Thought Exchange with Concentrix Food for thought
Sandra Scannell and Philip Cassidy from Concentrix
“Service based companies can go global too” ‒ that was the message from Philip Cassidy, chief executive of Concentrix as he addressed delegates at a Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce Export First event in association with Northern Bank, A&L Goodbody and ASM Chartered Accountants.
The thought leadership event with Concentrix on 13 June was the fourth thought exchange event of the Export First series, providing attendees with an insight into Concentrix and how it went from a local multi‑channel, multi‑lingual contact company to a truly global player through acquisition.
Concentrix is one of Northern Ireland's most valuable exporters, founded in 2000 (as gem) to meet a global market gap identified by CEO Philip Cassidy. Exports account for 98% of its business and its client list includes Electronic Arts (EA), Microsoft and Channel 4. Its offering too has expanded to encompass contact centre services across e‑mail, telephone, SMS, live chat and forums in 33 different languages.
Philip Cassidy said: “When sharing the success of Northern Ireland exports, it is important to remember that export is not all about manufacturing and moving goods from country to country. Service based businesses are also competing on a worldwide basis.
Concentrix give their clients the global reach essential for business success by delivering from locations in Asia, Europe,
Latin America, and the United States in over 33 major languages.
As the world of e‑commerce expands so too does Concentrix. Concentrix became pioneers in providing e‑mail 'contact centres' in 2000 with our first contract being with US client
MyPoints.com. Today we deliver from locations in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States, giving our clients the global reach essential for business success.”
Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce Programmes and Operations director Sandra Scannell said: “Concentrix is one of Northern Irelandʼs biggest and most recent business success stories. The multichannel contact company has grown from a handful of employees to over 1,000 with a client list that reads like a whoʼs who of global companies. Nearly all of Concentrixʼs customers ‒ 98 per cent ‒ coming from outside Northern Ireland, the company is a classic case of where exporting tradable services works. Through export activities the company has made a significant contribution to the local economy. It is essential that service based businesses realise the potential for them to export their services. Export First is well positioned to assist businesses with this and especially assist them with any legal, tax and financial aspects to exporting through access to our partners Northern Bank, A&L Goodbody and ASM Chartered Accountants.”
Aidan Fisher of Moy Park, Ruth Graham Northern Bank (centre) and Sandra Scannell from Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce
Over forty local businesses sought advice from some of Northern Irelandʼs most successful agri‑food companies at a ʻmeet the expertʼ event which took place in Belfast on 23 May. The event, part of a series from the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce under its Export First brand, saw experts from Crossgar Food Services, Dale Farm, Genesis Crafty, Moy Park and Suki Tea offer advice to fledgling food companies seeking to take their products to new markets. Also on hand were representatives from the Chamberʼs Export First Partners Northern Bank, ASM Chartered Accountants and A&L Goodbody who provided expertise on the legal, tax and financial considerations of exporting. “The agri‑food sector has been the shining star of Northern
Irelandʼs export activity in recent years, as our home grown and innovative food products prove they are truly world class”, said Sandra Scannell, Programmes director at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. “The experiences and advice shared by our export experts today will go a long way to continuing this trend. Less experienced food companies are seeing the opportunities and recognising they could have a slice of the action by taking the example of those who have had success outside Northern Ireland”, she added.
Karen Brady of Choice Pizza Ltd a delegate at the event said: “we have been looking at ways to increase business and specifically have been looking at selling our products into new markets. Speaking with some of the experts at the Export First event has given me a real insight into how other companies have successfully traded their products both in Northern Ireland and further afield. Knowing what I can expect has encouraged me to look for new opportunities”.
Export First Meet the Experts in Cookstown
The Export First Roadmap to Export Success event in Cookstown on 2 May provided attendees with the opportunity to hear the export story of local exporter the Keystone Group who detailed their export journey, the problems they faced in export markets and how they overcame them. Attendees also took part in a panel discussion with experts from Export First partners Northern
Bank, A&L Goodbody and ASM Chartered Accountants.
Keystone Groupʼs lintel brands supply the construction industry with an extensive range of both standard and custom made steel lintels and brickwork support systems. Similarly, Keylite Roof Windows
manufacture and supply high quality roof windows, flashings and accessories to the industry.
Brian Telford, John Duffin, Sandra Scannell, Michael McAllister, Thomas McDonald and Peter Stafford.
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