Micha Design burns bright with MAS

Gerry Condon, Micha Design’s general manager explains: “The Business Growth Service’s advice, funding and training are invaluable to us and we are well placed to continue our growth. We are delighted we have created five new jobs in the past three years at our Aylesbury plant and our turnover has increased by 54% bringing it to £1.54 million.

“With four designers, including senior management it is this expertise that sets us apart as a British manufacturer and is key to our export success. Yes, it really is possible to sell the sun to the desert”

Designer Leif Hytten established the business nearly 30 years ago as a specialist in bespoke printed circuit boards and control electronics. It now operates in a niche sector and more than 70% of turnover is in the export, off-grid solar markets in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Americas. Basically anywhere that is really hot.

MAS has worked with Micha since 2012 and helped provide funding for three projects. The first involved training its production staff to achieve internationally recognised qualifications – often a prerequisite for large tenders.

MAS also helped with funding for the design and project management of the installation of roof solar panels on its UK site and this resulted in saving the company around £2000 per annum on their running costs.

More recently, consultancy was provided for a new ERP system to cope with the extra demands of the company’s success. This is forecast to bring efficiencies of scale and speed of throughput of at least 10% increasing both turnover and profitability.

As well as solar products, Micha continues to innovate and provide solutions including PCB design and manufacture, sub-contract electro-mechanical assembly, modifying its own software for particular applications and carrying out climatic tests at the British Standards Institute.