Member Article

Yorkshire manufacturers showcase in Paris as Grand Depart looms

Regional manufacturers are set to showcase across the Channel at the British Embassy in Paris net week for a UKTI event.

The focus will be on what the region has to offer in terms of quality goods, and how manufacturers can capitalise on opportunities to secure business in France and beyond.

Attendees include:

• AW Hainsworth & Sons, the Pudsey-based textile company that proudly lays claim to being one of the UK’s oldest businesses.
• Equi-Scuto, of Harrogate, which produces a bespoke range of luxury leather goods, including bags and horse riding products.
• Claire Murray Designs, an independent surface pattern design business based near Sowerby Bridge in West Yorkshire.
• Hannah Nunn Ltd, of Hebden Bridge, which produces nature-inspired lighting and wallpaper.
• Izzy Lane, a Richmond-based ethical fashion company that uses wool from its own flock of rare breed sheep and a network of local hand-knitters to create stunning wovens.
• Joshua Ellis & Co Ltd, of Batley, which has manufactured luxury fabrics, including luxury cashmere and woollen coatings, since 1767.
• Lou Lou Puchalka, of Leeds, a designer of bespoke millinery and bridal accessories.
• Samuel Tweed Fabrics, of Huddersfield, which is famed for its luxury mohair fabrics and accessories.
• Michael George Manufacturing Ltd, also of Huddersfield, which designs and manufactures menswear accessories.
• World Top Brewery, the Driffield–based family brewing business founded by arable farmers Tom and Gill Mellor.
• Cryer & Stott, the Castleford–based cheese business that has grown from humble beginnings under the stewardship of husband and wife team Richard and Clare Holmes.
• Pipers Crisps, of Brigg, who take pride in using local potatoes and seasonings sourced from other regional producers.

John Gleave, a senior trade adviser for UKTI in Paris, commented: “Yorkshire cloth has a high reputation in France although few top-end buyers are fully aware of the strength of the fashion and lifestyle brands in the region.

“The Tour de France presents an unrivalled opportunity to show off the best of Yorkshire design and craftsmanship to selected French buyers and the media, and the aim of the showcase is to whet the appetite ahead of the start of Le Tour in July.”

UKTI and partners, in tandem with Welcome to Yorkshire, are running a three-day international business festival ahead of the Grand Depart that is set to generate £20 million in new business and create a lasting legacy to boost the regional economy for years to come.

It will run from 2-4 July 2014 around two main business hubs at The Carriage Works in Leeds and the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, with York and Harrogate also hosting events for the North Yorkshire community.

Mark Robson, regional director of UKTI, is urging the business community to embrace and support the festival. He said: “The Grand Depart provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and leadership that has put local companies at the forefront of the global race.

“We’re determined to deliver a flagship business spectacle befitting the arrival of the world’s largest annual sporting event.”

Visit www.letour.yorkshire.com/international-business-festival for further details, or for general information on the support available from UKTI visit www.ukti.gov.uk or contact UKTI Y&H by calling 0300 365 1000 or emailing info@uktiyorkshire.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .