A stairlift manufacturer, which exports across the globe, is targeting new markets selling direct to consumers in the UK.
Newton Aycliffe manufacturer MediTek Stairlifts, which also has a site in North Carolina in the US, exports more than 3,000 of its lifts per year across Europe, Australia and America.
But now the company, which employs 30 staff at its site at Aycliffe Business Park, has brought in Nikki Rotherham as business development manager to target sales direct to the consumer in the UK.
And with a new showroom, customers and occupational therapists can try their stairlifts before they buy.
Philip Carmedy-Pye, the recently appointed manager director of MediTek, said: “Nikki joins us at an exciting time in the business as the new strategy of offering direct sales to the North East is a key part to the growth of our company.”
Business Durham’s John Parnell (centre) with MediTek’s MD Philip Carmedy-Pye and business developement manager Nikki Rotherham at the company’s Newton Aycliffe site. Picture by Stuart Boulton.
Nikki said: “It’s great to be working for a company such as MediTek and I’m looking forward to building on the hard work which has been done.”
MediTek was established 20 years ago. The company also makes children’s stairlifts and specialist standing stairlifts as well as their traditional ranges.
As part of its development, the firm is keen to invest in young talent and take on apprentices, such as Nathan Gilbey who has joined the engineering team in the research and development department after a stint in a department dedicated to improving user experience and comfort.
John Parnell, business development manager (South) for Business Durham, the economic development company for County Durham, helped MediTek identify suitable funding sources so the company could realise its ambitions. He pointed them in the direction of the North East Microloan fund, which freed up more working capital for them to persue their new strategy.
John said: “Meditek have been a successful company for more than 20 years but earlier this year they decided they needed a new direction in order to increase sales and expand the business further.
“One of their ambitions was to re-shore manufacturing of their component parts and the other was direct sales as they had always sold through external distributors.
“They’re a fantastic business and we look forward to seeing them grow further as they target more direct sales and fulfil their business plan.”