Member Article

Export experts seek new markets

An award-winning Teesside export firm has teamed up with one of the fire protection industry’s most respected figures as they seek to break into untapped global markets.

Leading industry voice Pete Wilson, whose 40 years within the industry took in long spells with Leigh’s Paints and PPG, has been appointed as business development consultant for Middlesbrough-based Ecco Finishing Supplies, voted North East Export Team of the Year for 2013.

Wilson has joined forces with Ecco as they seek further export advances following breakthroughs in Canada, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Middle East and Far East.

Earlier this year, Ecco broke into the Far East market when agreeing a deal with Oman-based Tech International, part of the giant Al Sulaimi Group, to act as sole distributor of its PFP EF430 machine for the region’s oil and gas industries.

But Ecco MD Keith Miller believes the Far East deal was “the tip of a giant iceberg” in terms of further potential overseas interest in the EF430.

He said: “As a business, we made our first major breakthrough into the overseas market only four years ago but the past 12 months has seen our export business really take off.

“As well as our PFP machines, there has been great demand for our blasting and coatings equipment, so these are hugely exciting times for us.”

“We are now finding our own niche in the market after developing a machine that provides an attractive PFP solution to a wide range of industries.

“Pete’s extensive experience and knowledge, together with his wide range of contacts across the industries we serve, makes him a perfect consultant as we seek to bring our equipment to the attention of the global audience.”

Operations Director of the Pinchetti-Wilson Consultancy, Mr Wilson has already gained major leads for Ecco’s industry-leading passive fire protection (PFP) machines, together with coatings and blasting equipment, in the Americas, Africa, Canada and Europe.

“Ecco is a family-run business with a global customer base with a leadership team that has integrity that matches its expertise and ambition,” said Mr Wilson.

“That is the reason they have found it so easy to build first-class relationships with a wide range of customers in a variety of industries across the globe.”

Ecco are global suppliers of surface preparation and surface finishing products, exporting their own range of purpose-built hydra-cats for the application of polyurethanes and epoxies across the world.

Overseas clients include Cape, Pyeroy, Wood Group, Lamprell, Hertel and PSI Group.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .