HQA Ltd
HQA Ltd, based in Norton Canes, Cannock, specialises in quality, environment and health and safety management systems, mainly for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. With the help of the Passport to Export scheme they have been able to log on to the Romanian market.
Managing director Charlie Hulme had been visiting Romania 3 or 4 times a year, as a trainer when he spotted a real potential for exporting his systems to the Romanian market.
“The Passport scheme provided funding for me to visit Romania on several occasions, which led to me making separate visits to the market to carry out training over the past four years,” he said.
“I met my two Romanian business partners while I was working on one of these courses.”
Together with his business partners Mr Hulme formed the Romanian company Anroquam to design and develop a new software package for the implementation of ISO 9001-2000 quality management systems.
Mr Hulme’s partners translated the software to enable it to be sold on the Romanian market together with supporting consultancy services. Both partners speak English very well and although this was their main language of communication, they were able to implement their language skills to market the software and liaise between Charlie and his Romanian customers.
The software is now available in Romania and the UK and HQA ltd are planning to design and develop modules for health and safety and the environment, to give clients a fully integrated management system. The company’s success was recognised recently with a nomination for the export award ‘Best Use of Language within International Strategy’.
Charlie Hulme, Managing Director, admits he doesn’t speak much Romanian himself:
“I don’t really have language skills as such, I can get by but that’s about it. I have formed a business with two native Romanians because they have the language skills we need to operate effectively in that market.”
For more information on HQA Ltd and Anroquam visit www.hqaltd.com or contact Charlie Hulme on 07979 803034.
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