Success in Saudi
Medical products manufacturer Summit Medical has grown from its roots in rural Gloucestershire to become a global exporter. It is now breaking into the Middle East with the help of UK Trade & Investment.
Summit Medical Ltd. manufactures single-use medical devices for hospitals in the UK, and for export around the world. Its main products include HiVacTM bone cement mixing systems; a bone cement mixing system used by orthopaedic surgeons during joint replacement surgery, and CellTransTM; a system which collects drained blood following hip or knee surgery, filters it and transfuses it back to the same patient.
The company was founded in 1984 and started exporting its products 20 years ago. It now sells to 37 countries around the world, including Europe, Japan, the US, South Africa, New Zealand and Russia. For several years the company looked to expand its distributor network in the Middle East.
“We know that Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest health care markets in the Middle East,” says Neil White, Head of Overseas Business at Summit Medical.
“The orthopaedics field in Saudi Arabia is quite sophisticated and many of the surgeons are recognised internationally. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunities we saw there, in particular a large military hospital market which doesn’t exist in the UK.”
Going to Saudi
In January 2008, Summit Medical attended the Arab Health exhibition in Dubai where it met dozens of potential customers, including some from Saudi Arabia. Two months late and with support from UK Trade & Investment, the company participated in a trade mission to Saudi Arabia. White found out about the mission from the company’s UK Trade & Investment trade adviser, with whom they have had frequent contact, having commissioned numerous Overseas Market Introduction Service reports for other markets, and who regularly updates him about upcoming trade missions and events.
During the mission to Saudi Arabia, UK Trade & Investment organised receptions in Riyadh and Jeddah where White met with several potential customers. UK Trade & Investment also provided Summit Medical with guidance about how to secure market information and advice on the local business culture.