Business thrives for Ross’ export businesses
Marsha O’Mahony
[email protected]
MANY a column space has been filled discussing
the plight of our high streets – empty shops, the
scourge of out of town shopping, the internet –
the discussions go on ad infinitum. What is lesser known, or talked about, in Ross at least, are the
businesses and industries away from the high
street in our out-of-town industrial estates, that
bring employment, ideas, creativity, and wealth
to an area. Some of them are market leaders in
their fields, while others are just starting out. The
recent UKTI Export conference at Penyard
House, with its stellar line-up of speakers, was a
reminder of the importance of export to, not just
the national economy, but the local one too.
Speaking to the Gazette, Paul Noon, Regional
Director UKTI (UK Trade and Investment) West
Midlands said: “Export is important for local and
rural economies like Ross because it is really the
only way to get the UK back on track. We want
growth that isn’t dependent on government
spending. The Government has set a target of
doubling the value of exports by 2020. We want
to see an increase of exporting companies by
100,000. Companies who export are better
because they bring in more money, employ more
people, do more research and development, bring
in new thinking, more competition and help drive
businesses in different ways.”
Bespoke Handling of Little Dewchurch is
owned by brothers, Jeremy and Fabien Daffern.
Their niche and specialised business arranges the
freight of classic historic cars all over the world
(Vietnam, Panama, Argentina, to name a few).
Jeremy is currently in Burma ready to take safe
delivery of a highly valuable fleet of cars. One
• Bespoke Handling’s Jeremy and Fabien
Daffern.
vehicle alone is worth an eye-watering £400,000.
They recently joined the Hereford Chamber of
Commerce for access to the help and expertise
UKTI can offer fledgling and established companies in the world of export.
They know their business well having worked
for over 20 years with Cheltenham-based Always
Forward, handling and carefully managing shipments on behalf of Formula 1 manufacturer teams
and World rally teams. Today, theirs is a two-man
outfit, and the buck stops with them. There is no
subcontracting in their business – they are strictly hands-on. They have to be. It’s a weighty
responsibility. Negotiating the red tape and
bureaucracy of some of these countries can be
labyrinthine. This is where UKTI can step in and
offer support in the world of export tailored to
your company’s individual needs. There are risks
involved, however UKTI can help a company like
Bespoke Handling reduce these.
One of the largest employers in Ross, Haigh
Engineering was established in 1955 by the Shepherd family. Today, it is a market leader in the
manufacture of macerators. Their name has
become synonymous with technical innovation
and product performance, most notably within
the waste water and healthcare industries. The
present factory, which occupies four acres, has
grown from the first building of 500 square feet
with just a dirt track to it. Today, all aspects of
design, manufactureing and sales are located at
the Ross site. Many metal working processes are
carried out there: turning, milling, laser cutting,
robotic welding. This year saw the installation of
a state-of-the-art laser welding machine. Just as
the company attracts knowledge, expertise and
skills, so does the town.
“We are proud of the fact that the full range of
Haigh products is exported into our ever-expanding worldwide market,” said Sales Manager Nick
Dale. “In order for there to be growth we have to
look to the export market. There is limited opportunity to grow the market in the UK alone so we
need to look globally.” Linda Smith, Head of
international trade at UKTI Hereford and
Worcester, has been a useful mentor, offering
more focused support. “We currently have 35 distributors worldwide,” said Nick, “including South
Africa, South America, Australia and Europe and
we are in the early stages of development in
Lithuania and Latvia. UKTI have helped us
obtain distribution in those countries and have
given us grants for trade shows overseas too.”
Motoring
• Haigh Engineering’s Sales Manager Nick
Dale.
Speaking to the Gazette, UKTI’s Linda Smith
said: “The West Midlands is firmly in the fast
lane in the international race for growth, with
exports reaching more than £6.5 million in the
second quarter in 2013. Exports from the region
increased by 6.5 per cent, the highest growth of
all the English regions. Hereford has quite an
agricultural image, however, it seriously punches
above its weight and is a serious business
source.”
Last word to Paul Noon UKTI: “Yes, Ross is a
rural area and there are risks negotiating the
minefield of export, but it is a great way of growing a business quickly. There is no reason a business can’t export, whether it is small export portfolio or a business looking for deeper penetration
into market. UKTI can tailor their support to what
each company needs.”
For further information contact: or
www.hwchamber.co.uk or www.uktigov.uk
01989 562007 • Fax 01989 768023
or e-mail [email protected]
Courts take dim view of tyre neglect Councils urged to use parking
ALARMING new figures obtained from
the Ministry of Justice reveal that on
average, more than 170 motorists were
convicted every week in 2012 for driving
on defective tyres at magistrates’ courts
in England and Wales.
In total, some 10,228 car owners found
themselves in court simply because their
tyres were in a dangerous or defective
condition, with 8,919 successful prosecutions taking place.
“These latest figures are incredibly
worrying and reflect the ongoing challenge that we have in terms of raising the
awareness about the importance of driving on safe and legal tyres,” comments
Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.
“Regular checks, which only take a few
minutes to complete, should be made at
least once a month, yet it’s clear from
these latest figures that many drivers are
simply not taking these precautions, risking not only prosecution through the
courts but more importantly, their safety
on the road.”
One of the most essential items for
drivers to check is that their tyres meet
the minimum legal tread depth. Car tyres
must have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread
depth across the central three-quarters of
the tyre, around its entire circumference.
TyreSafe has developed a quick and easy
tyre tread depth check to help drivers see
if their tyres are legal using a 20p coin.
Drivers simply need to insert the coin
into the main grooves of the tyre. If the
outer band of the 20p is visible
when inserted, then the tyre may
not have sufficient depth and
should be checked by a qualified
specialist.
Other areas for drivers to
inspect include the condition of
the tyre, paying particular attention to any cuts, lumps or bulges
in the tyre, and ensuring the
tyres are inflated to the correct
pressure.
zones to cut yellow lines
Of course, any driver unsure of how to
carry out any of these checks can call
into one of the thousands of tyre dealers
and garages offering free tyre safety
checks as part of this October’s tyre safety month. The details and location of participating outlets can be found by visiting
the dealer locator on www.tyresafe.org.
For more information about tyre safety
and
TyreSafe,
then
visit
www.tyresafe.org.
LOCAL authorities across England are being asked to cut
unsightly yellow lines as part of a
government drive to rid the streets
of clutter.
Local Transport Minister Norman Baker has urged local authorities to think about using restricted
parking zones, instead of automatically opting to use yellow lines to
control parking, particularly in single streets and environmentallysensitive areas in towns and cities.
Restricted parking zones require
a limited number of signs which
tell motorists if they can or can not
park and during which
times and are considered less intrusive
than conventional yellow lines. Many local
authorities in England
have already adopted
restricted
parking
zones
including
Cheshire East Coun-
cil, Cornwall, Slough, Warwickshire, Suffolk and Nottingham.
In a letter to councils, the Transport Minister Norman Baker has
encouraged other local authorities
across the country to follow suit.
He said: “No one wants to see
unnecessary yellow lines blotting
our towns and villages when there
is an alternative. They are a clear
eyesore that can be intrusive and
can have a huge impact on the look
and feel of our streets, particularly
in historic town centres or conservation areas.”