Old Name is Back in the Industrial Drive & Motor Market

The Exico name is returning to the UK industrial motor and inverter drive market with some familiar people on-board

After a 10 years hiatus during which the original company was subsumed by a global conglomerate, the successful original format is back with an updated range and typically great technical support and customer service.

Based (again) in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Exico is targeting predominantly OEMs and re-winders with a full-range product offering; including plenty of UK stock and a modification service. The highly experienced technical support team are also based at the East Midlands site and so are directly available to customers who want instant advice on motor specification and problem solving.

Sales Director Lucie Hodkova explains the strategy: “We have high growth targets because ‘critical mass’ is important in our field, however we know how much business relies on personal trust and convenience, so we are aiming to offer great deals but also ensure our customers’ working lives are made easier by dealing with us. This is why we believe our high service level is so super important.

“We need to be big enough to service our clients in the way that they want us to and for those who do not remember Exico from the first time around to know who we are and to be confident that we can meet their motor needs. Our initial target is £1m turnover in the first year, which we are likely to hit a lot sooner than year-end based on the first quarter results.”

“High on our agenda is building a national network of distributors. We already have four in place and will be assessing more potential partners to ensure we have good geographic coverage and are represented in all our key sectors.”

Exico’s motor range includes: single phase motors; three-phase motors (IE1, IE2, IE3 and IE4); ATEX explosion-proof motors; marine motors; medium and high voltage motors. It also supplies variable speed drives, gearboxes, accessories such as brakes, fans, encoders and slide rails and coolant pumps for machine tools.

“For some of these variations, such as ATEX, we either have or will shortly have the new company fully certified,” says Lucie. “These are priority objectives within our strategy.”
Lucie and her colleagues believe that there is a need in the UK for quality European manufactured electric motors at affordable prices. Exico actually traces its early history back to Czechoslovakia; where its motors are still made today in a highly-automated modern factories and shipped around the world. Many single-phase and three-phase motors being brand labelled for global companies.

As well as standard motors Exico UK is able to build integrated drive packages and to supply bespoke motors with, for instance, windings for non-standard voltages, shaft modifications, fitted  brakes and encoders, and marine motors for use both on and below decks. Much of this technical work is directly overseen by Managing & Technical Director Jerry Hodek, who has a Masters degree in electrical engineering and 25 years experience in the motors industry.

Completing the start up team is technical and sales Manager Magda Bartosova, who, like Lucie, can claim a decade worth of experience with industrial motors. Between these three people six languages are spoken; English Czech, German, Russian all fluently, with Mandarin and Arabic at a more basic level

“Languages are a bit of a passion with me,” says Lucie, “so I am looking forward to developing an export business as well serving the UK market.”

There is already an installed base of Exico motors around Britain, which the new team is keen to service and support. In the10 years since Exico was last active, the performance and efficiency of electric motor technology has developed considerably. So there is a drive to re-approach previous customers and help them make sure their machines and processes are as energy efficient as possible.

“Motor users always need support, and Exico is committed to becoming the service standard by which other companies are measured.” sums up Lucie.