Success of Northern Powerhouse Export Champions celebrated at Export Awards
Baroness Fairhead celebrates success of UK businesses at the PD Ports Northern Powerhouse Export Awards.
Bluefin Trading, winners of the E-Commerce Exporter of the Year Award
Minister for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Fairhead has celebrated the success of businesses across the North of England at the PD Ports Norther Powerhouse Export Awards held last night at the National Railway Museum in York.
The awards, now in their third year, recognise the entrepreneurship and innovation of companies selling their products and services in overseas markets. Ten awards were presented to a variety of companies from the Northern Powerhouse who are successfully making the transition from local to global trade.
Northern Powerhouse goods now account for nearly 18% of the UK’s total goods output. These exports have helped propel the value of the region’s economy to £344 billion - greater than the economies of Austria and Norway.
Goods exports were worth £59 billion the year to September 2018 and more than 19,500 businesses across the North are now exporting.
The minister presented Bluefin Trading with the E-commerce Exporter of the Year award for its success in increasing brand awareness and recognition and improved customer services online.
The company, which specialises in hoverboard swegways and the sports and wellness sectors, was also crowned overall winner of the PD Ports Northern Powerhouse Exporter of the Year 2019 awards.
Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Baroness Fairhead said:
I’d like to offer my congratulations to all the businesses shortlisted for this year’s awards. They have all contributed to the significance of the Northern Powerhouse to UK exports and the UK economy generally. Their export successes are genuinely inspirational.
I am also delighted that 3 DIT Export Champions have been announced as winners - Clarke Energy, Brandon Medical Co and Kendal Nutricare.
The DIT stands ready to help companies export. I encourage local businesses to get in touch with us to learn more about what we can do to help you make the transition from local to global.
Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Jake Berry MP said:
I congratulate all the finalists and winners at the PD Ports Northern Powerhouse Export Awards which are a great opportunity to celebrate the pivotal contribution made by Northern businesses to the UK’s economy as we prepare to leave the European Union.
Northern businesses will continue to play a major role in the UK’s export market and I am pleased and proud to continue to offer both my admiration and continued support to them all.
Three DIT Export Champions were also awarded prizes. The Export Champions help share their success stories for export and international trade along with tips and advice to other local exporters:
- Cumbria-based infant formula company, Kendal Nutricare, won High Growth Markets Exporter of the Year award. The company has seen success in the past year, and most recently secured significant new export deals worth millions during a trade mission to Shanghai.
- Liverpool-based Clarke Group won the Large Exporter of the Year award, which recognises its outstanding achievements in developing its business internationally. DIT has been working closely with Clarke Energy through events and missions since 2009.
- life sciences sector leader Brandon Medical Co Ltd from Leeds took home the Emerging Markets Exporter of the Year title. The company has joined both DIT and The Northern Powerhouse on a number of events and missions to make the most of exporting opportunities for its design and manufacture of healthcare equipment.