A Cardiff-based medical devices firms has expanded into the Middle East marketplace as it aims to significantly grow international sales
Eakin Surgical, which produce single-use surgical instruments from its site in Llanishen, has appointed a new distributor in the region after attending the Arab Health exhibition in Dubai as part of a Welsh Government trade mission. The distribution deal will see its products sold across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.
The Middle East is a key target market for the company alongside Latin America and parts of Asia, all of which have emerging healthcare and life sciences sectors.
International sales account for a third of Eakin Surgical’s business, but the company is aiming to triple its export levels over the next five years by entering these new target markets. It currently exports its products to 28 countries across Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
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.
“The Middle East is a brand-new venture for us but offers huge potential. After securing our first distributor, we are expecting our sales in the region to reach $300,000 by 2026. Add to that other key markets which have well established health sectors, like Asia and Latin America, and the possibilities are endless.”
The recent expansion comes after the company also secured a new distributor in Spain, and is in talks with another in Romania, after attending a Welsh Government trade mission to Medica, the world’s leading medical exhibition held in Germany, last year.
The company that support from the Welsh Government has played a key role in its export growth over the last five years. As well as attending international exhibitions on various trade missions, the firm has received help developing an economic export plan and identifying possible customers and distributors overseas.
Ms Rodgers said: “Looking ahead, Latin America will be the next area we will aim to enter, followed by Asia. Like the Middle East, these regions have expansive healthcare markets and a wealthy client base that is more open to disposable instruments, undeterred by the additional cost.
“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.
Established in 2001, Eakin Surgical is part of the wider Eakin Healthcare Group.
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