From Derbyshire To The Rest Of The World

For many years Midland Lead has been supplying and exporting lead products to overseas customers for the construction and healthcare markets. During 2023, we exported thousands of tonnes of lead which continues to grow year on year.

Established in 1983 Midland Lead’s export team, headed by Dave Woolley, Business Development Manager for Export, started to diversify into supplying products overseas in 2005 and since then our export market has continued to grow.

In 2020 Midland Lead was crowned winner of the FSB International Business of the Year award that recognised our commitment to growing within the export market. This award is also testament to how we work closely with customers to tailor our product to meet their individual needs.

International markets remain a key part of our growth strategy and we have several trade visits planned over the next twelve months which will take us to Europe and the Middle East. These trade visits allow us to firm up our relationships with existing customers and to contact new potential customers.

Where in the world have we exported?

Midland Lead initially established customer relationships in Dubai after a trade visit with the Department for Business and Trade (formerly the Department for International Trade) which helped us to gain valuable experience in the export market.

Since 2005 we have supplied lead products to overseas customers for the healthcare and construction sectors across Europe, Middle East, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, Israel, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Liberia, North Africa, Thailand, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Worldwide Q1 2024

In the first two months of 2024 we have already shipped 20 containers overseas with 15,000 rolls of lead to customers in Malaysia, Philippine’s, Gibraltar, Finland and Ireland.

This demonstrates the strength of our export market and we have a range of over 20 different product types that include lead lined plasterboards, lead lined plywood and lead sheet in various thicknesses  (0.8mm, 1mm, 1.07mm, 1.5mm,  2mm, 3mm, Code 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 in various widths from 50mm – 1400mm).

Understanding Procedures in Different Regions

Exporting overseas presents us with unique challenges and we have experienced an abundance of changes in export and customs, from shipping and carriage restrictions to packaging and labelling over the years. Each and every one of these complex challenges, we overcome by closely managing the whole process of logistics and customs procedures and our understanding of the restrictions within different countries and regions.

Dave Woolley explains: “We understand international trade and its requirements, and our overseas customers have come to rely on our ability to manage the finer details to ensure the product is delivered safely, securely and on time. Apart from the obvious logistics, we also know that in some regions we must redefine dimensions and descriptions to meet international requirements.”

Made in the UK

The UK is well regarded throughout the world as producing quality products that are manufactured to high standards and is something that all of our customers value, and this is certainly true of our International markets.

Our highly skilled workforce creates a diverse range of construction products from recycled lead. Our lead sheet production is ISO 9001 (quality), 14001 (environment) and 45001 (health & safety) accredited, and our machine cast lead is BBA-certified and has a BRE Environmental Product Declaration.

Customers overseas hold UK manufactured products in high esteem which also goes hand-in-hand with excellent customer service.

Great Customer Service – Wherever in The World

We go above and beyond for our customers and one key example, was to supply construction materials for a customer in the Middle East. The order for around 200 tonnes of lead was received and the requirement was for the product to be packed, passed through customs and delivered within 2 to 3 weeks. We consolidated transportation with other materials, and arranged all documentation and logistics leading to contract completion on time. Within 2 days we completed a full technical specification of how the lead would react in the heat – which was a crucial safety aspect to the project.

Another project we completed against tight deadlines was for a customer in Hong Kong. The requirement was for 5,500 lead lined boards for a healthcare project, and the product needed to meet specific requirements. The customer required a quick turnaround with no delays to delivery and our team at Midland Lead made sure the whole process ran smoothly from getting the correct specification for the boards along with completing all the necessary paperwork.

Here are some more examples of how Midland Lead have supplied to international customers over the years:

Hope Dental Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

 Bridge2Aid, a charity organisation that work in Africa, called upon Midland Lead’s expertise to supply lead-lined boards for use in the newly built Hope Dental Centre in Tanzania. Ian Stephens, Project Manager, thanked our team for the ongoing technical advice and support provided as part of the project: “The local builders had no experience of working with lead and we were surprised to find how easy it was. All boards were cut and hung in a few hours, and we now receive visits from Regional Health Authorities keen to learn from our best practice.”

Sidra Medical & Research Centre, Qatar

1740 sqm of lead-lined boards were used in Sidra Medical & Research Centre, one of the world’s most advanced hospitals that is dedicated to the care of women and children. Arun Paul, Project Manager at healthcare contractors Woodmans Meditech LLC, commented: “Clients work with us because we deliver outstanding service and greater value.  We need our suppliers to mirror our philosophy, which is why we decided to work with British based Midland Lead. Their expertise in lead manufacture gained from over 30 years in the business and their excellent customer service gave us the quality assurance we were looking for.”

Healthcare project in Liberia

 Twelve hospital sites in different regions of Liberia were identified as a priority to modernise healthcare provisions for patients and staff. We were asked to advise due to our unparalleled experience in radiation protection for healthcare. In addition to the supply of material to this international aid organisation, Midland Lead played a vital role in providing the knowledge to learn new skills and install the material locally.