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\u201cFounded in 1985 by my father, Hanover initially focused on matrix signage using older electromagnetic flip dot technology. He quickly recognized the economies of scale within the bus market, as the numerous bus constructors still required the same product for their on-board passenger information systems. We moved into that arena and were able to take advantage of an investment drive into public transport by the French government. We grounded ourselves in the French market and grew organically from there. As the French market expanded, we were able to secure contracts with major groups in the UK, including Stagecoach, Arriva, First Group, Go-Ahead, and National Express. Through networking, exhibitions, and strategic contacts, we expanded into Spain and Scandinavia. Eventually, one of our executives, Tim Mark, who had successfully run the French operations after my father stepped away, made the decision to set up in America,\u201d he begins.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n This Chicago office, set up in 2005 was a very small operation, with Tim working on his own to enter the American market. \u201cThe early years were challenging and all about building market awareness. It took six years of perseverance to secure two significant projects and suddenly, we had a $1 million order on the table, requiring us to scale up to deliver it. Consequently, we moved into a 2000-square-meter facility in Elk Grove Village on the outskirts of Chicago, where we have been for the past 15 years. During that time, our turnover grew from around $2 million to over $15 million, causing us to reach our capacity in the old facility. Therefore, we have now purchased a new facility over twice the size, and very recently moved into that,\u201d explains Dave.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis new facility is conveniently located just down the road and took 12 months and a few million dollars to refurb. Once that was completed, we relocated our offices and moved two high-speed SMT lines for surface mounting components on our electronic circuit boards from the old facility. Our timing on the move has been great, as although the American market was slow to pick up post pandemic, last year, we experienced a significant leap in our turnover, increasing to over $17 million. Within the next year or so, we expect to be north of $20 million. I believe we timed our move into the new facility well, and I am confident we have the capacity to as much as double our output, as the new facility will be sufficiently large and our sales continue to grow,\u201d Dave elaborates.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n For Hanover, the UK and European markets rebounded much more quickly after the pandemic. In contrast, many of its competitors struggled. Globally, the company has grown from around \u00a340 million annual turnover in the middle of the Covid crisis to nearly \u00a3100 million today.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n While still very much a manufacturing business, Hanover has shifted its focus to LED technology instead of electromagnetic flip dots. Bringing outsourced fabrication back in-house has allowed Hanover to deliver improved and faster service to its customers. Sean Winter, Operations Director, explains how this shift has empowered the company to regain flexibility and strengthen product development. \u201cWith our extensive product portfolio, we ship between 1800 and 1900 units each week, including assembled products that encompass a wide range of printed circuit board assemblies, such as power supplies, processor boards, and display boards. Outsourcing these presents several issues because some orders are high volume while others are low volume. By bringing these boards back in-house, we gain greater flexibility. For example, if an urgent order comes in today, we can easily adjust our machine priorities to produce the boards needed for that order. Typically, lead times for sourcing from the Far East are around eight weeks for shipping. By the time we place our order with a supplier and they procure materials and schedule production, we could face a timeline of 14 to 15 weeks. In contrast, our in-house manufacturing delivers considerably shorter lead times. Being able to react quickly and take control of our production process has contributed to our growth as a business.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMoreover, in-house capabilities help tremendously with prototyping. As we design and manufacture new product lines in-house, our design teams can communicate directly with production and process technicians about the product they want to develop and the challenges it entails. Once we create prototypes, engineers from development work closely with the production team to address any issues. Our in-house capabilities truly help with communication and resolving challenges quickly face to face, thereby allowing us to bring new products to market faster than if we continued to outsource those components,\u201d he expands.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nLED Technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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