Integral hails UK production shift

Memory and storage vendor toasts cost benefits of shifting overseas production to the UK

Memory and storage vendor toasts cost benefits of shifting overseas production to the UK

Storage vendor Integral Memory says shifting production from the Far East to the UK has helped it cut costs and slash lead times.

The company specialises in the production of DRAM, memory cards and encrypted USB drives, which it sells via its UK partner network.

Over the past three years, the firm has been ramping up the number of products it manufactures in the UK while scaling back its overseas production activities.

"With memory prices dropping, shifting production to the UK has made the whole process a lot more efficient," said Sunil Kotecha, managing director of Integral Memory.

"We have seen a big reduction in our freight and shipping costs, created about 40 new jobs and will produce more of our products here over the next year or so."

The manufacturing shift has been welcomed by partners because of the impact it has had on lead times.

"We are able to make, package and ship products in a day. It is good for partners because they do not need to buy and store large stocks of products," Kotecha explained.

The company also plans to invest in its SSD product line this year, he added: "In the years to come, 15 to 20 per cent of PCs will use SSD."

Bernd Dombrowsky, sales director for EMEA at rival vendor Kingston Technology, said investing in SSD is a sure bet for growth.

"There is a lot of competition in the SSD market and Integral will need to develop a stronger pricing and technology proposition to make a mark," added Dombrowsky.