Member Article

Blackpool firm joins UKTI to illuminate overseas possibilities

A Blackpool company which designs bespoke lighting for prestigious properties worldwide has been announced as one of the 2015-16 Export Champions for UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) North West.

This brings the total to 60 companies across the region.

Chelsom, which recently won the prestigious Exporter of the Year award at the BIBAs as well as Creative Business of the Year, has this year expanded its overseas trade significantly.

The firm appointed new representatives in Russia and the UAE and won a portfolio of high profile international projects including the Ritz Carlton, Dubai, Hilton New York and two P&O cruise ships, Britannia and Arora.

Chelsom joins TISS, also from Blackpool, EP International from Burnley, Chemical Innovations from Preston, Chorley-based Scorpion Automotive and Tangerine Holdings from Lytham as new Lancashire Export Champions, bringing the county total to 14.

The Export Champions programme, now in its third successful year, is unique to the North West, and involves recruiting successful international firms to help new companies on their export journey, offering peer to peer support in addition to the wide range of individually tailored professional services available from the UKTI team.

The new champions are being announced as part of Export Week which will feature a series of events aimed at helping businesses to either start their export journey or increase their international business.

Previous Export Weeks have seen over 17,000 companies in the UK attend exporting focussed events. In Lancashire two events are taking place at Burnley Football Club on Tursday 11 November – Finding a New Market in Emerging Europe and Women in Business.

Chelsom has over 50 employees at its Blackpool base, and has been exporting for many years. However, a move away from retail sales towards contract in the 1990’s meant that the business could expand and begin exporting in earnest.

Export Manager Jon Shaw said: “Once we joined the contract market we made the decision to take a strategic approach to exporting and began working with UKTI.

“The initial markets we targeted were in the Middle East, where there was a huge hospitality construction boom, and we had significant success there before moving on to Asia, Eastern Europe and the rest of the world..

“We attended Trade Missions with UKTI which are a great way to enter a market, providing introductions and research, and the services of the British Embassies.

“Recently we undertook an OMIS (Overseas Market Introduction Service) for Moscow, which enabled us to showcase our products at the British Embassy there, which was very successful and a great way to meet potential customers.”

Chelsom now exports to over 70 countries worldwide, and uses market knowledge alongside creative expertise to come up with specific designs to suit overseas markets.

The company’s next target market will be South Korea.

Jon Shaw added: “As well as different requirements around voltages, different markets have very different tastes – so whereas Middle Eastern countries go for opulence, Russia will have a classical style, and Asian resorts such as Mauritius and Sri Lanka prefer a rustic, organic feel to lighting.

“Creativity and design are fundamental parts of the business, something our Directors, Robert and Will, pride themselves on in particular with every piece in the latest collection being designed in-house with the international hospitality marketplace at the core.

“There is also a great demand for UK designs, and brand Britain is very attractive to overseas buyers. We are proud to become Export Champions alongside UKTI and to help companies bring great British manufacturing to new markets.”

Clive Drinkwater, Director NW at UKTI, said: “Exports are vital for economic growth and in the North West our Export Champions are an integral part of our strategy, which is why I am delighted to have persuaded even more of our best exporting firms to join us in the drive to increase exports.

“Export Champions such as Chelsom are businesses who will inspire and motivate those new to international trade, both by promoting the benefits of export via their own successes and by sharing knowledge and experience.

“It is inspiring that so many businesses are willing to help contribute to the prosperity of the North West, both via their own companies and now with the help they have pledged to give to others.

“As diverse as these companies are, they all have one thing in common - their positive attitude and pro-active approach to seeking new export orders which make them inspirational ‘Export Champions’ who will become a beacon to inspire non-exporters to get started and to encourage new exporters to do more.

“In particular I would like to encourage companies to make this the year that they explore one new market. If every current exporter in the region achieves this, we could increase the GDP in the North West by an estimated £2 billion, significantly aiding economic recovery and giving a boost to our competitiveness as a region. The UK has only 0.8% of world population, and we need to reach the other 99.2% - one market at a time.”

This is the third year of the Export Champions programme, and additional companies of all sizes and from all sectors have been recruited in the North West.

In Lancashire the existing Export Champions are ACDC LED Ltd, Euravia Engineering & Supply Co Ltd, Flexcrete Technologies Ltd, Goody Good Stuff, Graham and Brown, Panaz Ltd, Swimfin and What More UK Ltd.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .