Increasingly, customers are looking for help in managing the supply of transformers from China – a fact which has seen component supplier, Components Bureau, enjoyed a year of unprecedented success. There have been increases in several sectors, but the major shift has been in volume production.
Commercial manager, Andrew Ferrier, takes up the story: “We have partnered with several UK-based manufacturers who have developed and prototyped their own products using design and innovation expertise here in the UK. When those companies get the nod to start production however, it simply isn’t cost effective to manufacture high volumes of labour-intensive parts here. It’s not what we’re good at and it’s not how UK companies can make a profit. At Components Bureau we can take a specialist transformer and have volume production up and running fast and at a price that keeps the product competitive.”
Further success has come thanks to the company’s ability to facilitate prototypes for approval in two weeks, a service that has been honed to meet market needs. Andrew continued: “We understand that a design needs to be translated into a working product as quickly as possible, so we have streamlined our system, both here and with our Chinese partners, to move from design to delivered product in two weeks. It’s a service I’m really proud to offer and it’s won us considerable business.”
Transformers and wiring harnesses are areas where Andrew Ferrier has seen particular demand. He explained: “Any product that needs assembling by hand is always going to be worth talking to us about. We can also maintain stock levels at our warehouse in the UK for immediate delivery. I’m optimistic about prospects for growth which this kind of partnership facilitates.”