Focus SB Launches Premium Wiring Accessories in China
HASTINGS, England, October 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
A range of premium metal sockets and switch-plates meeting Chinese Quality Certification Centre (CQC[1]) standards has been developed and manufactured in the UK and is available for export to China as of today. Hastings-based luxury electrical accessory manufacturer Focus SB claims a British and European first, as the only UK manufacturer in its industry to sign a deal with a Chinese distributor, Kursel Ltd, enabling it to supply British-made products into China's multi-million dollar high-end residential and hospitality construction marketplace.
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Excited to announce it has officially passed the prestigious CQC audit of compliance to supply its brand new CCC[2] approved product range into the rapidly growing Chinese market[3], Focus SB is the first UK and European manufacturer of premium electrical accessories to have passed the rigorous process, which involved its UK facilities being inspected and quality processes audited by an independent body to ensure that the stringent CQC requirements for processes were complied with.
A CQC spokesman confirmed that due to the variety of finishes and depth of product range, Focus SB has more products with CCC approval than any other electrical accessories manufacturer in China.
Focus SB managing director, Gary Stevens said: "This is a historic moment for the company and the British electrical accessory manufacturing industry. There is often a sense of negativity surrounding Chinese imported products in the UK, but Focus SB has managed to reverse this scenario. We are now representing Britain in China and at the same time providing the company and its 60+ workforce with security following the Brexit vote last year."
Part of a longer-term strategy formulated by its senior management team, the company has predicted uncertainty and the threat of a potential future slowdown in the UK construction sector following the Brexit vote, and started to put plans together prior to this event to mitigate any potential risk to future trading.
A combination of generated profits, R&D tax credit[4] refunds and Locate East Sussex[5] grant and loan monies has enabled the company to develop a complete new range of electrical accessories specifically for and tested to the Chinese CCC standards.
Focus SB supply chain and new product development manager Duncan Ray commented: "The level of interest we have had in the product range has been nothing short of phenomenal - we have created a new brand in China with British quality. Our distribution partner, Kursel Limited, is extremely well placed to take full advantage of all our hard work and hopefully we can provide inspiration for other British manufacturers who are concerned about the potential effects of Brexit on their business".
This development could see the company potentially double in size over the next three years and provide Focus SB, soon be in its 40th anniversary year, with the financial resource to further invest into the UK operation and strengthen its position as the number one luxury electrical accessory brand in the UK and beyond.
Reference Notes:
1 - CQC (China Quality Certification) is a Chinese administration based in Beijing with responsibilities for the implementation of product certification. It is responsible for product standards and quality standards sold on the Chinese market.
2 - The China Compulsory Certificate mark, commonly known as a CCC Mark, is a compulsory safety mark for many products imported, sold or used in the Chinese market. It was implemented on May 1, 2002 and became fully effective on August 1, 2003.
3 - China has 4 cities in the World's top 10 in terms of population and 6 larger than London, and with it comes a huge appetite for high-end luxury residential properties. One area in China around the Beijing greater metropolitan area is larger than the whole of Great Britain and 137 times larger than London in terms of population. China currently has 2.5 million hotel rooms and is predicted to grow to 6.3 million rooms over the next 10 years. There are currently in excess of 700 hotel construction projects in progress.
4 - Research and development (R&D) tax credits are a valuable government tax relief that rewards UK companies for investing in innovation. Companies that spend money developing new products, processes or services; or enhancing existing ones, are eligible for a cash payment and/or corporation tax reduction. R&D tax credit rates are the equivalent of up to 33p for every £1 of qualifying expenditure. They can be used as an alternative to innovation grants for research and development funding. Sometimes they can complement them too.
5 - Locate East Sussex are an EU supported organisation whose mission is to support growing businesses in East Sussex by providing assistance with location decisions and access to funding to accelerate growth, as well as providing valuable connections to local planning and economic development teams.
About Focus SB Ltd:
Focus SB® is a UK manufacturer specialising in bespoke electrical wiring accessories for high-end hotels and residential, period properties and luxury yachts. Focus SB is the only UK electrical accessory manufacturer with total control of its manufacturing process in-house. With origins emanating from Brassware Sales Ltd in 1978, Focus SB was established in 2001 when Sussex Brassware Ltd and Focus Electrical Ltd merged. In 2004, Focus SB acquired general engineering business, CH Turner & Sons Ltd and brought plate manufacturing in-house. Its precision engineering and state-of-the-art auto finishing facility enables the company to be flexible and reactive to customer demands. Focus SB is uniquely able to match its toggle switches to its plate finishes, and the company's product innovations include the only truly flush-mounted electrical plate for the UK market, the Focus SB Smoothie®, designed in collaboration with the architects and designers, SHH. Focus SB's quality management system is ISO 9001:2015 compliant. The company is an accredited partner of the Society of British and International Interior Designers (SBID) and members of the Made in Britain Campaign and China-Britain Business Council, exporting to the Middle East and China.
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