Camden Electronics has launched a new operating company in China to provide a local presence for customers manufacturing in the Far East.

“With European design-ins moving to China for manufacture, it is important to ensure our products get used in China,” Nicola Kay, Camden Electronics’ owner told EW.

“We did not want to be struggling against the current,” said Kay.

There are wider benefits. “Export/import costs are reduced, logistics are simpler and we are in a stronger position to develop the local Chinese distribution market,” said Kay.

St. Albans-based Camden is a leading supplier of PCB terminal blocks and it also manufactures a range of over products including DIN rail enclosures, interface modules, fuseholders and miniature switches.

According to Kay, it has 25% of the UK market for its PCB connector products and exports more than 30% of its production.

The new company, which is located in the Free Trade Zone at Fu Tian, Shenzhen, will extend existing activities in China and the Far East. “We have been assembling some of our leading products in China for more than two decades, many of which have been shipped to St. Albans and then back to customers in the region. Having our own wholly-owned trading company in Fu Tian will enable products for those customers to be shipped direct with a huge reduction in lead times, not to mention a saving in transportation costs,” said Kay.

And there is another benefit. “We will benefit from improved standing with our suppliers in China and will have opportunities to source more competitively with improved local knowledge,” added Kay.