Tackling problems that baffle the rest

Sep 14 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

The Journal has teamed up with the North East Chamber of Commerce to encourage businesses in the region to export their way out of recession. Andrew Mernin spoke to three firms which have done just that.

DESPITE being run by a modest workforce of four and only being in its third year of business, engineering troubleshooter Global Anodes has made its mark all over the world.

The Billingham company, which won the UKTI’s New Exporter award earlier this year, specialises in going where its larger rivals dare not tread.

Technical director Andy Hatton said: “It’s difficult to compete when you are small against huge players who employ thousands of people.

“But a lot of bigger companies don’t want to get involved in the more complicated jobs like us. We like things with an engineering challenge that gets people scratching their heads.

“Trading internationally has helped us ride out the economic difficulties for the last few months. Because we are trading in other parts of the world, when one area is going down, another area is going up.”

The company, which focuses on corrosion and bio-fouling problems in the marine and offshore sectors, makes most of its revenue in the Scandinavian and North American markets.

Meanwhile, it is currently in the bidding for a contract in India worth around £400,000 and one in China which will be worth a combined £1m to all parties involved in the project.

And Mr Hatton urges other North East firms to follow his lead by going global.

“It’s certainly a way of not putting all your eggs in one basket,” he said.

Page 2: Firm cleans up in a mucky old business