Partner Article

Cascades cross the Channel

A Teesside firm is bidding to help France’s largest port operator clean up its act as it looks to expand its presence on the Continent.

Cleveland Cascades, of Thornaby, specialises in retractable loading chutes which enable the dust-free loading of dry bulk material on to ships.

As well as ensuring shipping traders don’t lose their goods to the sea, the technology helps to reduce pollution in and around ports.

The company has already seen its equipment used internationally in areas such as North Africa and parts of Europe and is now bidding to step up its operations in France – a notoriously tough market to break into.

The firm has enlisted an English-speaking, French sales agent and, through the UK Trade and Investment office in Lille, has attracted a number of interested parties looking to do business with it.

The company has also put two proposals forward to what it describes as “the largest port operating company in France.”

Finance director Sally Buckworth said: “Although the UK’s nearest overseas market, because of the language difficulties, France is generally considered one of the most difficult to break into. We therefore decided to use OMIS to help us identify an English-speaking, French sales agent who could represent us in France as well as other French-speaking countries.

“A plan of activities was agreed which has resulted in a number of interested parties being identified and negotiations continue.”

The company’s expansion into France comes after it signed up to UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export scheme and took advantage of the Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) in a bid to explore new markets.

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