Speaking live to the Breakfast Team at BBC Radio Newcastle, Canford Founder and CEO Iain Elliott explained how the business had adapted to the challenges brought about by Coronavirus.
In the candid interview Iain explained how Canford revenues had dropped by as much as 70%, but in a twist of fortune the business had won a timely government purchase order for its NEAL police interview recorders – which are regularly spotted on TV shows like Vera.
Canford operates at the engineering end of the broadcast market, so doesn’t often have direct links with on-screen glamour. The Washington, Tyne & Wear based company is however the source of technical equipment. Such as fibre cables for ultra-high definition video cameras at sporting events and precision connection panels used within outside broadcast vehicles.
Alfie Joey interviewing was interested to learn that Canford is the only UK manufacturer of microphone boom poles and asked how the team had managed to keep up with demand as news crews switched to safer, socially distanced techniques.
Canford founder and CEO Iain Elliott: “We’d look back on this now and say; how did we get through the worst part? We shrank to a minimum staff, but we kept open and we were there to support our customers. With regard to custom metalwork solutions from our Portland, Dorset factory we gained business from some of our competition who weren’t able to stay open."
Canford has maintained a ‘near business as usual’ status across all departments through what can only be described as unprecedented times. Follow the link and skip to 1hrs 50min 30seconds to listen to the full interview.