AN architectural cladding specialist is to build a factory in the heart of a major market after realising the potential of its specialist products overseas.

PSP Architectural of Shildon has entered into a partnership with Jordanian investors to set up Techtonic Architectural Solutions in a purpose-built factory near the capital Amman due to strong Middle East markets.

PSP operations director Tamer Qaqish said: “We realised that to be really competitive in the Middle East we could not just export products from the UK.

“The specialist cladding we design and manufacture has strong added value when it comes to exports, but the ‘standard’ products could possibly be too expensive to make them competitive as exports.

“We see Jordan as a first step into this potential larger market and geographic area.

As a British Jordanian I had knowledge of the market conditions over there and that helped us to develop links.

“Also we worked with UK Trade and Investment, through its Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) and the British Embassy.

They introduced us to potential partners and also helped to develop the business strategy we needed to make this major step successful.”

Set up in 1998, PSP has a reputation for being one of the major architectural cladding suppliers in the UK with products being used on a number of major projects all over the country.

Tamer Qaqish is certain that Shildon will remain the primary base for the company, however further expansion into the Middle East is planned and the company is working with UK Trade and Investment on projects in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Jeff Bean, international trade advisor for UK Trade and Investment, said: “PSP’s approach to entering export markets is innovative and shows great understanding by the company of the importance of local knowledge and understanding the market.

“Certainly setting up manufacturing plants overseas will not be the way forward for many companies, but looking at the business model PSP is developing now in Jordan and later in other parts of the Middle East, it is right for them.

“We at UK Trade and Investment hope that the relationship we are developing with PSP will grow even stronger and that the company is able to fulfil its ambitions to service what is a very strong market sector in a strong part of the world.”