limelight

Perfect partnership Helen Exley Giftbooks | Herts

An innovative publisher, Helen Exley Giftbooks, has partnered with a Tokyo publisher to extend its range of gift products sold through bookshops or card stores. “We have been trying to enter the

Japanese market for years, but just couldn’t fi nd the right partner,” explains sales and marketing director Mike Edwards. “UK Trade & Investment at the British Embassy in Tokyo arranged a meeting for us with Discovery 21. Japanese society is very hierarchical so it is important to meet the top people and that’s where the embassy has infl uence. We met the company’s president and were able to convince her that our range of books would complement and enhance her fi rm’s offering. “Our fi rst books in Japanese have just been published and I will be at the Tokyo Book Fair in July to launch the fi rs

rst programme. “The initial

agreement is for three years and

worth around £150k. We have a very strong relationship already and I am optimistic for the futu

l ure.” www.helenexley.com

UK fi rm hits right notes Freenotes | Hampshire

Father and son team Robin and Jody Ashfi eld are celebrating a six-fi gure deal after taking their business into the Australasian market. Freenotes designs and sells outdoor

musical instruments for people of all ages and abilities. Working with UK Trade & Investment, it has partnered with The Active Play Company as its exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand. Having participated in UK Trade

& Investment’s Passport to Export programme in September 2010, the company was granted funding under the Tradeshow Access Programme to assist with exhibition costs at GaLaBau in Nuremberg, the world’s most comprehensive exhibition of products for the design, construction and maintenance of urban, open and green spaces. Robin Ashfi eld says: “At the show

we took many substantial orders and met with distributors from 27 different countries. It’s had a major impact on sales. Our plans are to consolidate and develop our established European markets, and to look further afi eld.” www.freenotes.eu

Japan’s Welsh rock star Preseli Bluestone International | Oxford

A UK company is selling unique jewellery to the Japanese market, with the help of UK Trade & Investment. Preseli Bluestone International is the only company in the world licensed to extract Preseli Bluestones, the Welsh stones used in the building of Stonehenge 5,000 years ago. The collection was previously

only available to tourists visiting the Stonehenge World Heritage Site. Yet, after participating in UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export programme, the fi rm has begun to export to Japan. As part of the programme, managing director Colin Shearing fl ew to Japan to introduce

Super snack goes global

New York Delhi | London

West London business New York Delhi is fast becoming a global brand, thanks to its ViPnuts snack range and expert advice from UK Trade & Investment. ViPnuts (very important peanuts) has been snapped up by premium stores, including Fortnum & Mason, as well as trendy hotels and bars across the capital. Now, with UK Trade & Investment support, the business is growing internationally too. In just six months, New York Delhi has

achieved success in markets around the world. ViPnuts are now being supplied to Canada, Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Spain and the US and the business has more than quadrupled its turnover since its launch in April 2009. Managing director Nina Uppal says:

“Because of the excellent advice, support and contacts provided by the UK Trade & Investment team, New York Delhi was catapulted into the global market, giving it the sort of exposure I had only dreamt of. We are now getting quite a reputation for our ViPnuts – I always knew we had an excellent product and brand, but it was really about how we shouted about it, and UK Trade & Investment helped us do this.” www.newyorkdelhi.com

himself to potential partners. “Meeting face to face was a great opportunity to establish trust between myself and the distributors,” he says. Shearing returned from Japan with a

contract to supply a growing number of products over the next three years. The range has since attracted additional interest from South Korea – a potentially large market for the company, which will be handled by Preseli Bluestone International’s Japanese partner. www.stonehengestones.com

springboard: | www.ukti.gov.uk | page 41