BUSINESS WEST – CONNECTING BUSINESSES


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Bags of success for Owen Barry I


n 1948 when Owen Barry started his leather, suede and sheepskin accessories business, manufacturing was a cornerstone of British industry and the main trade in his hometown of Street Somerset was leather tanning. When cheap imports started flooding the


market in the 1980s, the company’s future looked bleak and after a spell in receivership, his daughter Cindi Barnstable, along with other family members, stepped up and bought back the business. The company had a decision to make - either give up or find new customers in new markets. Owen Barry’s export journey had begun. Forty years on and the company has a turnover of £1.5 million and a presence in seven markets. Export now accounts for 60% of the company’s business. Owen Barry is still a family


owned business that has always put its people and craft first, the company truly lives its values and its approach to export has been no different. “Our business is not just about making a


‘Owen Barry is still a family


owned business that has always put its people and craft first’


with export help A new project “Export For Growth” has been launched to provide a boost to SMEs to help with international trade performance in six Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) areas across the South West. Aiming to inspire and support more


SMEs to export for the first time, it will also assist more experienced exporters to enter growth markets in Latin America, China, India and South East Asia. The South West is a challenging area,


Fashion with principles Export hasn’t been without its ups and downs. The business was very tempted to enter


China and invested in a number of market visits but made a bold decision not to move forward despite the huge opportunity it presented. “We felt the market demand in China would be


so fast and furious that we would have to compromise on workmanship and skill and consider giving up some of our other relationships to fulfill demand. We have built these relationships over many years and we weren’t prepared to do that,” says Cindi. The company likes to take on two or three apprentices a year to become leatherworkers, but the business requires expertise and that takes time to develop. For this reason it cannot be volume driven and so expansion and growth have to happen slowly. “DIT has been a trusted partner


for close to four decades. They understand our business and that,


although we are commercial, we are not


profit. We also feel a strong commitment to preserving the traditional skills that our hometown of Street has long been known for and that have provided the livelihood of many local families,” says Cindi.


First deal in the bag Working with the Department for International Trade (DIT), the company’s first overseas mission was to North America. Their very first appointment on arrival in New York was with J Crew and to date they remain one of their biggest customers. Relationships also quickly developed with Brooks Brothers, Barneys, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus to name a few. Japan was the next country Owen Barry


sought to conquer. Due to the language and cultural barriers, the decision was taken to seek a partnership with an agent rather than deal directly with trade customers. Working with DIT and with the support of the Japanese Embassy, a suitable agent was sourced and fifteen years later, the relationship is still going strong.


always driven purely by the need to make more and more money. They respect our principles,” Cindi added.


Future proofing the business Owen Barry is still committed to export but is exploring the potential of taking its online presence to the next level and developing a direct to consumer ecommerce business model that allows the company to secure a higher margin and work in limited editions thus protecting the integrity of the brand and its products. Despite all the international business opportunities it is exposed to and the global outlook of the company, the Owen Barry family’s roots are firmly in Street in Somerset and they are very connected to their team, community and town. “We’re an ambitious company but our commitment to our values has helped us to develop a long term sustainable business model which will hopefully be watched over by many generations of the Barry family and also help keep the traditional leatherworking skills of Street alive,” concluded Cindi.


where the net increase in the number of new exporters remains stubbornly low and exports are highly dependent on EU and US markets (representing 72.4% of exports in 2014-15) and growth is static or in decline. To boost performance in exports, the Department for International Trade (DIT) South West, along with its delivery partner Business West, in association with local LEPs, have developed a new international trade support project. Delivered by international specialists,


including international trade advisers, market specialists, Market Researchers and other trade specialists, the project provides intensive help to overcome the barriers to overseas trade, in some cases grant funding, all focused on accelerating growth in export. The project aims to engage with over


9,000 SMEs in the region with the ability to export, stimulating awareness and delivering intensive support to over 1000 SMEs creating more than 800 new jobs by 2019. The South West’s five key sectors (creative and digital; advanced and marine engineering; financial and business services; environmental goods and services; food and drink) will receive priority, although support is also available for businesses in non-priority sectors. DIT South West head of innovation in


Services, John Rubidge said: ‘this project has been two years in the making and will be an enormous boost for many innovative SMEs in the South West who are trying to get started in export or have ambition to trade in more challenging Latin America and Asia markets where there is high demand for British goods and services. It’s about identifying the issues SMEs have with overseas trade and supporting them to overcome barriers and enabling them to compete more effectively in overseas markets. Our aim is to help high achievers see their potential and assist them to accelerate the process in winning export business.”


Businesses wishing to be involved with this free project should contact the International Trade Team on 0330 124 4441 or visit www.export4growth.co.uk


SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 insight 15


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