INTERNATIONAL TRADE


INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN BRIEF


HELPING COMPANIES EXPLOIT OVERSEAS TRADE OPPORTUNITIES


Export success: Mark Sankey (right) with Brandauer’s Rowan Crozier


The Chamber based UK Trade and Industry (UKTI) aid-funded business service is undertaking a trip to the US in November, to visit two of the world’s major international finance institutions. The two are the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), both of which have made climate change and sustainability the focus of their loans and grants to developing countries. Some £46bn is spent each


year by the world’s international finance institutions on procuring goods and services to help achieve development targets. The UK gains around 2-3 per


cent of this business, which is the focus of the visit to Washington on 7-10 November. The trip will cost £555 + VAT


for each participant, excluding flights and accommodation. Anyone interested should contact Cheryl Boxall on 0845 603 0084 or email: c.boxall@afbs.org.uk


Birmingham Chamber’s Enterprise Europe Network is staging a ‘green’ workshop aimed at companies in the metalworking sector. The free workshop – run in


conjunction with the British Turned Parts Manufacturers Association – is being held on 13 October at Chamber House, 75 Harborne Road, Edgbaston.


Designers and creative companies interested in exploring new European opportunities are invited to attend a special international matchmaking event in October. Birmingham Chamber’s


Enterprise Europe Network is organising the event during Dutch Design Week on 24 October in Eindhoven. The city of Eindhoven will be


transformed into the capital of design, the largest design event in the Netherlands. Project manager Sunny Claire


said: “The purpose of this event is to introduce designers to potential business partners from across Europe.”


For further details on the above events, contact Craig Biffen on 0121 455 0268 or email c.biffen@


birmingham-chamber.com 28 CHAMBERLINK OCTOBER 2011


Pressed into production O


ne of Europe’s largest contract presswork and stampings companies is forging a major partnership with the


growing economic superpower of China. The company is Brandauer, based in Bridge Street


West, near Birmingham city centre. The 100 year old firm – still a family business -


exports more than 80 million components each year to China, thanks in part to help from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and Chamber based international trade adviser Mark Sankey. Many of the components exported to China by


Brandauer are used in white goods – but the Far East is not the only region which the company exports to. The United States is another growing market for


Brandauer, according to Mark. He said: “Brandauer had a very clear vision of where


it wanted to concentrate its efforts and UKTI were able to provide them with the support it required to formulate a more focused sales and marketing strategy.”


‘Brandauer’s strength has always been its ability to adapt to change’


As part of the support it has received, Brandauer has been able to access funding via the WM (SME) Internationalisation project and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funding has enabled the company to attend crucial international exhibitions and meet with potential customers in Europe to grow the business further. Brandauer sales and marketing director Rowan


Crozier said: “Brandauer’s strength has always been its ability to adapt to change and our investment in product research and development has enabled us to deliver competitive precision-engineering solutions to companies across the world. “In the next few years we will be concentrating on


growing our medical, environmental, micro-technology and automotive products, and the ongoing advice and support we receive has been essential to this.”


European export help for SMEs


West Midlands firms that are not exporting may be missing out on hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost trade. Export-shy firms may also be overlooking a good chance to boost productivity and recover from the recession. That’s the view of Chamber- based Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), a business support organisation for SMEs. EEN says that research has found


that companies which embrace exporting can boost their productivity by as much as 34 per cent in the first year alone.


‘Entering more markets means more customers to help grow a business and spread risk’


To celebrate ‘European SME Week’ (3-7 October), EEN is offering West Midlands SMEs the opportunity to take advantage of free consultation sessions to help them gain a foothold in the export marketplace. Craig Biffen, EEN project co-


ordinator, said: “There are a vast amount of European export opportunities available. For a


company, just one market can no longer be relied upon to generate 100 per cent of sales. “Entering more markets means


more customers to help grow a business and spread risk. Usually, the greatest obstacle in starting to trade internationally is a lack of knowledge.


“EEN has a wealth of experience to guide and support businesses taking their first steps into exporting.”


For more information contact Craig Biffen on 0121 455 0268 or email c.biffen@ birmingham-chamber.com


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