Vortex (UK) moves into another decade of handling bulk solids

As you walk through the entrance of Vortex’s newly renovated offices in Darlington, United Kingdom, you might think you’ve entered a local supermarket. There are shelves full of familiar every day products; Yorkshire Tea, Lavazza Coffee, Daz Washing Powder, Pringles Crisps, Jacobs Biscuits, Dunlop Tyres, Guinness, Wrigley’s Chewing Gum, and the list goes on and on.

“It is sometimes hard to describe what we do,” explains Vortex’s Managing Director Travis Young. “This display essentially shows the range of materials and brands our equipment handles. It helps connect the dots for those unfamiliar with Vortex and the dry bulk handling industry as a whole.”

Vortex, which was founded in the USA almost 40 years ago, specialises in a wide range of valves and components for handling bulk solids.  The company’s Darlington-based operations is celebrating its ten year anniversary this year and is responsible for the corporation’s business activities in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In April 2016, the company moved into a newly renovated industrial building near Darlington town centre to house its primary offices and distribution centre.

“The new premises not only provides a great work environment for our employees, but offers a lot more room for growth,” commented Mr. Young. “We routinely host many agents and clients for training courses from all over the world, so the large conference room and product demonstration area are a welcome addition.”

According to the company’s website, Vortex has contracted with 40 sales agents that cover over 75 countries throughout the world. Its clients include many blue chip companies like Dow Chemical, Nestle, DuPont, Sabic, BASF, Kraft Foods, P&G, Rio Tinto, Cargill, and InBev.

“The range of processes we are involved with is staggering,” remarked Andrew Davies, Vortex’s Application Engineering Manager. “One day we’ll be working on a cement project in the Jordanian desert, the next day spent on a Dutch factory that produces whole bean roasted coffee.”

A Ten Year Marathon

Sir Richard Branson has been quoted as saying “There are no quick wins in business – it takes years to become an overnight success.” The same is true for Vortex’s business expansion outside of the Americas. According to Laurence Millington, Vortex’s International Sales Director, it has been more of a marathon than a sprint.

“Ten years ago Vortex had a huge mountain to climb. When we started (in the UK) we had only a handful of customers throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Despite this, we knew if we could assist our customers by solving their processing problems, whilst striving to delivering excellent service and response, Vortex would find its place in these new markets.”

The proverbial mountain mentioned by Mr. Millington involved a wide range of challenges, which included offering products that were certified in accordance to EU Directives and developing products that conformed to metric versus imperial standards. “The first three years were more about investing in the future than turning over profits,” commented Mr. Young.

The move in April marks Vortex’s third relocation in ten years to accommodate more staff and warehousing space. Prior to its move to Enterprise House in Darlington, the company was located in the Morton Park Industrial Estate.

“Much of our growth can be attributed to Vortex’s employees,” mentioned Mr. Young  ”We have a great team of people that maintain our company’s core values of Respect, Humility, Integrity, and Passion in both the UK and the US.” 

Vortex’s UK office is located at Building 1J, Enterprise House, Valley North Street, Darlington, DL1 1GY in the United Kingdom. To find out more information, the company’s website is www.vortexglobal.com.   

About Vortex Global:

For almost 40 years, Vortex has provided quality slide gates, diverters, iris valves and loading spouts designed specifically for handling dry bulk solids in gravity, vacuum, dilute, or dense phase applications. Vortex valves and spouts are engineered for dependability, durability, easy maintenance, and offer proven solutions to material handling and process efficiency problems. With an in-house team of engineers, Vortex products can be completely customized for individual applications or special installations.

Vortex Global Limited

Building 1J, Enterprise House

Valley Street North

Darlington – DL1 1GY 

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1325 728577

Email: global@vortexglobal.com

Web: www.vortexglobal.com