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Flexitallic’s Culture of Innovation and Quality Control Leads to Sustained Success With a wealth of experience in the sector, Flexitallic is well positioned to achieve its ambitious growth aims Written by: Abigail Phillips Produced by: Rosie Rowe
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“Quality and technical support is at the heart of what we do and we have quality assurance and technical specialists around the globe ” – Mark Horton, Managing Director, U.K.
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he Flexitallic Group is the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of high quality, high value static sealing products, delivering industrial gaskets on a global scale. Founded in 1912, the company has a long and varied history, which has been underpinned by a culture of innovation and world-class customer service. Today, the company is going through a phase of aggressive expansion looking to new markets, strategic acquisition opportunities and product development. With a physical presence in the U.S., Canada, China, France, Germany, the U.K. and the UAE, as well as joint-venture partnerships in Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Kazakhstan, and licensee operations in Africa, Australia, India and Italy, Flexitallic is well placed to serve the market on a global scale. Flexitallic is a manufacturing company that is heavily involved in the distribution of its products. The company works with a number of third party distributors and manufacturers, all of whom are heavily vetted. Working on a three-tier model the company has licensees who manufacture its products to Flexitallic quality standards and pay the company a royalty; Allied Distributors who distribute Flexitallic manufactured products worldwide and product distributors, who are essentially logistics partners. “We work with a whole range of distributors to provide local supply and support in each
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R&D technician setting up a gasket test rig in the lab
territory,” explained Mark Horton, Managing Director U.K. “Quality and technical support is at the heart of what we do and we have quality assurance and technical specialists around the globe who work with distributors and end users to solve problems and maintain our standards of excellence.” Quality is King At Flexitallic, quality is paramount to success and as such the business has multiple checks and balances in place to ensure every product is of the highest possible standard. The company has adopted a very structured approach to quality control and has introduced operational efficiency initiatives to work towards a global standard. Horton explained: “Every single manufacturing
Production manager (L) with Engineer (R) inspecting a solid metal gasket
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Training Manager (L) with delegate in training
“We work with our customers to solve their problems and if that means designing something bespoke, developing an existing design or reviewing an application we have the technical expertise to do that” – Mark Horton
Flexitallic Sigma 511
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facility operates in the same way and it doesn’t stop there. Quality assurance measures are in place throughout the entire supply chain. “We ensure product quality is maintained by buying from approved vendors, checking
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Computer controlled co-ordinate measuring machine (CNC CMM) measuring a metallic gasket
all materials that enter our facilities, robust inprocess inspection and further checks on finished goods prior to dispatch.” But at Flexitallic, quality isn’t just about the products it supplies, but the customer service it offers to end-users. Flexitallic will assist its customers with installation and training through its Academy of Joint Integrity and has a team of 50 application engineers around the world, who are tasked with solving customer problems. “We work with our customers to solve their problems and if that means designing something bespoke, developing an existing design or reviewing an application we have the technical
Flexitallic Spiral Wound Gasket
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expertise to do that,” Horton added. A Culture of Innovation The company’s ability to renew and develop its products positions it as a leader in the sector. “Innovation and our technical expertise in the field set us apart from the competition,” Horton said. “We have a long and proud history of innovation, research and development. We carry many patents for different products and invest a lot of time, money and effort in creating solutions for the future”. Its highly technical but competitive nature has seen the company win large contracts from many of the major players in the oil & gas and energy markets globally. Its operation in France, Siem Supranite, has a world-class reputation in the French nuclear
50 Number of engineers solving customer problems in Flexitallic’s Academy of Joint Integrity team
Flexitallic Gasket installation training rig
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F L E X I TA L L I C
Operator inspecting flexpro kammprofile gasket
“We encourage our employees to contribute to the business from a creative point of view as well as a practical one” – Mark Horton
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sector and is now expanding into China and other regions of the globe. Flexitallic’s nuclear approvals will also mean that the UK operation is perfectly placed to service the future expansion in the country’s Nuclear sector. A culture of innovation is not something that is achieved overnight. The company has worked hard to build a philosophy of continuous improvement from the top down. “We are a profitable, secure and growing business and people like to be part of that,” explained Horton. “We supply to 80 countries, so people can be involved in lots of projects around the world and we support and encourage staff to work overseas if they wish.
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“We operate a Talent Detection Programme to identify key staff and create fast track plans to develop them globally. We also have a local talent programme to promote people through the ranks as well. We encourage and reward all our employees to contribute to the business from a creative point of view as well as a practical one.”
Company Information INDUSTRY
Energy HEADQUARTERS
Looking to the Future Flexitallic is a company with a rich heritage and lots of experience in the sectors it serves, however that doesn’t mean it will rest on its laurels. The business aims to grow significantly over the next five years via strategic acquisition, geographical expansion, investment, and the innovation and development of new products. In the U.K. the company has spent in excess of £1 million on new factory equipment since 2008. In the U.S., Middle East, the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan similar investments have been made to bolster manufacturing capabilities on site. “We are a global company operating locally,” Horton said. “We are dedicated to bringing our products closer to our customers.” Flexitallic is a company with its eyes firmly set on the future and its knowledge, expertise and ambition set it in good stead to achieve its ambitious expansion plans. With innovation, quality and firm leadership the company will continue to grow long into the future.
England, UK FOUNDED
1912 EMPLOYEES
1,200 REVENUE
€250 million PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
Manufacturing and supply of industrial static sealing products
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THE FLEXITALLIC GROUP Scandinavia Mill, Hunsworth Lane, Cleckheaton, England, United Kingdom, BD19 4LN Tel. +44 1274 851 273 Fax. +44 1274 300 303 enquires@flexitallic.eu www. flexitallic.eu