Supporting British Industry & Craftsmanship
Lanes Health's natural remedies are stocked in Pharmacies, supermarkets and health food shops all over the world. Their most popular products are Olbas Oil, Pro Plus and Kalms - all made at their Sisson Road site in Gloucester.
Janet Groves is the third generation to run this family business, which started out at her grandfather's kitchen table before moving to a warehouse in Gloucester Docks then a Victorian pin factory before moving to its current base on Sisson Road. Her father Roger forged the company's relations with the health food stores which mushroomed in the 1960s and was responsible for the brand acquisitions the company has made since - the most significant of which was Olbas Oil in the early 1970s. Lanes changed the original Swiss tall, narrow bottle which required hand-filing into a shorter one with a wider neck that could be filled by machine, and introduced the inhaler stick. Today the firm makes 2 million inhalers and 3.5 million bottles of Olbas Oil a year. The product which contains natural oils is mixed in 2000 litre tanks before being decanted into brown bottles at a rate of 140 a minute.
"I've always been a fan of Olbas Oil and the comforting smell of the inhalers so it was fascinating to be behind the scenes at Lanes Health watching them mix vast tanks of it - with potent smells of the natural oils and the luminescent green of the final mixture. Family firms have a really distinct feel, they plan for the long term and look after their staff. There was a real sense of loyalty amongst the workers who all spoke very highly of the company. It was surprising to find the large factory at the end of a residential street, with many staff members living on the doorstep and being able to walk to work. The company clearly does a lot for the local community - supporting numerous charities and community initiatives across Gloucestershire." Carmel King photographed Lanes Health in April 2024 for Made in Gloucester.
