28 oxfordshire focus
Flightline Support lands £400,000 Burma order
An Oxford manufacturer of aircraft refuelling vehicles and systems has landed an order worth £400,000 in Burma. Standlake-based Flightline Support has supplied Yangon airport, which is expected to see over 3.8 million passengers a year, with two 20,000 litre refuelling vehicles.
The company, which works closely with government export body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to help export over three quarters of its £8 million turnover, is among the first UK companies to clinch orders in the country since the trade sanctions were lifted 12 months ago.
Stephen Myatt, aerospace specialist for UKTI South East, said: “Flightline is a fantastically ambitious company. The fact it is already a well-established global exporter but continues to push to new markets shows its determination.”
Richard Lewis, sales and marketing manager for Flightline Support, said: “When the tender came up in 2013, we worked closely with our local partner company, which provides fuel and fuelling expertise, to secure the deal.
“The fact that our company is renowned globally for high-quality and ultra-reliable equipment gave us a headstart.”
New Williams' facility opened
Prime minister David Cameron has opened the new Williams Advanced Engineering facility on the same site as the Williams Martini Racing Formula One team.
The dedicated, state-of-the-art 3,800 sq m R&D facility is the result of £8 million of Williams investment and will accommodate up to 250 design engineers. Its aim is to use F1-bred knowledge to deliver cutting edge technology to a variety of sectors
The prime minister was joined at the launch by Williams team principal Sir Frank Williams, group CEO Mike O’Driscoll and Williams Advanced Engineering managing director Craig Wilson.
The facility is a state-of-the-art R&D site that features a groundfloor workshop with F1-inspired build bays that can be used for one-off projects or low- volume production. The facility will accommodate up to 250 design engineers and also features a number of confidential rooms where projects can be worked on in complete secrecy – vital given the nature of Williams Advanced Engineering’s client base.
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growth markets where airport development is on the up.”
With UKTI help Flightline has also just clinched an order worth £350,000 in Pakistan, £200,000 in Morocco and £160,000 in Kenya.
Lewis continued: “UKTI has been a fantastic help to us. We are experienced exporters – we have exported for many years to markets across East and West Africa, the Middle East and even Siberia, but the help UKTI provides us cannot be underestimated. I would advise anyone to give UKTI a call and speak to an adviser – they open so many doors and give so much advice and support.
“We are extremely proud of our business and the fact we make our products in the UK – and we are extremely grateful to UKTI and the support they provide.”
Myatt, added: “We are keen to continue to help the firm on their export journey by offering any international trade support they may need.”
Ray Harris, MD of Flightline, with the client and one of its refuelling vehicles in Burma
For Flightline, securing the deal in Burma means it is on track with its export strategy. Next, it is focused on other areas in South East Asia, and word has spread regarding its success in Burma resulting in enquiries from Thailand and Papua New Guinea.
Lewis added: “Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea are all very strong
Gusto plans international expansion
An Oxfordshire mobile accessories manufacturer has its sights set on opening new bases in North America and Europe with the support of Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Banbury-based Gusto, which designs and manufactures mobile phone products, has increased its turnover by £4.5 million to £6.5m since starting-up the business in 2012.
The company now plans to invest in international growth, opening two new bases abroad to increase its foreign customer base, following a recent relocation from Coventry to larger quarters in Banbury to house staff and products.
Gusto’s ‘Juice’ branded mobile charger launched the company into the UK mobile technology market in 2012, selling 2,000 units in its first week of sale. The company has since expanded its product lines to include phone covers, portable chargers and speakers.
Supplying many well-known British retailers, its products are sold across 5,000 retail stores in five countries worldwide and it has plans to increase its range of products further, with six new lines being developed in time for Christmas.
Details:
www.lloydsbank-commercialbanking.com
The company is heading to Singapore in September for the International Airport show where it hopes to clinch further deals.
Details:
www.gov.uk/ukti @UKTI_LondonSE
Immunocore and Eli Lilly sign agreement
Abingdon biotech company Immunocore has entered into a co-discovery and co-development agreement to research and potentially develop new T cell-based cancer therapies with Eli Lilly, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, USA.
Immunocore, a long-standing client of Penningtons Manches LLP, was advised by commercial and IP partner Kerry Sharp, a member of the firm’s award- winning life sciences practice who has now acted for the company on four successive deals.
Under the terms of the agreement, Immunocore will receive an upfront fee of $15 million per programme for the discovery of novel Immune Mobilising Monoclonal T-Cell Receptor Against Cancer (ImmTACs) against jointly selected cancer targets in order to generate preclinical candidate packages. If Lilly accepts a preclinical candidate package to develop and potentially commercialise, Immunocore will receive an opt-in fee of $10m per programme and will have an option to continue co-development with Lilly on a cost-sharing and profit-sharing basis. If Immunocore does not exercise its option, it will be entitled to potential future significant milestone and royalty payments.
Founded in 2008, Immunocore is a privately owned, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a highly innovative platform technology that generates novel drugs for the treatment of cancer and viral infection. Immunocore traces its roots to Avidex, founded in 1999 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – SEPTEMBER 2014
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