Irish eyes are smiling

Find out how a combination of experience and the power of word-of-mouth paved the way for one UK laboratory furniture company to tame the Celtic Tiger.

IT was a call out of the blue that started the success story in Ireland for the UK specialist manufacturer Kinetic Concepts.

Having set out to create a new generation of laboratory furniture based on over 25 years of experience, Kinetic Concepts has built up a reputation as one of the country’s leading suppliers in its field - a reputation that enabled the Yorkshire-based company to expand into the notoriously impenetrable Irish market.
 
Renewed confidence in the area over recent years has meant that Northern Ireland is becoming known as the Celtic Tiger, due to its success in business and investment. It is without a doubt that this economic miracle has been largely brought about by the rapid expansion of the technical industrials.

Generous funding and financial support made available by the government, particularly in the area of research & development, has paved the way for many collaborative opportunities within the growing biotech industry, attracting a plentiful supply of scientists and pharmaceutical companies who are enticed by the exciting prospects and long-term investment in the training infrastructure.

Kinetic produces a range of furniture that meets the precise requirements of scientific, technical and medical professionals. For Kinetic, having its work featured in facilities around the country has been extremely useful and has consequently allowed the company to secure contracts with Fusion Antibodies and Ivex Pharmaceuticals – both based in Ireland.

Bill Longbone, managing director of Kinetic Concepts, explained the reasons why securing the contracts outside of the mainland was particularly important to the company: “Our success over the recent years has continued to grow and our venture into the Irish market has made a significant addition to our client base.

“It is particularly important in today’s competitive business market that we adopt a pro-active approach in terms of investigating and maximising sales opportunities in order to ensure that we remain at the forefront of our industry. Securing two sizable contracts overseas within such a short space of time has both raised our profile and allowed us to build relationships with contacts outside of the UK mainland.” 

Enquiries from Fusion Antibodies, a therapeutic research and discovery company offering contract research to the bio-science industry, set the ball rolling for Kinetic’s venture into Irish territory. Having seen some examples of Kinetic’s furnishings in laboratories throughout the mainland, Fusion decided that the company’s experience was just what was needed to transform their newly purchased premises in the Poleglass area of Belfast, into a sophisticated state-of-the-art facility.

Conscious of the fact that their relocation could result in possible downtime in production, one of the main objectives explained by Fusion Antibodies was for the project to be carried out within the assigned time in order to ensure minimum disruption to the company and equally importantly, without sacrificing quality. After the initial brief was given and the full extent of the project was outlined, Kinetic completed the entire manufacturing process within four weeks and the installation work within a further three weeks, which included the fitting of a benching system comprised of powder coated steel framework with Trespa acid resistant worktops.

As a showcase facility to represent the quality of the services provided by Fusion Antibodies, the purpose built laboratories were carefully designed to maximise the natural light of the impressive building. Mark McCurley, laboratory manager at Fusion Antibodies, said: “It was a unique experience to be involved with the development of the laboratories from the initial conception through to completion. We were kept informed of the progress of the project at all stages and are very pleased with the result.”

With one experience behind them, the second chapter of Kinetic’s success in Ireland came from the recommendation of a local laboratory equipment supplier in the Yorkshire area who had been contacted by Ivex Pharmaceuticals, a Belfast based international pharmaceutical and medical manufacturer. After hearing about the Kinetic’s work and visiting some of its existing laboratory installations on the mainland, the company secured its next project to furnish a new Quality Control facility for Ivex Pharmaceuticals.

Kinetic designed, manufactured and installed the project - including mechanical and electrical services, flooring and decoration of the laboratories - within just seven weeks from conception.

Keen to both build and maintain positive working relationships, the Kinetic team regularly liaised with all new contacts involved in the projects such as contractors and suppliers, finding them to be extremely approachable and helpful. 

Certainly in the case of Kinetic’s experience of working in Ireland, much is to be said for the power of the word of mouth. Since breaking into the Irish market, Kinetic has not only managed to develop sound relationships with Fusion Antibodies and Ivex Pharmaceuticals but has also received a great deal of interest from other companies, both in Northern Ireland and Eire. Having already quoted several similar contracts to potential customers as a direct result of the two recent projects, Kinetic anticipate being awarded a significant contract in the near future. According to Bill Longbone, this venture has opened up a wealth of opportunities for Kinetic: “As a flourishing and confident place to do business, Ireland has seen significant investment over the last decade and its economical prosperity is continuing to grow.
 
“We are delighted to have successfully penetrated this new market as it not only strengthens our reputation for overseas work generally but has also given us the opportunity to showcase our work in a thriving setting and to a new audience.”

Having opened a gateway of opportunity for Kinetic and plans to target pharmaceutical and R&D companies in Ireland, many of which are subsidiaries of large multi national and American groups suggest that Kinetic has tamed the Celtic Tiger.

Sarah Lilly
Sarah is a graduate from the University of Hull. Based on her knowledge and experience, she works to support Kinetic Concepts in correspondence with its marketing strategy.