Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Bakeware specialist Utensa enjoyed some national publicity last week when the Daily Express website ran a mini profile on the company.
Utensa was one of several businesses featured because of their success as British manufacturers and exporters.
Director Robin Clark explained that Utensa was formed two years ago from the amalgamation of Bennett’s and Dunnetts. And, he said: “We started with five employees, have 25 staff now and are still adding.”
He went on: “Our aim is to supply a niche trade to independent shops and department stores. We will not supply supermarkets because of their tendency to look at what sells here and then go abroad – usually to China – to have everything made cheaper and invariably of poorer quality. It has been a struggle to get sources of steel with which to manufacture but we are finding it and I believe beating the Chinese at their own game.”
He said that Utensa was “making good profits in a recession because our customers in the UK, New Zealand, Ireland and Europe appreciate that British-made goods are still among the best in the world. The fact that a small business such as ours is on line to turn over around £1.8m this year says it all. ”
