Passport to new trade in US for ceramics firm
Oct 6 2009 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post
A Stoke-on-Trent designer and maker of high quality porcelain tableware has landed a deal to sell her products across the USA.
Rachel Dormor, who has a workshop at Leek Road Business Village, Staffordshire University, started trading as Rachel Dormor Ceramics in 2001 and now sells to about 20 high end boutiques and galleries in the UK.
She turned to UK Trade & Investment for help in developing her export business earlier this year, when she was invited to exhibit at the New York Gift Fair by the Craft Council, and joined its flagship Passport scheme for new exporters.
She commissioned an Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) report from UK Trade & Investment’s commercial team at the British Consulate-General in New York in advance of the event in August, to find potential agents and distributors.
Ms Dormer said: “The OMIS report was excellent. It listed 12 companies who were interested in acting as agents and gave me the confidence to be much more structured in my approach.
“While I was in the market, I signed a deal with one of them – a US distributor of hand made porcelain.
“It’s a fantastic result which will transform my business as I’ll be sending palletloads of tableware out to this market.
“I’m expecting sales to double over the next year and planning to take on staff to deal with the demand,” she added.
“I also took orders worth £5,000 at the show, which was a very welcome bonus, and benefited from a free return flight from British Airways, which was wonderful.”
Ms Dormer received financial support to exhibit at the event through UK Trade & Investment’s Tradeshow Access Programme.
She is also exporting to Japan following a market visit with the Interiors & Lifestyle Cluster in June, which enabled her to develop contacts she had made previously.
International trade adviser Pat Steele, based at North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, who manages the international element of Advantage West Midlands’ Interiors & Lifestyle Cluster, said: “Rachel Dormor Ceramics is a small design-led company manufacturing niche products which have a simple contemporary elegance.
“Rachel is a delight to work with; her determination to succeed keeps her on the ball. I am very much looking forward to supporting the company in future endeavours.”
UK Trade & Investment’s Passport programme provides a package of support for new exporters, including a free export health check, attendance at an export workshop, assistance in formulating an international trade strategy and matched funding to help implement this strategy, quality training and mentoring advice and access to the full range of UK Trade & Investment services.
British Airways has offered 4,000 free international return flights to SMEs working with UK Trade & Investment to explore overseas markets.
