Keeping the Nation Afloat and Protected
TUESDAY, 25 MARCH 2008
When you think about the British Isles and its people, you may think about our long and varied history, about boat-building, trading with foreign lands, and discovering remote parts of the globe. You may think about the British as a seafaring people with sporting prowess, of our love of tea-drinking, our once dominant place in the world, and our sense of fair play and justice.
Some values never change. We have a sense of pride in producing quality products and in continually enhancing traditional activities like boat-building that we have been involved in almost since people first inhabited this land.
It is with these thoughts of boats, sailing and all types of marine activity in mind, that we turn our attention to what Ratty said to his friend Mole in "The Wind in the Willows": "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
And many of us do, indeed, mess about in boats during summer weekends while, during the winter months, there is often much to do to ensure the vessels are seaworthy. But leaving a boat in the water can have disastrous effects, resulting in corrosion of metal parts, and the endless lazy summer days sailing soon become a distant dream as seamen and women struggle to get their adored boats seaworthy again.
This is where Chichester-based MGDuff can help. They have been supplying cathodic protection systems for all types of vessel for over 50 years. A leader in this field, it continues to be one of the largest suppliers of systems and services to the marine market in the UK and throughout the world.
Any type of metal on a boat that lies in fresh, salt or estuarine water is at risk of corrosion. Basically, metals of differing electrochemical potential, when in contact with one another, form galvanic cells. The metal with the lower potential in the galvanic cell becomes anodic to the higher potential (cathodic) metal and will corrode. The MGDuff system exploits this electrochemical process and halts the natural reaction (corrosion) of metals by superimposing an electrochemical cell more powerful than the corrosion cell. This is achieved by connecting an anode made from a much lower potential material, deliberately causing it to corrode. This "sacrificial" anode is replaceable, saving precious (and expensive) parts of all types of boat - not to mention time and energy!
MGDuff's involvement in corrosion control spans all aspects of the marine sector, from the leisure boat market to commercial deep sea shipping and coastal and shoreline structures, such as piling, jetties, lock and dock gates, and pontoon systems - and the company sells their products to boat owners around the world.
So, how did they get started with selling overseas? Chris Harris, Sales Manager at MGDuff, says: "We have always exported. The commercial market in the '60s and '70s has now largely been replaced by the leisure market - boat owners with a relatively large disposable income to spend on luxury products, and their maintenance. They are looking for a quality product, and these buyers like the fact that MGDuff has been around for over 50 years, has good technical back-up, and is a trusted retail name with a pedigree that stands the test of time."
New growth for the business will come from exporting to the northern European market, and the company has already been on successful trade missions to Norway and Sweden with the help of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), and they were on the UKTI Passport to Export programme of advice and support, which helped them gain international business. MGDuff also attended an Export Strategy workshop, and have also exhibited at the Dubai boat show and visited Kuwait with UKTI support.
MGDuff had already attended a two-day seminar on Norway, organized by UKTI, which provided an introduction to the country, its people, culture, and expectations, and this paved the way for a successful trip. "The embassies were also all tremendously helpful," says Chris. "Especially in Oslo. They gave us real assistance when we got there, showing us around and helping us with contacts."
What next? Denmark, Sweden and Finland are all on the radar, as well as Germany and Bulgaria.
"The northern Europeans really like the fact that we are a traditional British company, well-renowned, and are reputable in the way we do business. We are dealing with a discerning market here, and our business values are really important to them. It is important to understand and research the market before you go, but if you have done your homework and have a good quality product, doing business with a British company still commands respect in many parts of the world."
It's good to know that some values never change.
For further information on MGDuff, visit www.mgduff.co.uk.
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