Partner Article

Building trading ties

A MAJOR North East industry body has launched a series of overseas visits for the region’s SMEs, as it bids to broker more foreign trade.

NEPIC (North East Process Industry Cluster), in conjunction with UKTI (UK Trade & Investment), has been organising overseas market visits for its member companies for several years and has begun a new excursion to India with four North East firms.

Stan Higgins, CEO at NEPIC, said: “There is often reluctance from SMEs to visit new export markets. This may be a fear of the unknown, a lack of knowledge of the business opportunities in the market and an uncertainty as to who are the buyers or sellers and who is the competition in the market.

“Overseas market visits are designed to overcome these fears, this gives a feel for what happens during a typical market visit, in this case to India.”

Last week, Greenstar WES, Fine Organics, Dow Halterman and Exwold Technology displayed their products and processes at a large Chemical Exhibition in Mumbai to over 7000 visitors.

The exhibition gave manufacturing companies the opportunity to talk to potential customers, distributors and buyers and was hailed a cost effective method of meeting new suppliers and customers.

Several of the visiting companies met new contacts during the exhibition leading to new business deals and opening the potential for many more in the future.

Two of the companies have since reported sales and purchases, which covered the cost of the trip and laid the foundation for future business.

Mr. Higgins added: “There is a global market in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, polymers, speciality materials and associated engineering, safety and environmental services.

“Unless our local SMEs get involved they will look out to those with more endeavour from other regions of the UK and around the world.”

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