Cardiff-based manufacturer, Eakin Surgical, designs and manufactures high-quality, single-use surgical instruments and medical devices.
Established in 2001, the company, which forms part of the wider Eakin Healthcare Group, specialises in the manufacture of single use instruments used for complicated surgical procedures. The products offer a high-quality disposable alternative to permanent tools, which can compromise patient safety and outcomes due the difficulty involved in cleaning such intricate items.
Today, Eakin Surgical exports to over 28 countries across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with international sales accounting for a third of its business. The manufacturer aims to triple its export figures over the next five years by entering key markets including Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Asia, all of which have emerging and thriving healthcare and life sciences sectors.
Exporting to new markets
The company is set to expand its business into the Middle East for the first time this year after securing a contract with the help of the Welsh Government, expecting sales in the region to reach $300,000 by 2026. The deal will open new revenue streams for Eakin Surgical, enabling its products to be sold across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.
Support from the Welsh Government has played a key role in Eakin Surgical’s export growth over the last five years. The company has received help developing an economic export plan and identifying possible customers and distributors overseas. It has also attended international exhibitions as part of various Welsh Government trade missions, including Arab Health in Dubai, and Medica, the world’s leading medical exhibition held in Germany, which both resulted in the acquisition of new distributors.
Alana Rodgers, Head of Sales at Eakin Surgical said: “We did not have much of an international presence until around five years ago when we started exploring the opportunities that exporting offers. We now see exporting as a key route to business growth and are putting a strategy in place to expand our presence within our existing regions, like Europe, while entering new lucrative markets too.
“Looking ahead, Latin America will be the next area we will aim to enter, followed by Asia.. We are currently building our portfolio for Latin America and plan to make use of further Welsh Government support to visit the region next year on a subsidised basis to assist with our market research.
“If it wasn’t for the help of our Welsh Government trade advisor, we wouldn’t have even known about the international exhibitions that we have attended, which have played a crucial role in our success having directly led to new business.”