Solar Solve Marine’s John and Julie Lightfoot returned from their visit to the Kor-Marine Exhibition in Busan with a contract worth in excess of $500,000 over the next 12 months, having also visited their world wide distributor based there. The father and daughter team, who are part owners of the South Shields, UK based family firm, are no strangers to South Korea, having been a supplier to their current distributor for 20 years.
However, as Company Chairman John Lightfoot explains, “Korea has always been a highly competitive market and one that we have always had to fight very hard for, to keep our market share. Alas we are now a victim of our own success, having introduced the SOLASOLV anti glare screen ships as a navigation safety aid into the South Korean market in 1991. It very quickly became the world’s Brand Leading product but unfortunately it is also the standard that all of our competitors have used to manufacture various copies. Fortunately it seems that few, if any of them, have got it completely right because the SOLASOLV brand continues to flourish all over the world with Korea retaining its number one spot as a result of this latest deal.”
“No matter how many copies come onto the market, there are things other than the product itself that are taken into consideration by discerning customers, which Solar Solve is able to supply in abundance, ensuring that we always end up with delighted customers. This is the reason why the SOLASOLV brand continues to be specified in significant numbers by the worlds leading shipbuilders, ship designers and shipowners.”
Managing Director Julie Lightfoot continued, “The new contract will generate at least half a million US dollars worth of orders for the company throughout next year and will ensure the job security of 3 full time employees. The 4,000 SOLASAFE anti glare screen ships will be sent to SAMGONG Co. Ltd, our World Wide Distributor based in Busan, who will supply the majority of them to Korean shipbuilders but some will be re-exported to other shipbuilders in the Far East.”
Top Image – After their successful negotiations, Samgong Co’s. Managing Director Jeong, Jeong Young and Chairman HR Zong pose with Solar Solve Marine’s Managing Director Julie Lightfoot and Chairman John Lightfoot, MBE outside the main office block of Samgong Co’s. huge manufacturing facility in Busan. The one year deal is a major triumph for Solar Solve Marine.
