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Middle East gives cordial reception to Teesside drinks firm

A Teesside firm specialising in cordials and soft drinks has enjoyed a “cordial” reception in a string of Middle East markets. Thorncroft Drinks Ltd, of Eaglescliffe, was among the first in the region to sign up to the Virtual Export Manager (VEM) initiative, run by UKTI.

Through VEM Thorncroft was teamed up with Piero Alberici to identify potential markets and develop new systems and procedures to enable the company to handle export inquiries and responses. The company is toasting success in Dubai and Mumbai, where they have secured orders for the hotel and retail market. In addition, the company has now exported its Healthy Thirst range of drinks to 27 countries around the world.

Guy Woodall, Managing Director of Thorncroft Drinks Ltd, said: “VEM has enabled us to develop along different lines than originally planned. Having such an experienced person as Piero on hand took the pressure off the management team, allowing us to develop the export business much more successfully. “The benefits of VEM has not just been the new orders, but it has also shown how getting the right people together can help break down the barriers and move forward.”

Piero Alberici said: “Thorncroft has a superb range of products and there’s much more potential in the burgeoning markets of India, the United Arab Emirates and Asia as a whole. “We’ve also been able to tap into the USA, where the company previously struggled due to the US perception of soft drinks. The company introduced larger packaged bottles and extended its product range, which seems to have paid off.”

To find out more about Thorncroft, visit www.thorncroftdrinks.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .