Ignition Lights The Way

Ian Hamilton and Andrew Sale launched Ignition to offer the industry an innovative new approach to business development for companies in the new product development sector.

Ignition, in effect, creates the market. On the one hand it promotes the services of its client companies to potential customers, while on the other it ensures those customers are provided with a cost-effective, quality service.

Ignition represent groups of companies, including a global plc manufacturer as well as smaller niche operators, who each play a critical role in the new product development chain. While individually they offer a first class service, together the companies offer a true NPD solution from prototyping through to tooling, manufacture and market.

A major benefit for these companies is that by outsourcing to Ignition, they can save thousands of pounds per year in direct salaries, company cars and mobiles. Or, they can simply ‘beef up’ their existing in-house team by engaging Ignition as an add-on service.

From the perspective of those customer companies developing a new product, they are linking into a network with added value and working with people who have a unique overview of the market, not just trying to sell them one service in isolation.

Ian Hamilton explains: “We add value at every turn. For our clients, we are cost effective and increase the chance of exposure to new customers and markets they may not have been able to unlock on their own, while for NPD customers it is a solution proposition that it will be difficult to match elsewhere.

“Up until now companies have either struggled to fund a direct sales force or have turned to agents. Ignition offers a much more intelligent approach to business development and sales. Unlike a direct sales force we don’t cost the earth and unlike agents we are not commission-led, we push the best solution and for long-term relationships.”

Ian and Andrew, who have over 30 years experience between them in NPD, launched Ignition just over a year ago but are now ready to expand.

While the company is currently 100% UK based, it is also looking to drive the service into international markets and plans to double its size within the next 12 months.

Ian Hamilton added: “The global market has undergone major changes in recent years which has strengthened the UK’s position in many ways, especially in the area of new product development. Ignition is well placed to ensure that the companies we represent are in a position to make the most of new opportunities as they arise.”