Doll Haircare wins export backing

A YORKSHIRE haircare company has won a competition which honours small firms with big potential in the export market.

Doll Haircare, from Leeds, will benefit from £5,000 worth of support and advice from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), PwC and HSBC to help boost its international sales.

The firm impressed judges with its TwiddleStic, a patented product that uses carbon-based heat absorbing technology to create curls that remain in place until they are washed out. The product was devised by hairdresser Gary Sunderland. It originates from a snapped carbon fishing rod that was left out in the sun.

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The product has already proved popular in America and it is expected to win further orders overseas.

The runners up in the ‘Exporting for Growth’ contest, which was held at Harewood House, near Leeds yesterday evening, are Huddersfield-based Environmental Defence Systems (EDS) and Leeds-based Microlab Devices. They will both receive grants and support towards targeting international markets.

The audience chose their top three using an electronic voting system before the judges – UKTI’s Mark Robson, HSBC’s Simon Bates, PwC’s Andrew Devoland, and Colin Glass from WGN – made their final decisions. The other finalists were Brenmoor of Cross Hills, West Yorkshire, Galglass, from Barnsley, Industrial Textiles & Plastics from York, Innovative Support Systems of Barnsley, Tomorrow Options Microelectronics from Sheffield and Barnsley-based Waterguard Services.

Mark Robson, UKTI international trade director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “The standard of entries was incredibly high and the creativity and innovation of all the ideas was fantastic. However, Doll Haircare just edged the top spot with their immediate potential for international sales.”