UK based oil mist collectors manufacturer Filtermist International has reported record growth following a year of further acquisitions and increased sales across all departments.
2017 UK sales of Filtermist oil mist filters increased by 18%, whilst the company’s export department secured a record breaking year with sales increasing by 26%.
Overall Filtermist International, part of the Swedish Absolent Group, reported a 14.8% increase in sales compared with the same period last year; the current exchange rate was a factor in the 2017 sales figures, but even without the prevailing economic climate sales were extremely impressive.
Director of Sales Stuart Plimmer comments, “We have enjoyed year on year growth for the past seven years, but last year broke all previous records. This is partly due to the fact that we have acquired additional companies over the past two years, but we have also seen large increases in sales of the units we manufacture here in the UK, as well as UK sales of products from our sister company, Absolent AB.”
Filtermist has reported exceptional growth in the volumes of unit sales in a number of global markets including Canada and Taiwan which saw increases of more than 50%. Sales also rose significantly in China, Spain and Japan – all countries with long-standing Filtermist distributors.
Established in Shropshire in 1969, Filtermist manufactures a range of compact, quiet and efficient oil mist collectors which are exported to more than 60 countries worldwide.
“We work extremely closely with our global distributors to ensure all opportunities are maximised,” continues Stuart. “This effort reaped significant results for us last year and we are confident that we can maintain this momentum in a number of key markets. We will be taking part in various International trade shows this year including CCMT in Shanghai, JIMTOF in Tokyo and Metalex in Bangkok. We exhibited at JIMTOF for the first time in 2016 and this played an intrinsic role in the growth we witnessed in Japan last year.”
The ambitious company has also taken a number of additional steps to help increase its presence in key global markets. These include establishing a trading company in China – Filtermist (Shanghai) Ltd, and appointing additional staff in the territory including a dedicated Director of Sales. Meanwhile, two Filtermist sales people have been appointed in Germany with a third set to join the team later this year, and a Business Development Manager has been recruited to support sales in India. Five more distributors were appointed in 2017 – predominantly in the ASEAN region, bringing the total number of Filtermist distributors worldwide to 54.
“We continually assess the global landscape to identify new opportunities, but we also recognise the importance of nurturing our existing distributor network and other key customers,” says Stuart. “We are proud to have worked with some of our best-performing distributors for as long as 30 years – successful business is based on great customer service and we strive to deliver this to all of our customers, wherever they are based.”
In the UK, in addition to its own products the company provides a full turn-key service, including extensive aftersales support, for a wide range of airborne contaminants including fume and smoke, as well as products and services from subsidiary companies Multi Fan Systems and Dustcheck Ltd.
Filtermist will be showcasing its capabilities at the MACH show in the UK from 9th-13th April – visit Stand H17-430 to discuss all types of air extraction and filtration requirements with representatives from Filtermist, Multi Fan Systems and Dustcheck.