• • • EDITOR’S INTERVIEW • • •


Cliff Electronics targets global growth in 2023 and beyond


John Hall, managing director of Cliff Electronics, tells Simon King how the company has grown since its formation in 1977 and its plans for the future


become a high-quality supplier to most professional and industrial markets. John Hall joined the business in 2007 as general


F


manager, and took over as managing director when the owner retired. Mr Hall said: “As both a manufacturer and a


distributor, the expansion of our product range has established the company as a prime source for components; from audio into test leads and accessories, general industrial connectors, foot pedals, hand tools, production aids, lighting connectors and motors. “We also manufacture and source various


types of leads including audio, instrument and power leads.” To further compliment its range, Cliff Electronics


also provides expertise in moulding and metalwork to provide a design, engineering and manufacturing service for the production of customised components and assemblies. “Our plastics expertise includes injection-


moulding, blow-moulding, extrusion, sonic-welding


and printing,” he said. “Metalwork includes stamping, machining, aluminium extrusion, finishing and printing. We also have the facility to enable assembly, inspection and testing.” The business employs 45 staff and has between


20-30 subcontractors helping with the assembly of products, mainly from home.


ounded to supply the music industry with connectors, Cliff Electronics greatly expanded its products and services to


Mr Hall said: “Over the years, we’ve grown the


company and we’ve diversified into more modern type feed-through connectors – HDMI, USB, USB-C –and we’ve been very successful. “USB-C ports are now appearing on many new


devices including monitors, laptops and flash drives, and 25% of new cars are predicted to have them by 2025. Major mobile phone manufacturers are now designing USB-C connectors into their latest models enabling high speed charging and a one cable solution for charging.” The Cliff USB-C cables can be used with a


wide range of Cliff USBC XLR and DualSLIMS footprint female to Male FeedThrough connectors, available in metal or plastic and with many assembly options. Cliff Electronics is multinational and sells


around the world. It has its own Factory in China, where it manufactures sub parts that are then shopped to the UK to be finished. “We also sell the finished products from our


Chinese production facility to China, Taiwan and other Asian countries, so we don’t have the transportation costs of bringing products back to the UK to be finished off and then sent back.” Mr Hall said that most of the company’s


suppliers are UK-based. “We don’t really buy anything in Europe,” Mr


Hall said. “Europe is important to us as a trading bloc, but we’re not reliant on Europe at all in terms of purchasing. “UK, Europe and worldwide sales are either


direct to OEM’s or through a network of our distributors. Our business partners carry an extensive stock of components and provide a high level of technical and sales support, but not every distributor stocks the same product profile.” Mr Hall said that Cliff Electronics is very proud


of the quality of its products and the service it give to customers. “We try to make sure products are quality and


they are British made,” Mr Hall said. “A lot of companies around the world so in UK and Europe are very pleased it’s British made. “Companies are getting a bit more reliant on us


now for a quick turnaround. Transportation costs from China are getting more expensive and labour costs out there are getting more expensive, and lead times are extending. “We’ve now got a base set-up here, in Redhill,


Surrey, from which we can distribute products around the world.” Mr Hall said that Cliff Electronics is looking to


grow its business in the United States. “We already deal with a lot of companies in the US, and we want to grow that portfolio even more,”


14 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023


electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk


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