Shropshire leading the charge toward exports

Figures released last week showed that the region is leading the UK in its drive towards exporting, increasing overseas sales by 11.2 per cent to £28.4 billion between September 2013 and September 2014.

Exports of goods between July and September 2014 stood at £6.7 billion, a rise of £129m on the same period in 2013, and representing a total of 9.8 per cent of the UK's total exports.

It means that when compared to the same quarter ten years ago in 2004, the region's exports have more than doubled.

Now Paul Noon, the regional boss of UKTI, has said companies in Shropshire are embracing the opportunities that lie overseas, pointing to a number of local companies that have already enjoyed success.

"Although Shropshire hasn't got a big JLR plant, it's still a region with companies that are engaging with exports," he said.

"We have grown the number of companies that we are working with in Shropshire, they are challenging us to help and in lots of cases that is producing a real change in their business.

"Engagement with companies in Shropshire is at the top end of the list in the West Midlands, even if when you look at the size of businesses and the size of exports its somewhere near the bottom.

"Growth of £1 million in a £1 million turnover company would mean its income has doubled, whereas if JLR grows by 0.1 per cent it outweighs that. But engagement in companies is just as high as anywhere else in the region."

Mr Noon highlighted the work of a number of exporters who have attempted to break into new markets this year.

These include Hobson's Brewery in Cleobury Mortimer, which has taken the unusual step of attempting to take its British brews for sale in the USA.

Another is bespoke bike frame maker Bicycles By Design in Coalport, which Mr Noon said had caught him by surprise by finding international markets for its niche product.

Wooden toy maker Primary Products, has gained an international reputation for its goods, after working with UKTI, while Jesmonite, which makes a super lightweight moulding system for sculptures and buildings, has also moved into overseas markets.

"Jesmonite is a really interesting product," Mr Noon said. "It's based in Bishops Castle, a beautiful place where you don't expect to find this industrial business that's selling all over the world, into markets that are not easy to get into such as Russia and the Middle East.

"A small business on the Welsh border is beating companies from across the globe for this kind of business. They have put a lot of work into it but are reaping the dividends and building a portfolio of clients around the world."

He added: "There's a few headwinds in the economy for next year that are a bit concerning, and we have seen nationally that overall growth in exports has not been anywhere as strong as it has been in the West Midlands, and in the region we are seeing growth steadily slowing down.

"I hope they will disappear, and we will get back to double digit growth that we have seen in the last couple of years."