Exports key to Staffordshire manufacturer's growth

Bytronic, based at Anglesey Court on Rugeley's Towers Business Park, exports the majority of the products it makes as well as carrying out out research and development work.

It designs, manufactures and quality tests products used by engineering students and lecturers in universities, higher education colleges and training centres across the world.

Bytronic director Rod Bellamy said the milestone figure had been reached by signing up with agents in Qatar, Iraq and Lithuania.

"We have agents in countries in Europe, Africa, the Gulf, Asia, Americas and Australia and our educational systems are mainly used by electrical engineers," he said.

He also hailed the contribution from the company's accountants, Baldwins.

"Baldwins advice and guidance have been a great help to our business and has given us the confidence we need as a small business to take the business opportunities that, without their help, we would not have taken," said Mr Bellamy.

"We produce a wide range of products including process control, automation, control systems and electronics labs.

"As far as training is concerned if a new lab has been created at a university or college, the lecturers may not have enough expertise to provide the education and training in these areas, so we bring in specialists instructors to provide the knowledge to enable the lecturers.

"We still continue to supply products to the UK market and maintain our close connections with several UK universities, for development, and the UK market is important to our business, but we now mainly export.

"It has been a roller-coaster in recent times for Bytronic, as the economy has changed and Baldwins has helped us enormously particularly in understanding the benefits of research and development tax credits. This has been an essential aid to us in being able to develop new products and allowed us to become a key manufacturer in the educational international market.

"Business is going well particularly in the Gulf States and Far Eastern countries."

Robert Cockle, of Baldwins, said: "We will have been working with Bytronic for a decade next year and it has been great to watch the company grow stronger every step of the way.

"Exporting is a key message from the government and for a small company to be sending their products to such far-flung places is testimony to their expertise and skill."