Advanced Composites Group, Advancing on India
The company founded in 1976 following the formulation and development of a resin considered to be unique to industry has developed into a global business known as Advanced Composites Group (ACG). Now part of the Composites Division of Umeco plc, ACG, which employs over 640 people around the world, has made a significant contribution to the composites industry, often leading the way in the development of formulations, materials technology and application know-how.
ACG’s parent company, Umeco plc, is a leading innovator in distribution and supply chain management to the aerospace and defence industries. It has significant manufacturing interests in advanced composite materials for a growing range of applications in its core aerospace and defence markets, and in other high performance technology industries, such as motor sport, automotive and wind energy.
Today, ACG continues to specialise in the manufacture of high performance advanced resin impregnated fibre composite materials primarily used in the manufacture of high performance structures, from aircraft, racing cars and boats to fishing rods and tennis rackets.
“The advantage of our product is that it is lightweight and incredibly strong,” says Bernard Twist, Export Sales Manager at ACG. “This makes it ideal for use in the manufacture of high performance vehicles, such as racing car chassis. These used to be made from steel tubes, before manufacturing progressed to using aluminium sheets. Now they use resin bonded carbon fibre, which we sell direct to manufacturers.”
Global interests
ACG has manufacturing capabilities in the UK, the US and South Africa, and exports its materials all around the world. Initially, in the early 1980s, the company manufactured carbon fibre components for the motor racing industry in Europe, but it now focuses on supplying raw materials.
The company is already very active in China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, and is also seeing significant growth in New Zealand and South Africa, but it was keen to identify opportunities in new expanding regions. Having first started to supply materials to the Indian Aerospace Industry in Bangalore in 2001, India was on the radar screen.
“Over the years, we followed press reports about India, and visits to the country by UK Government officials like Gordon Brown and Sir Digby Jones,” says Bernard Twist. “It was becoming clear that there could be additional opportunities to explore in other parts of the country, serving sectors outside of aerospace.”
India Event
In May 2008, an opportunity arose to explore the market in greater depth when ACG was invited to attend UK Trade & Investment’s India Event. In the course of the event, UK Trade & Investment arranged for its UK delegates to meet with potentially interested parties from local business and industry.
ACG talked to 50 people, including some that they had had email contact with in the past, and several new leads.
“UK Trade & Investment’s India Event gave us a unique opportunity to meet potential clients in Bangalore, Pune and Chennai,” says Bernard Twist. “It was incredibly professional and really well organised, with excellent pre-event advertising, ensuring that events were attended by quality local delegates, many of whom had an active interest in our technology. We received a wonderful reception wherever we went and, crucially, we were able to get a sense of how the Indian market is developing. We came away with a much clearer idea of the potential for our business over the next three to five years.”
Flying the flag
It takes time for new business to develop into concrete sales, but ACG is confident of achieving new business within six to nine months, and already has another trip to the region planned shortly to follow up on potential that was identified during the visit.
In the meantime, the company is proud to have been invited to represent the best of UK business in an emerging market.
“The India Event was the first time that we found ourselves representing ‘UK plc’ overseas,” says Bernard Twist. ”The UK really does have world class engineering capabilities and, although we are not the biggest player, we are uniquely completely British, compared to other big companies based in the UK which are in fact owned by the US or Switzerland. To be selected to represent our home country, and in particular our sector, was a real honour for us.”
Fast facts
Company: Advance Composites Group
Country: UK
Industry: Advanced Engineering
Website: www.acg.co.uk
