Small businesses expand global markets and speed up growth
The Business is GREAT campaign showcases 3 companies that demonstrate the drive and determination to take you to the top of your field.
Bifold’s high-speed growth story
It began as a 19th-century business making miner’s lamps under the brand Bifold-Naylor. Today, Bifold is a world-class, high-growth business in the oil and gas industry. It is also a company that is on the threshold of transforming manufacturing.
Global in reach, flexible at home
Getting someone safely home from a remote part of the world – or getting specialists out there – requires speed, precision and a high degree of organisation. Today, Healix employs more than 200 staff and is rapidly expanding overseas with offices in New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Greece, Singapore, Kenya and the USA. Many British companies with employees deployed around the world use Healix; it provides services such as pre-deployment medical assessments, advice and planning for specialist medical needs, medical assistance overseas and 24-hour medical helplines.
The billion-part maker with new markets ahead
Brandauer is based in the centre of Birmingham, and is a family-owned, 152-year-old company that makes and ships around 4 million components every week to China. And every morning, you can thank that company for your cup of tea. Because in the majority of domestic kettles in the world, there are components that carry the electric current between the base of the kettle and its base station. It is estimated that more than 80% of the world’s kettles contain components that are made by Brandauer in Birmingham – before being shipped to customers in China.
The GREAT Business campaign has a wealth of information for employers about hiring apprentices, and about the government support available. There are also some terrific case studies on the GREAT Business website demonstrating the vital role that apprenticeships play in the UK economy.