Demand for Syft's products and services from the UK and Europe has lead to the appointment of two new senior sales executives and opening of an office in the Daresbury Innovation Centre, Cheshire
The new office will initially have a staff of three, including a sales engineer from Syft's Christchurch, New Zealand office and a marketing assistant, and be headed by newly appointed European regional manager, Stephen Guilfoyle.
Guilfoyle joins the Syft team from a position as sales and marketing manager with mass spectrometry specialist GV Instruments, and prior to that was international sales manager for semiconductor manufacturer Thermo VG Semicon.
He has a PhD in physics and experience in the mass spectrometry field from the technical installation level, right through all stages of the sales and product development process.
His primary role will be to create direct sales for Syft in the UK and Europe and to support Syft's three European distributors (Interscience, Brechbuehler, and Axel Semrau) which are actively marketing Voice100 products in Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France.
Syft has further expanded its international sales efforts with the appointment of John Billows as international sales manager, based in the company's Christchurch headquarters.
Billows has joined Syft from mobile radio manufacturer Tait Electronics.
He was with Tait for 18 years, moving from purely technical roles initially to European sales roles, senior product management positions and most recently was vice president, sales engineering based in Christchurch.
His primary role will be to manage and develop Syft's paths to market internationally as well as playing a significant role in the strategic direction of the company.
"The addition of these new senior sales personnel to the Syft team represents a significant step forward for the company," says Syft CEO Geoff Peck.
"Over the last 12 months we have been developing significant commercial opportunities in Europe while also conducting client trials focusing on a wide range of target applications of particular interest to importers and exporters.
"Having experienced technical and sales executives on the ground will assist us in servicing those clients.
"We also now have distribution relationships covering most of Europe and we need to support this activity with local resources".
Syft has been making significant progress in a range of application areas with particular emphasis on container air analysis, food and flavour research and medical research applications through its collaboration with the Canterbury DHB and the University of Otago medical school in New Zealand.
