Card specialists target gift market
A firm which sells millions of phone cards throughout the developing world has started to break into the lucrative market for loyalty and gift cards.
Nitecrest Ltd, which is based in the Moss Side Industrial Estate in Leyland, is already producing cards for major retailers including fashion chains Next and Matalan, chemists Boots and the Nectar card from its facility in Lancashire.
It already ships millions of plastic phone cards to more than 140 countries in parts of Africa, the Middle East and the Eastern Bloc.
On Friday, the firm will collect its second Queen's Award for Enterprise in just four years for its success in the export market.
Technical sales director John Hart said: "There is potentially a massive market for loyalty cards and gift cards right across the world.
"We are already working with some of the big retailers and we are looking to work with others, so there is definite potential for expansion.
"The volumes are not as high as the phone cards which are a single-use product but the value of the product itself is much higher as they have to be far more durable."
Company chairman Ronnie Hart Snr, the co-founder of the family-run firm which employs 260 people, said that the Queen's Award the company won in 2005 and already reaped dividends.
He said the kudos the connection with the Royal Family was very valuable particularly in the former Commonwealth countries in Africa.
The chairman said: "There is still a lot of respect for the Queen in these countries and when they see you have the award it really means something to them - they even ask if you know the Queen personally."
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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