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Dura Composites looking at India to expand

05 Jul '18

3 min read

Dura Composites, a supplier of composite products used in flooring and structures for the construction and rail industries, is looking at India to expand its overseas growth plans. The company is in talks with a well-known distributor to attract customers from the industry including Indian Railways. The Clacton-on-Sea based company was established in 1996.

The company supplies its range of products to 12 countries all over the globe, including three in Europe, two in Africa and seven in the Middle East.

The business has worked with International Trade Advisers from the Department for International Trade (DIT) East of England to support its exporting ventures. It has received a wide range of support from DIT, including market research advice, and have also attended numerous meet the buyer events.

Exports currently account for 15 per cent of the business’ turnover. It expects to grow this to between 20 and 30 per cent in the next three years as the firm targets new contract wins with DIT’s support.

Stuart Burns, managing director at Dura Composites, said: “India is a huge market opportunity for us, as the home of one of the world’s largest railways. Its population of 1.4 billion people makes rail maintenance extremely challenging. We have seen huge success with our durable composite products overseas, making now the right time to expand further into South Asia.”

“We’ve seen consistent growth for the past 10 years both in the UK and internationally, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t faced challenges along the way. Finding buyers and distributors in other countries is not without its challenges, which is why advice from experts such as the DIT can be extremely helpful,” Burns added.

“Our advice for anyone looking to export would be to thoroughly plan and research your target markets. We’d strongly recommend booking a visit to an industry trade show – nothing beats meeting potential distributors or buyers face-to-face to build strong working relationships. If we can do it, so can many other local firms,” Burns added.

Alan Pain, regional director, East of England, DIT, said: “India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and the UK is the third largest investor in the country, making it a significant opportunity for British businesses looking to export.”

“Despite this, there are many factors that businesses should consider when looking to export to India. For instance, it comprises 29 states and seven different union territories, so being aware of trade regulations and business cultures for each is a must,” Pain said.

“But firms shouldn’t feel that they have to go through the process alone. We are proactively encouraging local businesses to export their products and take advantage of the support available to them. We have more than 30 International Trade Advisers in the East of England that can help businesses navigate the entire exporting process,” Pain added. “Our advice for anyone looking to export would be to thoroughly plan and research your target markets.” (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India