New distribution deal set to provide export boost for Goodfellow

A surge in demand for specialist metals and materials to support global R&D projects has seen Goodfellow hit a new export milestone.

The majority of the company’s current revenue is now sent overseas to 60 different countries and it is planning for a further 50% boost in the Iberian market after signing a new distribution agreement with MicroPlanet.

The deal will strengthen its presence in a key territory that is currently home to a significant amount of research and high value manufacturing that requires some of the 170,000 different metals and materials distributed from its Ermine Business Park facility.

Both firms share several synergies and values, including world class customer service, speed of response, quality products and the importance of investing in technical knowledge and support.

The agreement comes at an exciting time for Goodfellow, who has also just rebranded for the first time in over 45 years and launched a new client-centric website (www.goodfellow.com).

“Export has been at the core of our offering for decades and, as such, we invest heavily in ensuring we have a strong ‘local’ presence on the ground in key markets,” explained Simon Kenney, Chief Executive Officer of Goodfellow.

“This is achieved by great distributors like MicroPlanet in Iberia and through other agreements we have in place with Goodfellow GmbH, SARL and Corp in the USA. Understanding different markets and their customer requirements is critical to our expansion, with international sales increasing each year.”

He went on to add: “Our ongoing investment in stockholding, our expert team of technical scientists and bespoke processing services continue to be a valuable resource for R&D departments and scientific specialists looking to push the boundaries of innovation that achieve cutting-edge applications all over the world.

“These include new opportunities in fusion energy, battery technology, space exploration and a new cancer treatment.”

Goodfellow, which employs more than 100 people at its site in Huntindgon, has also pressed the button on new branding to reflect the modern-day image of the business.

Inspiration for the new design was taken from the baseline of the firm’s products at a nano, microscopic and macroscopic level, with the shapes corresponding to rods, tubes, balls and beads.

These spheres are collated together to form the brand icon that sits above the new Goodfellow strapline of ‘Advanced Materials, Innovation Delivered’.

This marketing milestone for the business comes at the same time as the new website launch, an extensive project that has taken nine-months to complete and has involved pretty much every member of the team.

The concept is to create an immersive site that showcases the ethos of the company, acts as a unique technical guide for R&D and scientific experts and, importantly, makes it easy for existing and new customers to navigate the 170,000 different products it can supply.

Claire Hartley, Chief Marketing Officer, continued: “Linking the website with a dynamic visual identity, which has the potential to bring other brands in underneath it, was extremely important for us as we look to grow further across the world and deliver a best-in-class user experience.

“It’s an integral part of the marketing mix and a new way for us to continuously improve the way we engage with our growing client base.”

She concluded: “There will be lots of new content, new project launches and improved frequency of customer communications to educate and add value. This will be in person, at events, webinars and through our new podcast series.”