Brand Britain helps Hagues Fasteners double exports

Hague, which is based at Willenhall, near Wolverhampton, said it had witnessed a doubling of its exports and secured 20% growth in the process with its specialist fasteners and milled components being shipped for use in high-profile oil and gas, transport and infrastructure projects in Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East. Managing director Jon Hague believes the firm's ability to produce custom made critical components quickly has helped it differentiate itself from the competition and this niche has been further strengthened by the acquisition of a 4-axis CNC machining centre, the launch of a new website and an online marketing campaign. "We've had our best ever year since relocating to Willenhall in 2008,with international sales now accounting for almost 50% of our business – more than double the levels we enjoyed prior to moving," he said. "This isn't by accident either. There has been a massive shift in purchasing attitudes and customers are now actively seeking British made products and we've had to move quickly to take advantage of this. Our website is currently being translated into Norwegian and this will be followed by French and Dutch versions. We are also building our network of international agents to give us even greater global exposure. "The investment in the additional CNC machining centre gives us the ability to offer full 3D profiling, which is increasingly important for clients looking for complex and safety critical components. Hague also praised the loyalty of key staff, including the company's head of engineering Stuart Bailey and general manager Mike Field who had each served the business for almost 18 years, but the company had also worked with Bournville College to identify and train three apprentices which meant that almost a quarter of its workforce was now under the age of 23.