Consort Precision Diamond Co - a highly specialist Welsh manufacturing company has reported significant export-led sales increases over the last three months and announced plans to build on that success by targeting China this year.
The Welsh Government’s international trade development programme is supporting the company’s export drive and commissioned an in-depth market report for Consort, highlighting new business opportunities in China’s aerospace sector.
Consort, which is based in Kinmel Bay, in Conwy borough, operates in a highly niche market and is one of the world’s leading companies producing Rotary Diamond Dressers that are used extensively across a wide range of industries in complex, high precision grinding operations.
They ensure the grinding wheels are maintained in optimum condition, an essential requirement to ensure the accurate, high-speed production of components for the aerospace, automotive, power generation, machine tool and specialised engineering industries.
A key area of Consort’s expertise is in specifying and manufacturing diamond dressers for bespoke applications.
Managing Director David Morris said they were pleased to report sales had increased by 21% during the past three months, with the majority of the increase in exports to the USA, Mexico and Brazil. He said:
“Despite difficult trading conditions globally, November was our best month ever for incoming orders and outgoing production. This increase was mainly due to recognising new opportunities and concentrating sales efforts in those areas in anticipation of likely problems in the Eurozone,”
This year the company plans to concentrate efforts on China which is a growing market, particularly in the aero engine industry which he said has advanced at an impressive rate over the past decade.
“Although we have been selling our products to China for a number of years the excellent in-depth study commissioned through the Welsh Government highlighted new potential for our products in the aerospace sector and will guide our efforts to expand this market.”
Consort’s Technical Representative Brian Jones made a re-assessment visit to China last month and the company is now actively looking for a representative there with experience in the aerospace sector.
Business Minister Edwina Hart congratulated the company on its success and said she was pleased to hear Consort is benefiting from the help provided by the Welsh Government to support companies to trade internationally.
“Exports not only offer new market opportunities for Welsh businesses, helping to create and safeguard jobs, but also have a positive impact on the Welsh economy. Helping businesses increase international trade is high on the Welsh Government’s agenda.
“Consort’s export success mirrors the latest export figures for Wales published in December which showed a healthy 22% increase over the previous twelve months”.
Consort, which operates in the key advanced materials and manufacturing sector, is also currently involved in a technical research project with Swansea University under the ASTUTE (Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies) programme with the assistance of the Welsh Government.
ASTUTE provides dedicated expertise to help companies improve their competitiveness, enabling them to operate at the leading edge of manufacturing technologies.
Mr Morris said they are hopeful of positive results which will be invaluable for further increased production.