Hart Materials, the West Midlands-based supplier of highly specialised raw materials, is enjoying increased success in selling its products outside the UK.
Export sales between April 2015 and March 2016 amounted to 15% of total turnover, whereas from April 2016 to March 2017 the figure rose to 32%. Since the start of the company’s financial year this April, there has been a further increase to 41%
Managing Director, Dr. Tony Hart, comments, “Our continued success since April of this year is particularly encouraging and confirms that our targeted involvement in export sales was the right strategy.”
Not new to exporting, Hart Materials has been involved in supplying high performance metals, metallic composite products and chemicals for advanced technology applications throughout Europe since 1982.
The significant increase in recent years has mostly been as a result of sales to European countries, including Italy, Ireland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Estonia and France. However, advances have also been made in sales to India.
“We have received continued support from the Department for International Trade,” Tony continued, “and taken advantage of many of the services that the organisation offers to small businesses.”
“Undoubtedly, however, the key factor has been the increased effectiveness of our website. With expert guidance from our Marketing Consultant, Vikki Dober, working closely with Shaun Carvill of Bridgnorth-based web developers, Clickingmad, our site has been further fine-tuned to attract customers from outside the UK. A welcome page translated into a number of European languages has also had an impact.”
Tony Hart concludes, “Our positive results show that even small companies can export successfully, as long as they are prepared to bring in expertise from outside and tap into services made readily available by organisations such as the Department for International Trade.”