British products are best the world over, says entrepreneur

Alex Mardapittas is the founder and managing director of Rotherham-based EMSc, a £12m-turnover company which designs and manufactures pioneering energy management systems in the UK.

He told the Yorkshire Post: “The UK has a tremendous amount of innovation.

“Everybody around the world likes British products because of reliability and quality and they know they will be designed to last.

“These are the aspects that make British-made products favourable all over the world.”

Dr Mardapittas is hosting a free conference at the Magna Science Adventure Centre this month looking at how to increase sustainability in the manufacturing industry.

More than 100 companies have registered to attend the event on September 18. They will hear presentations on how to save energy from representatives of the British Frozen Food Federation, waste management firm Blue Castle and seal maker AESSSEAL.

Dr Mardapittas said: “The purpose of the conference is to try to provide independent expertise and solutions to companies.

“It’s an overall view on what company, especially manufacturers, can do to reduce their energy consumption.

“We don’t want to give them a consultancy report. We want to give them a solution. Some of our clients have seen a 20 per cent increase in their gas and electricity costs.”

The UK has higher energy costs than some of its international rivals, but Dr Mardapittas claimed that this is not a major disadvantage to a country with an excellent reputation for manufacturing.

Using the example of his own business, he said: “We go to exhibit around the world and there are very few people who do not know Sheffield.

“We get to compete against Chinese products which are less than half the cost but nobody wants to buy them. Nobody wants to buy Indian products.

“The reason is that our products become the heart of the building, the heart of the manufacturing company, the heart of the business.

“If you buy a competitor’s non-reliable product then you are risking your whole business.”

EMSc makes the Powerstar voltage optimisation range. It reduces site voltage to cut carbon emissions and reduce electricity bills.

Dr Mardapittas came to the UK to study at Kings College London and Brunel University, becoming a chartered engineer and gaining his research doctorate.

He designed Powerstar in 1999 to solve problems associated with noise and high voltage experienced by manufacturers, a common cause of equipment failures. The business started to expand following the introduction of the Government’s climate change tax in 2001.

“That’s when real demand started,” he said. “We have gone from strength to strength since then. In 2001 it was me in the company. In 2003 we were five. Now we are about 90.”

Dr Mardapittas, who is married to a Yorkshirewoman, added: “We have this ethos in the company that will never change. We use local expertise – in Sheffield we have plenty of that – and we make quality products that last a long, long time.”

He said EMSc helped a printing company in Sheffield save £400,000 in an annual bill of £500,000 for replacing electrical controls and speed monitors.

Dr Mardapittas will be speaking at a conference organised by the Beijing Manufacturing Society in China in an effort to break into the massive Chinese manufacturing market.

He said products made by Chinese competitors were failing and causing serious problems for users. “Hopefully we will be starting to export to China in 2013,” he added.

He will be giving an overview of voltage optimisation technology at the Manufacturing Sustainability Conference on September 18.

An insight into energy saving

ORGANISERS hope the Manufacturing Sustainability Conference will promote innovative British manufacturing and provide the sector with insight into ways to improve energy efficiency.

It is nearly fully booked. Dr Alex Mardapittas said: “We are delighted and overwhelmed by the response to the conference.

“We knew when we planned the event that there is a desire to learn more about sustainability, but we had no idea that the manufacturing sector would be this enthused about finding ways to improve energy efficiency.”

The Yorkshire Post is media partner for the event.