Market share issues have never been important
to me at all”, says Roger Hurn of Smiths
Industries. Far more important is maximising
the value of the customers the company has,
most of whom are long-term partners. “We
are not pursuing volume; we are pursuing
high value niches with technology and marketing
pluses. It is a deliberate choice that
enables us to maintain a high margin, a high
market profile in terms of brand and to introduce
products under that brand that have a
Jaguar type of image.