Columnist

Cobra Sport’s evolution: from expanding product lines, to capturing global markets, and growth through skills and training.

Cobra Sport Exhausts, a family-owned Sheffield manufacturing business, renowned for its stainless-steel performance exhausts, is undergoing a transformative evolution with financial support through South Yorkshire Skills Bank.

The South Yorkshire Skills Bank programme has been extended until 2025 by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and employers can benefit from applying for co-finance towards the cost of upskilling their workforce through skills training that is delivered by a provider they have chosen, around their bespoke training needs.

Expanding its product line to encompass various market opportunities, Cobra Sport has now introduced Cobra Manufacturing, a fabrications business, catering to a variety of sectors, including the food and construction industries. Additionally, Cobra Sport’s recent launch into motorcycle sports exhaust products has ignited new international markets, particularly in Japan, the USA, and the Middle East. Leveraging innovation and technology, Cobra Sport has also embraced a digital-driven ambassador scheme to bolster its brand presence within its loyal following.

This training not only empowered the company to re-evaluate its customer base across all business areas, but also emphasized the importance of tailoring brand messages to distinct customer markets. As Cobra Sport expands into motorcycle and fabrication sectors, the importance of coherent yet differentiated brand marketing became more evident, requiring a tailored marketing strategy to effectively engage each category of customers.

In response to these pivotal changes and with a focus on supporting its business growth strategy, Cobra recently undertook a strategic marketing revitalization. Four Cobra staff members engaged in the Developing a Marketing Strategy training course led by branding and communication expert, Steve McKevitt.

Jake Wilmott, Business Development Manager at Cobra, said: “The training was incredibly useful, covering marketing best practice and brand strategy with a final session on auditing and producing marketing plans. Putting in practice what we have learnt will help propel the business forwards.” Jake also highlighted the supportive role of Skills Bank, part of the South Yorkshire Growth Hub, in securing financial assistance towards the cost of the training course.

South Yorkshire Skills Bank is part of South Yorkshire Growth Hub, a service which exists to help businesses to find the best possible support to grow, whether that is investment in skills and training, accessing finance options, receiving support with innovation or export, or even helping new businesses start-ups.

South Yorkshire Growth Hub Skills Advisors are available across the region to support and assist businesses with their needs, including advice and guidance around maximising a Skills Bank funding application. The extension to the South Yorkshire Skills Bank programme until 2025 is in recognition of the needs of local businesses and as part of the support to boost South Yorkshire’s post pandemic recovery and renewal.

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