Talking business in many tongues 02/12/05 Featuring RLN NE
A manufacturer has seen a dramatic rise in its export business after moving a host of linguists into its Tyneside base.
North Shields based Elfab, which makes safety devices used in products including car air bags and air craft ejector seats, has recorded an £800,000 year-on-year hike in export sales on a turnover of £7m.
The company has won new orders in Germany, Norway and Russia, worth a combined total of nearly £450,000, and it's success means it is now recruiting six more linguists.
James Harris, sales and marketing director, said: "The backbone of our export success is our team's language skills and the way we approach the market."
Over the last three years, Elfab, which employs 70 people, has closed three subsidiaries across Europe and centralised its sales and customer support at North Shields, where staff speak a total of 10 languages - the company's website now also features seven languages, following the recent addition of Chinese.
Elfab has just one telephone number for customers to North Shields from any of its 100 world markets. The telephone system then automatically ensures the call is directed to a team member fluent in the language of the caller, while the computer simultaneously locates account details of existing customers.
Mr Harris says this level of service has helped Elfab achieve 76% growth in Eastern Europe, 134% in Australasia, 35% in the Far East, and 18% in Western Europe.
But he most impressive figure is the Americas, where Elfab has recorded growth of 316% as it starts to tap into a market where the total annual sales by its competitors are some £100m.
Elfab's three new successes are a £250,000 order from Germany, for a new PVC plant in the Middle East, £170,000 for a Norwegian gas pipeline and a £24,000 order from Russia.
Mr Harris said: "We operate in a global market and 70% of our production is ultimately for use outside the UK.
"While it is true that English is the international language of business, we recognise our customers value being able to do business in their native tongue.
"We employ foreign nationals as territory sales managers in our core European markets and trade through a network of agents across the rest of the world. These field sales efforts are supported by our multi-lingual support team here at North Shields, of whom 40% are foreign nationals and the rest are fluent in various languages."
One NorthEast chair Margaret Fay and Zélie Guérin, manager of ONE's Regional Language Network, praised the company's success in a visit this week, when they met workers, including award-winning linguist CLaire Lloyd, 25, of Jesmond, Newcastle, who was named Export Worker of the Year 2005.
Margaret Fay said: "Elfab's success shows that North-East companies that are ready to invest in languages and customer support the was that Elfab has can really grow their business in new markets."
The Journal
Northern business daily
Back to archive