The Comtec team were at Made in the Midlands Expo 2017 last month speaking to manufacturers about their export plans.
#MIMExpo17 was a great show with many leading names on site celebrating the successes of the Midlands manufacturing industry. This quote from Made in the Midlands CEO, Jason Pitt, sums up the event perfectly:
I could not be more pleased with the outcome of todays show. We welcomed over 2,000 people to a world-class venue, to further highlight the togetherness, passion and quality of Midland.
With a very buoyant and optimistic atmosphere amongst exhibitors and attendees, many companies were reporting record recent growth.
This trend is not just anecdotal either; in a recent FDI manufacturing rankings report (published by the Financial Times) the Midlands region scored a double, coming out top both in the UK and in Western Europe.
Our own experience at Comtec confirms this. With an increase in requirements for technical and marketing translations from our Midlands based manufacturing clients, confidence is in the industry is clearly high as our clients look to seize the opportunity to explore new markets overseas.
New markets for Midland manufacturing firms
With further expansion into non-EU markets, we have seen a trend from UK manufacturers for technical translations and website localisation in Mexican Spanish, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
Requests for translation and localisation into German are steadily high in demand as our Midland-based clients have a long history exporting to Germany; opportunities in this region for UK manufacturers means that this continues to be a strong market.
As well as Germany many Midlands firms are enjoying healthy export sales in Eastern Europe. Tool Connection, is a great example. With good penetration in Western Europe, they have recently expanded their distribution network to include Poland, Russia, Romania and Hungary.
Comtec provide Tool Connection with technical marketing translations a wide variety of languages, supporting approximately 40 new product launches every month. Wendy Braybrook, Marketing Manager from Tool Connection, says:
Comtec are instrumental in supporting those launches, not only translating very technical content into 10 different languages, but also working as an extension of our in-house design team by laying out the artwork in each language.
As we continue to expand the territories in which we operate, the support of a quality and efficient translation company will only become more important.
For more advice on technical marketing translations, read this blog post.
Website translation and localisation
Alongside technical translations, a core service we provide to our manufacturing clients, we also provide website translation and localisation services for a wide range of clients in this sector. From conversations with clients and those attending #MIMExpo17, clients are prioritising development of their online presence for key overseas markets. Many companies are looking to future proof their export options by putting this work in place now.
Companies such as luxury car brand Aston Martin recognise the importance of making a strong first impression when marketing their products overseas. Working closely with the global marketing team at Aston Martin, Comtec handles localisation of their company website and luxury brand literature for all key international markets you can download our case study here for more information about this project.
Our experience working with manufacturers in the Midlands and talking to attendees at #MIMExpo17 is that maximising opportunities overseas is their focus. These companies are innovative - looking for new markets and new opportunities. Were delighted to be part of this exciting industry, supporting Midlands firms with translation services that deliver tangible ROI by boosting export sales.
If you would like to discuss your translation projects or explore in more detail the process involved in delivering high quality technical translations, speak to our team! Call +44 (0) 1926 335 681 or email info@comtectranslations.com.
Alternatively you can get started straight away by getting a quote today.