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 plans to increase its revenue by 50 percent in the Iberian market after signing a new distribution agreement with MicroPlanet.

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

Goodfellow and MicroPlanet, the two firms in this new distribution agreement, are united by several shared values and synergies. These include a commitment to world-class customer service, a focus on speed of response, a dedication to quality products, and a mutual understanding of the importance of investing in technical knowledge and support.

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

Simon Kenney, Goodfellow's Chief Executive Officer, explained, “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.”

“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 and achieve cutting-edge applications worldwide."

“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 Huntingdon site, has also launched new branding to reflect the business's modern image.

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 to form the brand icon above the new Goodfellow strapline, '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 involved pretty much every member of the team.

The concept is to create an immersive site that showcases the company's ethos, 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 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."