Overseas contract for Merit Merrell Technology
Aug 4 2010 by John Hill, The Journal
CRAMLINGTON firm Merit Merrell Technology has secured a multi-million pound deal with the Indian government.
The company has said the high-tech contract will last about 10 months, but it is also considering opening an office in India and plans to compete for more contracts in the country.
Managing director Tony Wells said: “It’s still a good market for companies like us because others have been crowded out by larger companies.
“Our Indian experience is that when you’re going through public procurement they have a much higher regard for technical competency.
“They want a particular level of competency for a contract and if you don’t have that you don’t go to the next level. In Britain, if you haven’t got that they may say that you can go on anyway and make it up in other areas. That approach seems to devalue technical competency.”
Merit handles construction and engineering for biotechnology, pharmaceutical and nanotechnology sectors, and secured key healthcare contracts in the last year.
It has picked up contracts with GE Healthcare and Johnson and Johnson, and has agreed two deals with Synergy Healthcare in the last few months.
