A MAN who was sacked from Waitrose for eating a doughnut now has a business that exports to countries around the world.
David Graham self-funded the growth of his startup business while claiming to have lived off Waitrose food waste as an employee for five years until he was later sacked for it.
His business Smart Factory Direct now produces devices that extend the life of manufacturing equipment found in electronic manufacturing factories across the world.
David said: “It’s been surreal supporting customers from so many countries I have never visited from my home in Westbourne.
“It’s helped I am a night owl so I can support Asia during the night, America in the evening and Europe in the afternoon leaving just the mornings to catch up on sleep.”
The 38-year-old said he now exports his product to 20 different countries across the globe.
With the support of a three-month Silicon South business accelerator, his business was formed in 2016.
And the product development has been supported by Arts University Bournemouth, Barclays Eagle Labs, BCP Council and the Dorset Growth Hub.
“The BCP conurbation has had everything I have needed to start a business and develop a product to be exported,” David added.
“We are lucky to have a digital technology cluster meaning all the skills from software development to electrical engineering have been available on our doorstep.”
The hardware component of the product was designed by Nick Morilla and manufactured by electronic contract manufacturer CT Production in Poole and other parts have been sourced from British suppliers.
He added: “We established the business as a software company but finally creating a physical product really helped engagement and support overnight.
“The product started to sell itself organically helped with an online presence and good search engine optimisation.
“It also helped that the product deals with a new niche communication protocol called the Hermes Standard.”
To keep up with demand, his company took on Alex Hawkins as an apprentice production manager to handle the product final assembly and order fulfilment.
David self-funded Smart Factory Direct by working weekend nights at Waitrose in Ashley Road until he was sacked for eating a wasted doughnut last year.
But now the next goal for David is to secure his first customer in England by the end of the year.
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