Westfield drives £1m Chinese contract

A Black Country business that makes hand-built sports cars is celebrating after securing a contract worth more than £1 million in China.

Westfield Sportscars has been helped by the Government to win orders for more than 100 of its vehicles.

It took the company, which has its home at Gibbons Industrial Park, Dudley Road, Kingswinford, three years to complete the negotiations to win an initial contract from GD Aero Technology of Shanghai for its British-designed and engineered sports cars to be distributed across Asia.

It is the first time in the company's history that it has secured business in China.

Julian Turner, managing director of Westfield Sportscars, which has exported more than 12,000 vehicles worldwide since it was launched in 1983, singled out Paul Keeling, International Trade Adviser at UK Trade and Investment in the West Midlands, for praise.

He said the Government-run organisation had played a vital role in helping it to access the Chinese market.

He added that securing export trade in China – an expanding market for UK businesses, with UK exports increasing by more than 37 per cent in the last two years – had also helped to safeguard the 20 jobs at the Kingswinford factory.

"It has been hard work to secure this contract but now we have signed on the dotted line, I couldn't be happier," he said.

"Exporting cars comes with the strictest of regulations – it's the toughest market to be in for exporting – but the advice and support we have had has been the reason why we've pursued our export ambitions.

"We are delighted to work with General Dynamic Aero Tech.

" There is genuine technological and advanced manufacturing crossover between the aerospace and sports car sectors, and both Westfield and GDAT have a fantastic reputation in their local markets.

"If we as a car marker can succeed as an exporter, then we honestly believe anyone can and we would encourage any business thinking about exporting to go and find out what help they can get."

It is the fifth country that the luxury car maker has found success with, thanks to the work it has done with UKTI. It is also now trying to forge relationships with Chinese universities for collaborative research and development projects.

Westfield, which produces more than 400 cars a year, has pursued an ambitious growth programme since it began exporting in 2008, when it embarked on its first export programme to Malaysia.

Since then, it has since worked closely with Paul Keeling to gain access to markets such as Japan and Brazil.

Its cars costs from £14,000 as kits up to more than £23,000 for completed special editions. "Westfield Cars is a superb example of how an ambitious company that offers a unique, quality product can make a real success of their business overseas," Mr Keeling said.

"We've worked very closely with the company and its approach of really understanding the markets it wants to enter and spending time doing its research on those countries pays dividends."

Westfield Sportscars held an open day last week and more than 250 car enthusiasts went along

The event gave gave petrol heads the chance to view 20 of the factory's finest assembled cars.

Special offers on kits and parts were also on display.

The firm also hosts an open day each year in March.

In June 2009 they became the first niche vehicle manufacturer to be awarded European Small Series Production Status with the new land mark Sport Turbo. Westfield work alongside Birmingham City University students to involve them in their latest projects.

Company boss Mr Turner was awarded a honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University in January this year.

He previously worked for BAE Systems Aviation Services in Filton and The Boeing Company in Seattle in America, before joining the firm in 2006.