Alistair Kitching founded IBC Recovery Services, the leading flexible intermediate bulk container (FIBC) valeting company in Europe, in 1988. Kitching's background in warehousing/storage gave him a unique insight into problems encountered by the industry, allowing IBC to be ahead of its time: packaging regulations were not introduced until 1997. From the outset, IBC has striven for quality, for example, they gained British Standard 5750 in 1992. Over the years, new techniques and systems have been created including close monitoring of faults in FIBC's, design and the building of machinery to clean FIBC's. More recently, Kitching has been involved in bringing to market Reuzip, a patented system invented by Heather Davies (Female Innovator and Best British Invention of the Year 2000).