Finishing on a high note

CiMNovember17Feature - farecla
CiMNovember17Feature - farecla

In a Q&A session, Composites in Manufacturing spoke to Farécla’s business manager, Christine Foster and sales & marketing assistant - specialist applications, David Cousins at the recent Advanced Engineering 2017 show to hear about the company’s range of surface finishing compounds.

In a Q&A session, Composites in Manufacturing spoke to Farécla’s business manager, Christine Foster and sales & marketing assistant - specialist applications, David Cousins at the recent Advanced Engineering 2017 show to hear about the company’s range of surface finishing compounds.

 

Q: Tell us about Farécla’s history and its products?

Foster: “We are a UK-based manufacturer and since 1952 we have been providing surface finishing solutions, including compounds and liquids which can help improve surfaces so that they are flawless and have a high gloss. We first started working in the automotive sector, particularly with the re-finishing of the painted surfaces of vintage cars, but now we have developed some very specific products for use on composite materials. We are gaining a huge amount of knowledge by attending the Advanced Engineering show - it’s been a really great opportunity to exhibit here.”

Q: How is the company developing its technical expertise?

Foster: “Our new managing director saw the potential for technical development. We now have a new technical team and we are also investing in people internally to help us develop and better understand the surfaces that we can polish and rectify. Attending the Advanced Engineering show offers us a fantastic chance to network with businesses that we are unfamiliar with, and we are finding that almost every day we are making new contacts. We currently supply to 120 countries around the world, so we have a very global business – even though we offer very niche products. This event has helped to show us where the real opportunities lie.”

Q: What was the concept for your stand at Advanced Engineering?

Cousins: “We are trying to offer something a little more unique, so we really want to showcase some of the work that we do. As well as the automotive industry, we also work in the marine industry on composites and wood too. We want to showcase all of our services and unique methods. We are thrilled to work with talented end-users – customers, such as with Davida Helmets and The Cambridge Drum company - and bring some of these bespoke products to our stand and showcase some of the wonderful surfaces and the results that can be achieved with our PROFILE Specialist Applications compound finishing compounds and waxes.”

Q: Is Farécla is looking to expand further into new markets?

Foster: “We have our own office with a team of sales technicians working in the US. They have been very successful in working with marine OEM companies and we have learnt a lot about new products through them. We have developed new liquids that are particularly good on gelcoat surfaces and of course, this has a knock-on impact on the types of business we can do in other markets and in different sectors. We have been very lucky to work with some excellent partners who are helping to open doors for us through our distribution contacts, and also with end-users. We are learning how we can help our customers finish their surfaces more quickly. There are a lot of good stories coming from our products.”

Cousins: “We like receiving feedback from our end-users and this event has been a good opportunity to showcase our surfaces. We’d love to hear more about how our end-users work and also more about their success stories – we want to hear more from our satisfied customers.”

Q: So, Farécla compounds help to show products at their very best?

Foster: “For us, it’s all about the final impact on the end-user or the customer that actually uses our products and how much of a positive impression we have made.”

For more information, watch our Composites in Manufacturing website video link: http://bit.ly/2zaLGLt

www.farecla.com

 

Company

Farecla

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