EM Asia: The core competence of H K Wentworth is in R&D. Tell us about R&D activities in the company, especially in Electrolube. Jakeman: For the past seven years, we have had R&D facilities on two continents, both here in the UK, and also in Beijing, China. They are responsible for the development and maintenance of all group products in the Electrolube, EuroChemi and AF brands. It has been a very productive year for both R&D teams and we had in fact launched 13 new products at Productronica 2009 in Munich, six of which have been developed by the team in China. Some of the most successful examples of our recent Electrolube innovations include non-VOC and the new toluene free acrylic conformal coatings, as well as the expansion of our thermal products range. EM Asia: Give us some examples of these new products. Jakeman: Designed for ease of application and offering protection in extreme conditions, non-VOC coating has generated immense interest throughout the world as a direct replacement for solvent-based conformal coatings. We are due to launch the extension of this range to include a high viscosity version for dip application, a thixotropic gel for glob-top applications and an aerosol for manual application. Toluene free acrylic is a brand new addition to our conformal coatings range, offering a more user-friendly alternative to traditional acrylic coatings. With IPC-CC-830 approval, the coating is an excellent addition to the Electrolube range and provides exceptional performance in a variety of applications. We have also launched a new product designed for PCB cleaning called Safewash Total. As the name suggests, this product is well suited for the safe removal of all types of flux residues and can also be used to remove uncured adhesives and pastes. It contains an inbuilt corrosion inhibitor for use with sensitive metals and is supplied in concentrate form, reducing both packaging and transportation effects on the environment. EM Asia: Have there been recent signs of recovery in your markets? If so, in which areas and segments? Jakeman: In the areas of the business that suffered during the crisis, we noticed a progressive recovery in all areas except for the automotive sector beginning early March. This was particularly noticeable in the global electronics sector. In the last three months, all areas of the business have recovered to levels above where they were before the crisis. It is very encouraging but does also reflect our increasing market share particularly in the coatings segment. EM Asia: Electrolube opened a new facility in Beijing this year. Tell us more about the function of this facility. Jakeman: Last July, we moved in a new 60,000 sq ft facility situated on a technology park in Shunyi which is just north of Beijing’s capital airport. We had outgrown our old manufacturing site but also wished to bring together the offices and the factory. It has been a very successful move and just at the right time as our business in China has increased substantially this year. Our Chinese site is destined to become our hub warehouse for the Far East market and the manufacturing plant is now approaching the output levels of our European operations. EM Asia: How is Electrolube keeping up with all the various environmental laws and regulations like RoHS and REACH? Jakeman: Electrolube has a designated team for managing regulations, ensuring that we offer our customers the highest level of support for regulatory matters. With the introduction of RoHS we reviewed our entire product range to ensure we were compliant and since then, all new products are designed to ensure this remains the case. The team also ensures that we are compliant with the REACH regulations at each stage of its implementation. We are working closely with our suppliers to ensure we meet all of the requirements and deadlines of the regulation. For more information or individual support, we have also set up a designated email address for all REACH enquiries. EM Asia: Finally, tell us about your plans for the company in Asia. Jakeman: We have continued to expand even during the difficult times of the last 18 months and plan to build on the presence we have in the Far East markets, taking full advantage of our local warehouse and manufacturingfacility. | 
