After just five years in the business, gas detection and monitoring firm Medem is claiming UK market dominance. Paul Braithwaite catches up with its director, Chris Dearden.
Chris Dearden knows his mind. He started with the company in August 2004 and now he claims market leadership in gas pressure proving systems in the UK.

And, with that under his belt, Dearden is moving into the European mainland market.
'There is an attempt to standardise gas safety proving across the EU. Some of the European markets are similar to ours but others are very different.'

Medem has just appointed BP as official supplier in Denmark and this, Dearden hopes, will move the business into other territories as time goes on.

Medem will be supplying some proving systems for high-pressure installations and some of the smaller ones such as it supplies to schools, universities and hospitals as well as commercial units.
Less than five years on and the company is already claiming UK market leadership, and with just a small sales force out there selling the product into the market?

'It is all down to investment in the products. We design everything in house and build our own products here in our own factory. We believe our products offer clients the best possible features, benefits and value.'

Starting point

And this, he insists, is merely the starting point. It is about getting the Medem name out into the market as well as ensuring its products are the best in the marketplace. 'And we can only do this by listening to clients so that we can continue to develop new products.'
Medem's route to market is through specifiers and large contractors. The reasoning is simple: specifiers will generally only want to specify the best products available.

If anyone needs help and standards advice, this is where Team Medem comes in. 'Yes, we design it, yes, we build it but we also need to back it up.' Staff are well trained and regularly updated for the latest products and standards so that they can man the 24-hour technical support helpline. 'We might have the best products but we need to tell people about them, hence trade press advertising, and support is equally important.'
He insists: 'The right back-up underpins everything we do.' And he insists he has picked up many clients because of Medem's service.

There have been several contractors during this year that have switched to Medem because the company they were dealing with let them down with the support package.
And it works. Dearden explains that it has a contract to supply gas proving and interlock systems for the kitchens in the UK's top three pub brands.

Any issues with, for example, fans or gas pressure and the restaurant can phone Medem - 'it shows up on the LED display on the system anyway' - and the support staff will talk the restaurant staff through the problem, directing them either to an electrician or a mechanical engineer where required.

'It is no use calling out a mechanical engineer when an electrician is needed.'
The service, he maintains, helps cut downtime in the kitchen which, in turn, helps to minimise the revenue loss.

'Last month (May) Medem launched a field product support service.'
This means the company will be able to offer field service and maintenance on all its products.
The product field support service is for companies that require planned preventative maintenance, 24-hour service and commissioning.

These first vans are now on the road and are being backed-up by approved installers which have been trained by Medem - both in the field and in its training facility - to the 17th edition and the Gas Safe scheme.

Economic situation

In regard to the current economic situation Dearden insists that the company has no overdraft and is totally self funding. All research and development is also funded by the company.
In the last financial year (2008/09) UK sales were 30% up and Dearden is predicting careful growth for the current year in spite of the economic climate.

New customers are coming on board because 'our reputation is growing', although satisfied customers are the best publicity machine
Dearden is a convert to trade shows. He admits to being very cynical about them until his company exhibited at HEVAR. But now he is a supporter of these smaller exhibitions as, again, it helps with the branding along with the company's CPD presentations.




Dearden wants to become the company that leads the market in terms of advice on up-and-coming legislation in the sector. 'We are already recognised as an informed manufacturer. We speak to the relevant authorities like the HSE, HVCA and CIBSE for advice on up-and-coming legislation, best practice in relation to our products and their application.'

Dearden says the trouble with much of the new legislation is that it is open to interpretation and can be confusing. 'We offer CPD presentation and seminars with consultancies.'
The company currently employs 11 staff, with most of the production line being automated. All products are individually tested at the end of each production run and, surprisingly in a recession, the company is currently recruiting extra production staff.

Today, if you want to build a company, you have got to build the people in it, this is where continuous training comes in. Dearden says it is not just about returns on the bottom line.
'It is about giving ownership of the company to staff and clients because, if staff enjoy working for the business and clients enjoy dealing with the company, they will be loyal.'

Dearden believes 'profit is the bonus of success, and innovation is the product of a positive mind'. He says: 'If you are doing everything right, the bottom line will come naturally.'
But, he adds, the staff have to believe in what you are doing and they will only believe in it if you give them some form of ownership. Collective effort well rewarded in terms of salary and satisfaction from a job well done is the key.

If the staff are enthusiastic, then clients will pick up on that and want to deal with the company.
Dearden says he has a picture in his mind of where he wants the company to be in five years time. Then it is a case of taking a step here and a step there until he reaches his goal.
For instance, he adds, there are new products in the pipeline - one of which will be an industry first.

So, in conclusion, Dearden says: 'We are one of the few specialist electronic manufacturers in the UK today that design, build and back up our catalogue. The right product, the right price with the right advice. That's Team Medem.'