Radio experts with designs on new market

RADIO Design has just set up a base in the municipality of Xishan, which is within the city of Wuxi, not far from Shanghai.

Shipley-based Radio Design designs and manufactures equipment for the mobile telephone operating companies which allows them to share radio masts and antennas, saving on infrastructure costs.

Eric Hawthorn, managing director of the firm, which has facilities in India and Finland, said: “China is still one of the fastest growing economies anywhere in the world.And the mobile telephone business is big there... and it’s still growing.”

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At the moment, Radio Design is running hardware repair services from its Chinese base, but it plans to start selling its equipment into the Chinese operator market as well. “It will be a profitable and growing operation in its first year,” he said. It will turn over about £750,000 in its first year, but this should double next year, he predicts.

Radio Design has a manufacturing operation at Salts Mill, Saltaire. It employs more than 150 people and expects to turn over £20m to £25m this year.

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