Swinton firm celebrates export success
MANCHESTER plating firm Swinton Electro-Plating expects export turnover to increase by 25% after capitalising on opportunities in Russia.
The company is on target to increase its export turnover by £100,000 this year, rising from £400,000 in 2011 to a projected £500,000 for 2012, with a further 5% increase in export sales by 2014.
The company, which specialises in hard chrome and electroless nickel plating, is also trading in Norway, Germany, Algeria, the Congo and Ghana.
Godfrey Evans, managing director, said: “UK manufacturing has so much to offer to the global economy, and with the current exchange rates as they are it can really pay dividends to buy British.”
He added: “We’ve accelerated our export sales to 20% seemingly overnight – which would have been unheard of when the firm was founded 50 years ago in a small workshop in Swinton.
“However, we’re not going to rest on our laurels. We started to concentrate more on exporting because of a massive downturn in our domestic markets and we’re determined to sustain our overseas growth at the same time as growing the domestic business. This will also allow us to do our bit back home by recruiting more local staff to meet the rising demand.”
It was a UKTI Trade Mission to Russia that accelerated Swinton Electro-Plating’s international expansion and opened more routes into the lucrative oil and gas sectors. The company has also recently hosted a visit by a top trade official from the British Embassy in Moscow.
Malcolm Arnold, UKTI international trade adviser, said: “Previous export business was dealt with on a re-active basis but the company has now become pro-active with a new international website in six foreign languages launched in 2011 which is creating new overseas enquiries. Their next target market is France and they have just joined the UKTI Gateway to Global Growth scheme which will help them with training, export strategy, mentoring plus funding to help achieve their next export goal.”
