Wakefield-based manufacturer of data distribution and power solutions, OE Electrics, is expanding into North America.

The company has announced that it is launching a new business in the US – OE Electrics Inc. It has also made two senior appointments with John Corner joining as sales manager and Michael O’Keefe as product manager. The two new recruits bring decades of combined experience having workd with furniture manufacturers and dealers in the States.

“We’re fortunate that we are already familiar with the North American electrical market,” said Tim Hobbs, OE Electrics’ co-founder and technical director.

“Many of our European furniture partners export to the USA or have operations in the States already, so we have several products already UL listed to comply with USA electrical codes. This means we can support furniture manufacturers with a global supply chain wherever they sell their products.

“Our long-term objective is to partner with North American furniture manufacturers to design and make our next generation of products and John and Michael will play pivotal roles in helping us achieve this,” he added.

In June, OE Electrics will be exhibiting at one of the world’s most prominent commercial furniture exhibitions, Neocon in Chicago, where it will launch its new venture and show case its products to North America.

The Yorkshire company already operates across three continents and supplies its products to over 60 countries. OE Electrics’ products can be found in many environments across the globe including offices, call centres, hotels, hospitals and airports.

With manufacturing sites in the UK, Australia and Germany, the company also has a sales office in Dubai and a global distributor network in countries such as New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Poland, Belgium and Malta.

OE Electrics’ more established export markets include Ireland, France, Germany and Dubai. Over the last three years, it has also seeing growth in several new markets such as Finland, Spain and China. Overseas markets now make up almost half of the company’s turnover.

Over the next five years, the business is planning to continue to drive growth by diversifying into new market sectors within existing territories as well as targeting additional geographic markets.