Yoke Har Lee: Overseas sales - made in New Zealand

Simon McDonald's V3 Sectional Matrix System went through 180 prototypes. Photo / Alan Gibson

Dr Simon McDonald is showing other exporters that New Zealand-made is definitely do-able and that it can pay to keep customer service in-house instead of outsourcing.

The founder of dental supplies company Triodent, the British-trained dentist and inventor learned many lessons in building an export company from scratch. He is a great believer in the idea that innovations will take off only if you can capture users by keeping things simple.

McDonald worked on his ideas by night, while keeping up his dentistry practice. What he came up with was the V3 Sectional Matrix system, which dentists use while making composite resin fillings.

However, he achieved what he was looking for only after 180 prototypes and a lot of trial and error.

"It was 3am, and I knew I had to simplify things. In fact, what I later had was very close to one of my versions among the 180 prototypes. It all came down to the simplicity credo we have - keep it simple, seriously, keep it simple. If it is complicated, don't do it. The first system I had was too clever, too complicated."

Triodent was formed in 2003 with money raised from family and friends. Today the company is majority owned by McDonald and his wife.

About three years ago Triodent was a two-person company, limping along. A revamping and repackaging of the product, including a change in colour scheme, gave business a lift.

Today the company, based in Katikati in the Bay of Plenty, employs about 70 people. Staff who meet performance criteria get a share of a pool of bonus dividends.

Last year sales reached $12 million. While the recession has dampened the pace of growth, McDonald says the company will still record good growth. Now his big goal, set just a week ago, is to double monthly sales from the levels of a year ago.

The company's success was recognised last Wednesday at the NZ Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) International Business Awards, where Triodent took the prize for best use of research and development in international business.

The convener of judges, Jack Stephens, says they were impressed by how Triodent created a first-mover advantage using R&D.

"They have demonstrated impressive growth and focus aligned with an ongoing commitment to R&D. We can expect a very bright future for this company."

Other milestones include having its V3 Sectional Matrix System named top matrix system by Dental Advisor this year. Another version won last year.