Skydiving lifts small firm to new heights

10 04 2005 United Kingdom

A specialist design and manufacturing business with four staff has won significant new orders from overseas markets.

2K Composites, a small design and manufacturing firm in Buckingham, has increased its export rates from 10 per cent to more than 50 per cent of its total turnover, by raising its profile overseas.

The business, which was launched in 2000, manufactures freefly skydiving helmets distributed across the world. It specialises in camera and video helmets for recording each high-flying adventure and has just two full-time staff and two part-time staff.

Sales have steadily increased, thanks mainly to funding for attending specialist skydiving events in the US, Dubai and Spain.

Ram Herkanaidu, of 2K Composites, said: "Without the help of the Passport to Export scheme, we would still be a largely UK-based company. The funding enabled us to attend three major overseas skydiving events where we were able to raise the company's profile, make invaluable contacts, get feedback on the helmets and generate orders.

"As a result of the help we've had, exports now make up more than 50 per cent of our total turnover, so I would highly recommend the scheme to any other company wishing to increase its exports."

The UK Trade and Investment's Passport to Export scheme is the Government's support body for British firms trading overseas. A spokesperson said that 2K Composites had demonstrated that, with the right support, UK companies can find sales success in the overseas markets they are targeting.

You can visit 2K Composites' website here -
www.2kcomposites.com (page opens in a new window)

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