A PETERLEE manufacturer of specialist biomedical test equipment has taken the next steps in expanding its global reach.
Rigel Medical, part of the Seaward Group, has invested in a brand new facility in Singapore – as part of a plan to reach new markets in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region.
Rigel’s new service centre is the company’s first calibration facility to offer specialist biomedical test equipment repair solutions in the area.
The new venture also cements the company’s partnership with its regional distributor, Leedon Technology, which will manage the facility.
Andrew Upton, managing director at Seaward Group, said: “Rigel has exciting plans to reach more customers across the world – and our new service centre is just the latest step in our expansion.
“We’re committed to expanding our global reach and providing more and better services to our international customers – and our partnerships with companies like Leedon are an instrumental part of this growth.”
Rigel Medical, soon to be rebranded as Seaward Medical, worked closely with healthcare equipment supplier Leedon Technology to train its personnel – as well as supplying specialist calibration equipment.
It will offer highly technical services including calibration and safety testing of biomedical test equipment.
Previously, customers were forced to send their devices to Rigel’s County Durham base for repair – incurring hefty shipping costs and resulting in long periods of downtime.
Andrew continued: “As the only facility in the region with the ability to deliver the quality of work we demand from our service partners, the new centre will allow our distributors to provide a better and faster service to their customers – helping them reduce downtime and save money.”
Lin Yuen Thong, managing director at Leedon Technology, said: “We have worked closely alongside Rigel to fit-out the facility and train our staff to get the centre up and running.
“Rigel products are becoming incredibly popular in our region, so I am very proud to be offering this new service to both our local and regional partners.”
Rigel, which also has bases in North East England and Tampa, Florida, is one of the longest established names in the medical industry, dating back to the 1970s when it created the world’s first electrical safety analyser.
It now employs 160 people worldwide with a global network of distributors across Europe, USA, South America, the Middle East and Asia.