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Turnover soars as business expands - 14th November 2002
Worldwide recognition has seen a Norfolk company's annual turnover soar to £6.5m. And Heatex's managers predict that the Watton business will be booming over the next 18 months.
The business has grown from its roots in Dereham, where it started in 1992 employing 20 people with an annual turnover of £1m. Now the team, which designs and manufactures electric process heaters and control systems for use in hazardous areas, has grown to more than 70 engineers and support staff with a global network, led by managing director Peter Smithers. Its major clients are contractors within the oil and gas industries and it is an approved vendor for oil companies, including Shell and BP Amoco.
Sales and marketing director John Cawcutt said: "We're gradually moving up and that's been the result of hard work. From a growth point of view, we have a specialist product in a niche market."
Mr Cawcutt said nearly all the company's business was down to export, something which had evolved from the early days when its major customers were offshore industries. He said: "With the decline of the manufacturing base in this country, coupled with the fact that there is no major future growth in the UK oil and gas sector envisaged, expansion into new markets overseas is essential."
That has required the company to devote an entire department to understanding the world's safety certificates.
"We're aiming to grow into new countries but because there is no standard certification across the world, we need to apply for their certificates before businesses will accept our products," said Mr Cawcutt. In the next six years, Heatex will expand its range of certificates to push its business into the Middle East, Asia, the former Eastern Bloc countries and China.