Local entrepreneur Tim Overfield, the Chairman of both Zetechtics Ltd and C-Kore Systems Ltd, is delighted that both businesses have been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade 2024 in recognition of their contribution to International Trade.
This is not the first time the businesses have been awarded such an accolade, with Zetechtics receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2003, and C-Kore also receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 and a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade in 2021 – which brings the total to 5, a fitting achievement for Tim as a key figure in bringing innovative solutions to the subsea industry worldwide for many decades.
Having lived in Ryedale since 1977, Tim worked for several local businesses and developed a deep understanding of the need to use innovation to assist the energy industry to work subsea.
Tim started Zetechtics Ltd in a rural location near Malton in 1993, designing and manufacturing subsea control equipment for the global offshore energy industry. Building on the success of the industry standard Jupiter Control Systems, Zetechtics offers a wide range of subsea control and subsea tooling solutions for high integrity applications across the subsea energy sector. This equipment ensures safe installation and continued maintenance of infrastructure for the offshore energy industry worldwide.
Tim’s industry knowledge led him, in 2007, to identify a gap in the subsea testing market. Tim committed to develop a small, stand-alone, measurement tool that could quickly and easily find faults in underwater electrical networks (which are capable of being used 3,000m underwater). Still under the umbrella of Zetechtics, the C-Kore Cable Monitor took several years of development before it was ready to be used commercially, following which C-Kore Systems Ltd was formed in 2012 to launch this new product range. C-Kore is now based at its own premises in a countryside location, south of York.
Zetechtics Ltd, King’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade for Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales recognises 6 years of growth from 5% to 51% of overall sales over the period. The international trade grew by over 2,000%, with major markets being in Brazil and the Netherlands. After supplying the Brazilian market for over a decade, the continued growing demand for Zetechtics’ Jupiter products and services in South America led to Zetechtics do Brasil Ltda opening in Macaé, Brazil in 2022.
C-Kore’s King’s Award for Enterprise – International Trade for Outstanding Short-Term Growth in overseas sales over 3 years recognises the 123% growth in overseas sales over the period (now making up 80% of the company’s turnover). With representatives in USA, Brazil and Nigeria, C-Kore has established new markets in South America and Africa, whilst increasing its sales to several other countries including Australia and the USA.
Tim commented, “I am delighted to be Chairman of two companies which are at the forefront of innovation and have an excellent worldwide reputation. This really is a team effort, with both Zetechtics and C-Kore staff, working tirelessly to understand their customers’ requirements, provide great service, and adapting to the needs of different markets. These awards recognise this, and our belief that being based rurally in North Yorkshire does not prevent a business from acting globally.”