A decision to update its internet site has helped a Black Country engineering firm overcome a decline in British manufacturing and land new orders overseas.
Bri-Mac engineering has gone from no exports at all to increasing its total sales by 50 per cent on the back of deals in Iran and Singapore.
The Stourbridge firm makes housings for a range of heavy duty cast steel bearings weighing more than 1,100kg each.
The bearings, which are used in a variety of industrial processes, have gone to the world's second largest cement works in Iran, while the company has also won an order to supply housings for an Arabian Gulf dredger.
Managing director Paul McCairn took over the company, which was founded by his father Brian in 1984.
He said: "With the decline of heavy industry in the UK, we realised we had to grow our product base and attract new customers.
"Last year I decided we needed to make our website more accessible so it could be found more easily by potential customers. I realised people use the internet more and more for business, so we inserted key words and tags into the site so it could be easily picked up by search engines.
"Then after a little while we were contacted by a salesman in Singapore. We thought it was too good to be true, but it was probably the best thing we ever did."
The Singaporean sales agent was looking to source parts for a boat, which will be used to dredge rivers in the Middle East.
The company won a £78,000 order to manufacture bearing housings used on the arms of the dredger.
Used to cut new waterways, the dredging ship required ten large steel bearing housings weighing 1,000kg each at the cutting face. This specialist application involves the submersion of the housings in sea water, which cools and lubricates them.
Special cast stainless steel seals are fitted to protect against corrosion.
Mr McCairn said: "We were delighted to win the order, and it was good for the local area because we source most of the steel from local foundries.
"We are an old fashioned metal bashing company, but we are not standing still. We have got a good product, which lasts years not months."
Bri-Mac has also supplied the world's second largest cement works - in Iran - with a range of heavy duty cast steel bearing housings weighing more than 1,100kg each.
The housings went through a rigorous destruction testing process before being selected and Bri-Mac's products outlasted its nearest competitor by a factor of four.
The company, which employs seven people at its base in Bagley Street, has received help from UK Trade & Investment.
UK Trade & Investment's services in the Black Country are delivered through the Black Country Chamber & Business Link, provided a free business health check; attending an export workshop; assistance in drawing up an international strategy and matched funding of up to £3,000 to help implement this strategy.
It also provided quality training and mentoring advice; access to the full range of UK Trade & Investment services, government funding and membership of Midlands World Trade Forum, the regional export club.
Mr McCairn said: "Until last September, we didn't have a single overseas customer. Since then, we have won export orders worth around £120,000 - nearly 25 per cent of our annual turnover.
" Our sales have been around £500,000 per year, but we are aiming for overseas exports of around £250,000 on top of that.
"People say British manufacturing is declining, but if you think on your feet it has got a future in the Midlands."
