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NEWS “


It’s been a good year for Middy,” says David Middleton, boss of Middy


International. “Actually it’s been a very good 18-month period for us. We’re very pleased with how things have gone. We know there’s a lot of doom and gloom out there but for whatever reason, we’ve done alright out of it.” David points out that despite 2018 starting off incredibly tough, it soon got better. “Last year was abysmal for us until about March – and then it picked up – and thankfully business has been good ever since.” In fact David cites that the company has posted 18 per cent growth this year. “I think that’s incredible when you consider we are over 50 years old. Kodex has grown slightly more than Middy – but that’s understandable as it’s only three years old.” But it’s not like-for-like growth – something that avid thinks is a bit of an anathema.


“I hear people talking about like-


for-like growth in the tackle trade, but does that really exist these days? You have to constantly re-invent product all the time to stay ahead. The only real like for like products these days are surely maggots and pellets!” Middy’s slogan is ‘Forward Thinking Match Tackle’ – something that the company really believes in. “You’ve got to keep moving forward all the time,” explains David. “And not just product either – although that is obviously very important. But you also need to look at the way you do your business. And I think the dealers welcome that. They like the product, they like the margins and most importantly they love the way it does sell through.” At the time of writing the country is deluged in rain – and yet Middy is still writing good business. So what is the company doing


differently? According to David, investment is key. He explains: “While others appear to have cut back, we’re not afraid of investment here at Middy. We’re constantly investing in R&D and new developments – in fact we’ve just invested six figures in some new tooling for products to come out in 2020. “Promotion is another area where we


are investing heavily. Both on the page and via social media channels. Both have their place and I really think on the page is important. It’s being overlooked by many these days but it pays dividends for us. Ignore it at your peril.” Middy is also rolling out new packaging, a comprehensive relabeling programme and a new website – which has not come cheap! “You have to make sure the product looks the part or it doesn’t sell!


www.tandgmagazine.com November 2019 | Tackle & Guns | 25


I’ve seen other companies in the trade hesitate and we’ve definitely made gains because of their hesitation. If you want to move forward you have to just go for it. You can’t worry about the rest – just keep ploughing the furrow. You’re only in charge of your own ship.


“The new website is a long-term investment,” says David. “As we all know, video is key – and as well as YouTube and social media channels, you need to be able to utilise it on your own website as well.” T&G understands that as part of the new web development programme, Middy will have a dedicated trade site for dealers to be able to order direct, 24/7. “You just can’t hesitate anymore in the tackle trade. You’ve got to make your decision and commit. “I’ve seen other companies in the trade hesitate and we’ve definitely made gains because of their hesitation. If you want to move forward you have to just go for it.


You can’t worry about the rest – just keep ploughing the furrow. You’re only in charge of your own ship. “You can’t influence too greatly how many anglers will be going fishing this weekend. Or next weekend. But you can make sure that when they go into a shop, that it’s your product that they see and buy.” David firmly believes that one of the biggest factors to Middy’s recent success is switch selling – which boosts retailers profits. “It’s a message that we’ve got


across and dealers have readily adopted,” says David. “If we can show dealers that they’ve got to be profit conscious on every single item, then we can all be successful.


1


Grip-Flex project is a £20k investment with Whopper version still to be realeased


2


MW-Series with hand-whipped side eyes


3 1 3


2 4


Q-Curve hooks involved investing in 200,000 hooks!


4


5G rods planned for 2020


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