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German business gains an edge in the UK
18/10/10
Equipoint business centre has welcomed a prestigious European company to its serviced offices in Birmingham. Ostermann, a German company specialising in furniture edging, opened its UK branch this summer.
The award-winning firm, which operates all over Europe, used to deal with international clients through its export department in Germany. But Ostermann recently decided that the best way to meet its UK customers’ needs was to open a branch here, and in July UK Managing Director Sabine Kinner, who has relocated from Germany with her family, opened the Birmingham office for business.
Ostermann UK provides high-quality edging tapes and a wide range of services, and MD Sabine believes the business offers customers a unique package that fills a niche in the market.
Ostermann primarily targets furniture manufacturers, shop-fitters, and joineries, all of whom need the edging materials and services that Ostermann offers. And there seem to be more and more of them - “Our customer base is growing steadily month on month,” says Sabine.
Opening an office in a foreign country poses all sorts of challenges for a business, and this was true for Ostermann. The right location was crucial - it needed to be somewhere central because the company has customers all over the UK, who receive their deliveries via carrier. Birmingham was ideal, an important city right in the heart of the country.
Sabine and her team looked into various office space options in Birmingham, serviced and non-serviced, and decided that the Equipoint business centre was the right place for them. “Equipoint was really flexible in meeting our needs,” explains the MD. “We had to make several office space modifications, including adding a wall and sliding doors, and it was no trouble at all. We really appreciate the 24 hour security as well, as all our products are on-site.”
Sabine is optimistic about the branch’s development, and says Ostermann UK will be looking to obtain their own warehouse in the next two years. Currently goods are initially shipped from the main depot in Germany.
To browse Ostermann UK’s range of edging products and services visit www.ostermann.eu.
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