-rocketed whilst the cost of raw materials increased, too.

“For us, as a family business, Covid didn’t impact operations because it’s just us who work here, so we could keep things running at a time when demand went sky-high,” says Hashem. “We followed guidelines and took extra precautions when dealing with customers.

“At the moment, there are a lot of ups and downs in the industry, what with the increases in costs for electricity and raw materials,” he adds. “We’re constantly having to adapt to changes in the prices of raw materials such as paper, which has gone up by 90%.

“That’s been the biggest headache,” Hashem continues. “But it’s one of those things - everyone’s in the same boat. It’s not like we’re complaining and everyone else is fine, we’re all facing the same problems in this industry because it’s across the board.

“It’s just about how you deal with it and the problem-solving element makes it an enjoyable challenge. I like to take risks, so the business keeps you busy and fighting as opposed to sat idle and the future is looking bright.”