International Trade International Trade Helping companies exploit overseas trade opportunities By Fred Bromwich
Export-conscious companies in the West Midlands outstripped the rest of the country in the first quarter of the year as they continued to push ahead with plans to expand their overseas sales operations. But in spite of the fact that UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) has set itself a target of exporting goods and services worth £1 trillion by 2020, research suggests that 70 per cent of British businesses currently have no interest in selling products abroad. Which is surprising considering that so much
expert assistance is no more than a computer- click away. For example, going on to
www.exportingisgreat.gov.uk will open up a world of opportunity. And for companies wishing to dip their toes into the exports market for the first time there will be a special ‘Export Essentials Masterclass’ at Birmingham Chamber on 26 July. Mark Sankey (pictured), who heads the UKTI
team based at Birmingham Chamber, said: “Our event will help companies to focus on their objectives for doing business in new international markets. It will also provide them with a grounding in the fundamental principles of exporting, including topics such as shipping and documentation and international communication.”
Contact: Mark Sankey T: 0121 450 4205
Export advice is just a click away
One of the current major initiatives to
stimulate growth in overseas sales is UKTI’s ‘Exporting is GREAT’ campaign, which has showcased more than 6,000 export opportunities on its website since November of last year. And that equates to one new chance to export roughly every 37 minutes! By clicking on UKTI’s official website and then
going to ‘apply for export opportunities’, firms can explore new leads in more than 100 countries and 40 different sectors – opportunities such as:
A clean sweep across the globe
Jon Griffin finds out how one Midlands company is cleaning up in the exports business.
They’ve saved untold numbers of lives, prevented a hospital from closing – and their products are in everyday use from South Africa to Australia and the Middle East to Europe. TEAL Patents Ltd may operate from a humble industrial unit in Chelmsley Wood – but their expertise in hygiene is a shining example of prevention always being better than cure. TEAL and its 23-strong workforce are modest
in size – but their export reach is wider than ever as new markets open up for their Birmingham- made mobile handwash units. It all started back in 1959 when West Midlands
baker Bruce Lotherington was anxious to deliver with extremely clean hands his cream cakes to customers. He hooked up a water supply to a battery for use in his delivery vans – and the TEAL business model was born. Today TEAL manufactures over 11,000 mobile hand wash units a year – and managing director Manty
22 CHAMBERLINK July/August 2016
Stanley proudly proclaims the firm as the ‘world market-leader.’ Turnover has increased from £1.8 million in 2009 to £2.2 million while exports have grown from 7.5 per cent in 2009 to 16 per cent in the current financial year. “We have had stockists in Melbourne, Australia,
for six years and we work with an ambulance builder in South Africa who has supplied hundreds of our units to South African ambulances over the last three years,” said Manty. TEAL’S infection prevention team was put to
the test in October 2014 when Penn Psychiatric Hospital in Wolverhampton discovered legionella bacteria in its water system during a routine audit. The hospital’s infection prevention and control team decided to install TEAL’s portable hand wash units which were able to work without access to mains water or drainage, preventing the hospital from potential closure and possible tragedy.
Manty Stanley, managing director of TEAL Patents “They were going to have to close because of
the legionella and we made three trips to the hospital and contributed to keeping it open,” said Manty, who added the company’s products are in hospitals, pre-school nurseries, commercial vehicles, mobile hot food vans and many other outlets. Jane Matty, international trade adviser with
UKTI, said: “It is great news that TEAL is expanding their trade overseas and I look forward to continue to working with them on their exporting journey.”
• Czech Republic – supplier of crankshaft castings wanted
• India – supply of CNC machines • US – software developer needed for multiple township parking projects
• Hungary – procurement of components of locomotives and rolling stock
• Australia – web content management system for government department
• Cyprus – opportunity for fashionable ready- to-wear clothes & accessories.
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