Aviation company soars to new heights in Singapore

Mashood Akmal, director of business development at Aeroservices

Yorkshire aviation company Aeroservices is soaring to new heights after successfully targeting an important new market in Asia.

The Leeds-headquartered company intends to open its first office in Singapore this year, less than two years after it began working with the Department for International Trade (DIT) to establish an initial presence there.

The exporter, which generates 90% of its sales through overseas trade, is a global distributor of aviation lubricants, consumables and hardware to international airlines, regional carriers and defence forces worldwide.

Established in 2007, the company has acquired an international client base across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and the Far East through its logistics hubs in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UAE.

After it began working with DIT to increase its global growth, Aeroservices was introduced to potential customers in Singapore ahead of a visit to the MRO Show in Dubai – which draws more than 4,500 industry professionals from the commercial aviation sector – in December 2016 with funding secured by the company.

Mashood Akmal, director of business development at Aeroservices, said: “The opportunity to meet new potential clients in Singapore and attend the show in Dubai was invaluable.
“We made numerous business contacts in Singapore – a market we hadn’t entered before – and now deem the time to be right to open our first office there.

“Similarly, the show resulted in us strengthening our presence in the Middle East throughout 2017 and culminated in us winning a place on Qatar Airways contract supplier list for the first time.

“As an experienced exporter, we’re fully aware that identifying new international markets and potential clients can require a great deal of time and due diligence. DIT’s knowledgeable and enthusiastic adviser has been able to assist with this and has consistently and proactively opened doors on our behalf.

“My advice to other companies thinking about exporting is this – take confidence from the success we’re enjoying and don’t hesitate to explore the opportunities for yourselves.”

Aeroservices currently has 27 employees but anticipates this figure will rise to 35 by the end of 2018 through organic growth combined with the opening of the new office in Singapore.

Mark Robson, regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber at the Department for International Trade, said: “Aeroservices is a fantastic example of a home-grown Yorkshire success story proving that companies that export have everything to gain.
“Although Aeroservices was already a highly experienced exporter, we were delighted to be able to facilitate business introductions and secure funding for the team to travel to the MRO Show Dubai.
“We were able to assist with three of the main barriers that prevent companies across Yorkshire exporting. These are the perceived cost of exporting, finding appropriate new markets and then finding suitable buyers or trading partners.
“We have 29 international trade advisers based on the ground in Yorkshire and the Humber who provide specialist support and guidance to ensure that companies can truly achieve their potential in Asia and many other continents besides.”

Close