Local Business Man Discusses Global Expansion with the Prime Minister
As part of a UKTI initiative, the Prime Minister welcomed over 100 UK exporting firms to 10 Downing Street to recognise their business success in overseas markets and their contribution to the UK economy. One of the invitees was Mark Ridgway, Managing Director of Wakefield manufacturing Company Group Rhodes.
Mark was able to discuss the Company’s successes and concerns, and suggest ideas for how the Government could further help British companies export. A member of the Advanced Engineering Sector Advisory Board of UKTI (UK Trade and Investment), which covers the UK aerospace, automotive and engineering sectors, Mark Ridgway also Chaired the 2008 India Initiative on behalf of UKTI, focused on developing trading links between the two countries.
Addressing the assembled group, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "I want to thank you for everything you are doing for the British economy, for British exports, and for British confidence. All of you here are successful businesses. All of you have made important innovations in the way you do business. Many of you have received Queen’s Awards for what you have done, and I congratulate you. Many of you are helping this country through one of the most difficult financial periods and doing so by increasing your growth rates and making sure that the economy can remain strong for the future."
Lord Davies said, “It is important to recognise British exporting success. The companies here today show the range of businesses in the UK taking their talents to the world. But we must encourage more firms to export.”
UK Trade & Investment, the part of Government responsible for promoting exports and inward investment, invited a wide-range of UK firms who are looking to increase their export markets as a way of surviving the downturn and building a platform for long-term growth.
Yorkshire manufacturing Company, Group Rhodes exports approximately one third of its turnover to up to 30 countries each year. The specific export markets can change year on year, although recently significant orders have been received from China, Japan, Egypt, Nigeria, India, USA and Malaysia.
The Company is a world leader in the manufacture of Superplastic Forming presses using the production of lightweight components in the Aerospace industry. Developing on its success in the UK market where over 40 machines have been installed in Rolls Royce and British Aerospace, the Company won its first contract to China in 2006.
“China is a difficult aerospace market to crack”, said Mark, “however regular market visits and sponsorship of industry specific seminars in China have resulted, last month, in Rhodes being named as preferred supplier of SPF presses to two Chinese Aerospace component manufacturers. Both projects have been administered through the China National Aero-Technology Import/Export Corporation (CATIC) a subsidiary of the Chinese National Aviation Authority (AVIC). The first phase of the project is valued at US$3M.”
Other recent global successes for Group Rhodes include sales to Japan of advanced backward Extrusion presses for aluminium tube manufacture, and an order for a Rhodes Triple Action Hydraulic press utilised in the production of deep drawn components for the Indian Aerospace industry. Sales successes in Egypt, Nigeria and Malaysia have been achieved through Group Company Craven Fawcett, which manufactures heavy ceramic processing machinery for the production of bricks. Whereby contracts placed by United States Companies include Control System infrastructure for US Navy DDG destroyers and components for Anti Mine Detection systems.
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