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The business
Name: Mike Robinson - API Engineering
Location: Norwich
Sector: Engineering
Turnover: £7m
Staff: 45
Website: www.api-engineering.com
Location: Norwich
Sector: Engineering
Turnover: £7m
Staff: 45
Website: www.api-engineering.com
Mike Robinson - API Engineering
Diversification and expansion into new markets has helped API Engineering continue to succeed, despite a tough economic climate.
Founded in 2000, the company acts as an agent for heavy engineering products, which it imports from a pool of Chinese, South East Asian and Australasian manufacturers. As well as lower cost imports, customers benefit from access to a vetted pool of suppliers, without needing to overcome language barriers or build relationships.
Supplying customers in industries such as automotive, oil and gas, mining and power generation, the company has seen trade decline in some sectors. But a number of new projects and markets have made up for any falls – and put the company in a strong position for the future.
A stone wholesale business has been launched, along with a tractor distribution operation in California, and API has secured major contracts supplying tooling to tube mills in Argentina and Mexico. API sister company, PPI, established in 2007, has also obtained orders for tidal power projects and carried out technical support and engineering work in more than 20 countries.
Director Mike Robinson said: “We expect to see the results of the business development activity manifest as increased sales in 2011.
“The main problem areas have been in the steel industry and in components for agricultural equipment, where our markets have collapsed.”
Based in Norwich, API also has offices in the US, China and the Middle East, with staff numbers up from 40-45 over the past year.
Diversification and expansion into new markets has helped API Engineering continue to succeed, despite a tough economic climate.
Founded in 2000, the company acts as an agent for heavy engineering products, which it imports from a pool of Chinese, South East Asian and Australasian manufacturers. As well as lower cost imports, customers benefit from access to a vetted pool of suppliers, without needing to overcome language barriers or build relationships.
Supplying customers in industries such as automotive, oil and gas, mining and power generation, the company has seen trade decline in some sectors. But a number of new projects and markets have made up for any falls – and put the company in a strong position for the future.
A stone wholesale business has been launched, along with a tractor distribution operation in California, and API has secured major contracts supplying tooling to tube mills in Argentina and Mexico. API sister company, PPI, established in 2007, has also obtained orders for tidal power projects and carried out technical support and engineering work in more than 20 countries.
Director Mike Robinson said: “We expect to see the results of the business development activity manifest as increased sales in 2011.
“The main problem areas have been in the steel industry and in components for agricultural equipment, where our markets have collapsed.”
Based in Norwich, API also has offices in the US, China and the Middle East, with staff numbers up from 40-45 over the past year.