One of Teesside’s key exporters says UK firms can thrive in extremely competitive markets - as long as they have a premium quality product.
Glanbia Performance Nutrition boss Alex Barker’s comments came as latest figures revealed a continuing year-on-year growth for North-east exports - despite a drop in overseas trade figures nationally.
The total value of exports in the last year, up to the end of 2014, has risen by 7.24% from the 2013 figure. The national figure has fallen by 3.89%.
The latest quarterly export figures released by HMRC for September to December 2014 show that £3.289bn worth of goods were exported from the region, an increase of £250m, or 8.21% compared to the same period last year.
The North-east also remains the only English region with a consistent positive balance of trade, exports greater than imports, with the figure at £4.45bn.
Glanbia won the Mid and Large Exporter of the Year gong at the North East Exporter of the Year Awards in 2014.
The company, which provides sports nutrition functional food bars and powders for many of the leading sports brands in the UK, saw export sales leap from fewer than 4% of total turnover to more than 20% in 2013, with turnover increasing from £49m to £69m.
Alex Barker, general manager at the company’s Middlesbrough facility, said: “We had an excellent reputation in the UK and set ambitious targets for growth across Europe for our contract manufacturing commercial team. The key elements of the strategy were to identify premium brands, and offer the quality, efficiency and innovation that had driven our UK business.
“We decided to focus on the premium market, because the opportunities for us to compete and build on our reputation and USPs were clear, and customers across Europe could benefit from the same level of support regardless of location.
“Even in an extremely competitive market with significant price sensitivity, UK businesses can thrive if they offer a premium quality product. “Our reputation and desire to build relationships with the leading brands has been at the core of our success”
David Coppock, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Regional Director, said: “More companies are taking up the exporting for growth challenge.
“The news comes as we once again begin the search for the region’s top exporters, with the launch of the North East Exporters’ Awards 2015 which recognise the efforts of companies that are making a huge contribution, through their exporting achievements, to both the regional and UK economies.
“Exporting is good for business and we hope the region’s ongoing success, will not only encourage existing exporters to enter the awards but also inspire others to follow in their footsteps and help us play our part in the 2020 Export Challenge set by the government.”
For more details about the North East Exporters’ Awards 2015 log onto the website at: http://bit.ly/1BT0qNK.
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