'Conveyor Belt' Of Export Success For Firm

A Lisburn manufacturer of conveyor belts, synthetic screening media and CNC cut rubber parts for the materials handling and mineral processing industry, Smiley Monroe, is setting up in India to supply existing customers and to develop new business there.

The company, as the next stage in a plan to develop exports in this huge market, is opening an office in the existing Terex manufacturing complex at Hosur, near Bangalore. Smiley Monroe is a longstanding Terex supplier and also an integral part of the supply chains of other companies in the crushing, screening and recycling sectors.

The expansion to India was announced by Vaughan Monroe, Managing Director of Smiley Monroe, ahead of the start of EXCON 2011, the 6th International Construction Equipment and Construction Technology Trade Fair, in Bangalore. This is a key industry event, where the company will have its own exhibition stand and additionally will be among seven local businesses on the Invest Northern Ireland stand.

The decision was welcomed by Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI Trade Director: "This is an important strategic development for Smiley Monroe, a local company with an impressive track record in supplying essential products to the global materials handling industry.

"The company has taken part in several of our missions to India, taken advantage of the advice and practical support from our marketing team in Mumbai and developed a strategic approach.

"Smiley Monroe is the most recent company in our materials handling sector to set up in India to harness the huge potential of this nation from its ongoing investment in a broad range of initiatives to improve its infrastructure.

"We have been working closely with the industry to encourage and assist as many companies as possible to grow exports through investment in India. As a result, several now have significant business there including Terex/Powerscreen, CDE Ireland, FG Wilson, SRS Finlay and McQuaid Engineering," she said.

"To help accelerate this process we also plan to further strengthen our marketing and support operations in India by opening a new office in Bangalore. This will ensure practical support and guidance for Northern Ireland companies in key northern and southern regions."

Mr Monroe, commenting on the decision to set up in India, said: "Setting up in India makes sound business sense for us because many of our existing customers are already located in what is one of the world's most dynamic markets for the construction and materials handling industries.

"The office ensures that we are close to these customers and are able to respond as quickly as possible to their specific requirements, which will, in turn, benefit our Lisburn manufacturing operation because it will enable us to anticipate their needs and schedule our production to suit. It will also ensure that we remain an integral part of the supply chains of existing customers now operating in India."

(BMcC/GK)