Car firm gears up for Down Under success

Brierley Hill's Eurolec Components has created a hi-tech enhanced starter motor and an alternator that look identical to an original dynamo for 1950s and 60s classic British motors.

Managing director Michael Hadley has sealed a deal to start supplying the starter to a company in Australia.

The deal was helped by UK Trade & Investment – the Government organisation that helps British firms seeking to develop their export business. It is a welcome boost for the vehicle components industry, one of the worst-hit sectors in the recession with many car manufacturers and their supplier companies forced to cut staff and working hours.

Established in 1983, family-run Eurolec has 22 employees at its Moor Street factory and has an annual turnover of £2 million designing, building and testing components for classic, competition and kit cars.

In December, the firm joined UK Trade & Investment's flagship Passport to Export programme, which gives new exporters training, planning and ongoing support.

Mr Hadley said: "I attended an excellent one-day course which opened up my eyes to the different routes to exporting. As a result of this, we decided the best way forward was to find a distributor in Australia.

"We had already started a dialogue with an Australian company after a brief meeting at a trade show in Germany, and with financial support through the Passport to Export scheme, I visited the market and was able to follow this up.

"We signed an agency agreement with this company, which has a huge interest in motorsport, and have just fulfilled our first order, worth just under £10,000. During my visit, I also sold products worth about £2,000 at two trade shows.

"There are tens of thousands of classic British cars in Australia and we are hopeful that the order from our distributor will be the first of many."