Member Article

Vernacare joins Prime Minister in Singapore with Northern Powerhouse

Bolton-based medical products supplier Vernacare has joined Prime Minister David Cameron and Business Secretary Sajid Javid in South East Asia for the first Northern Powerhouse trade mission.

The Northern Powerhouse delegation of 62 northern companies and northern city leaders is visiting Singapore and Malaysia (27 to 31 July) to explore business opportunities and secure jobs and investment for the Northern region.

In the Prime Minister’s Northern Powerhouse speech in Singapore, David Cameron said: “The government is committed to ensuring the UK’s northern regions play their part in rebalancing our economy. With so much untapped potential, I’m delighted to be part of this first Northern Powerhouse trade mission – the first of what I hope will be many.”

He described Vernacare as “a great example of what the Northern Powerhouse has to offer”. He said: “Look at Vernacare, whose science helps prevent infections from NHS hospitals to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone.”

Speaking alongside the Prime Minister at the Northern Powerhouse event in Singapore, Emma Sheldon, Group Marketing Director for Vernacare, said: “It is an honour to be part of this Northern Powerhouse visit. By taking this ‘one north’ approach and thinking outside our own local boundaries, I believe that the Northern Powerhouse can tilt the UK’s economic axis and create one of the best trade centres in Europe.”

With support from the government’s export agency UKTI, Vernacare has secured more than 23% of the Singapore hospital market for its hygienic patient washing and toileting products, which are used by hospitals around the world to reduce the risk of infection, save nurses’ time and improve environmental performance.

Sales in Singapore of Vernacare’s Bolton-made single-use bedpans, urinals, washbowls and environmentally-friendly disposal machines now account for 13% of the company’s international business. This is acting as a springboard to open up new business opportunities across South East Asia.

Vernacare’s single-use human waste management system was invented in Bolton more than 50 years ago and is still designed and manufactured in the Lancashire town. It is used in 94% of UK hospitals and in over 48 countries, including Sierra Leone, where Vernacare supported the UK government’s emergency response team to combat the spread of Ebola.

The inaugural Northern Powerhouse trade mission included fellow Bolton organisations Gibbs Investment and the University of Bolton, together with leading companies, such as Bentley Motors, Arup, KPMG. Regeneration, inward investment and city leaders also attended, including the new interim Mayor of Greater Manchester, Tony Lloyd, and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Minister for Trade and Investment, Lord Maude, and Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, Anna Soubry, also accompanied the visit.

The delegation of 62 Northern companies represents a total turnover in excess of £10bn, with a combined workforce of over 50,000.

Further information: www.vernacare.com

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