Trade Week summit urged firms to go international

The Yorkshire Post was a media partner for the event, which was run by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in association with York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership,

Events took place in Northallerton, Skipton, York and Scarborough, ranging from masterclasses on ‘Exporting Essentials’ and ‘Managing Agents and Distributors’ through to ‘Delivering Great Customer Service to International Clients’.

The highlight of the week was a day-long Latin American Roadshow at the Royal York Hotel that outlined opportunities in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and beyond.

Mark Robson, UKTI international trade director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “We wanted the week to provide a real catalyst for more North Yorkshire businesses, SMEs in particular, to discover what’s out there, whet their appetite for international success and ultimately realise their global potential.

“We’ve received some excellent feedback from the events, so hopefully we’ve achieved that goal and primed companies to give it a go in tandem with UKTI.”

Barry Dodd, chair of the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership, added: “There are many opportunities for businesses in the region to expand into overseas markets. As an LEP we want to be able to guide and signpost these businesses in the right direction.

“Therefore, it has been fantastic working alongside UKTI during North Yorkshire International Trade Week to show how to take advantage of these opportunities and inspire the business growth that the economy desperately needs.”

The Latin America Roadshow featured guest speakers from Lindapter International and DavyMarkham.

Bradford-basded Lindapter manufactures clamping systems for steelwork with an operation that spans the globe. In late 2009, they completed a business review and decided to target Brazil as a high growth market, with the help of UKTI.

International sales director Philip Toczek explained: “We have made a number of visits to ensure face-to-face contact and build trust. We have also invested heavily in marketing to build awareness of our brand in Brazil. This has included the creation of literature in Brazilian Portuguese using local translators.

“Our sales have been directly to Brazilian engineering contractors and more recently through our distribution partner.”

Gordon Scott, director of sales and marketing at Sheffield-based DavyMarkham, highlighted the success of its $5.4m mining sector project in Peru. The company secured the contract last year to provide Volcan Compañia Minera, the fourth largest producer of zinc and silver worldwide, with two heavy duty mine hoists.