Small family business, Bedfont® exports to over 70 countries worldwide, but just how do they do it?
Established in 1976, Bedfont® is a second-generation family business that specialises in the design and manufacture of breath analysis medical devices. Despite being a small company of only 38 employees, Bedfont® is revered as a pioneer in the breath analysis market with their products now available in over 76 countries and export business accounting for over 75% of its annual turnover.
Jason Smith, managing director, explains, “Bedfont® operates through an unprecedented network of appointed distributors. We regard our distributors as an extension of the Bedfont® family and this is shown through the longevity of our working relationships. In fact, one of our oldest distributors was established in Austria in 1988 by my father, Trevor, and that relationship continues today with the distributor’s daughter.”
Andy Smith, sales manager, adds, “By working closely with our distributors we are able to work with KOLS to push legislation, have insight into the markets in regards to competition and even tailor-make versions of our products to meet the market-specific demands of each country we export to. We maintain such a close relationship with our distributors by hosting annual distributor meetings to discuss ways to market products, any barriers that may exist and how to overcome them. Our latest distributor meeting took place in Japan this year and was hosted by one of our top distributors Harada Corporation.”
Yonemura Yusuke, general manager at Harada Corporation, comments, “It was a great honour to host the Bedfont® Far East Distributor Meeting in Japan. We really appreciate Bedfont® giving us the opportunity to meet other distributors and share experiences we have all had in each country. It was a great opportunity to teach, learn and make new connections.”