County exporter scoops honours

A Shropshire exporter flying the flag for business abroad is celebrating after scooping top honours at the prestigious UK Trade and Investment International Trade Awards.

EPM Plastic Mouldings Ltd, of Whitchurch, picked up the Passport Business Development Award at the event attended by more than 200 people including Digby Lord Jones, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, and Simon Calder, the BBC travel expert and award-winning travel writer.

Four awards were presented celebrating the export success of companies on the Passport scheme, delivered by UK Trade & Investment, which provides support to help small- and medium-sized companies open the doors to international trade.

The Midlands World Trade Forum, which works alongside UKTI, also presented its Exporter of the Year Award to Tyrrells Potato Chips Ltd, of Leominster.

Jeff Newbrook, director of EPM Plastic Mouldings Ltd, said: "We are extremely proud to receive this award. This is quite an achievement for a small business in a rural market town.

"Through innovative product development we are competing on a global scale, and considering the hard time our manufacturing industry is having with competition from overseas, we are doing very well for a British company."

EPM, which makes moulded plastic parts for companies including Peugeot, Chrysler, Nissan and Ford, is based on the Waymills Industrial Estate.

Alan Jack, export manager for Tyrrells Potato Chips, said: "This is absolutely fantastic. I'd like to express my gratitude to Helen Bethel of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and Debbie Bliss from Tyrrells for all the hard work to help achieve this award."

Guest speaker Digby Lord Jones, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, responsible for UKTI said the awards had showcased the best the west Midlands had to offer.

"Companies recognised are world-class not only in their approach to exporting, but also in the results they have achieved and I am delighted at the extremely high calibre of entries which reflects well on the business acumen of the region.

"I hope it will encourage more businesses to venture into international trade and engage with UK Trade & Investment to do so".

Peter Mathews CMG, president of the Midlands World Trade Forum added: "Every day these companies show the world what it takes to be a successful exporter - whatever their sector, whatever their size and whatever their product. This region and indeed this country should be very proud."

Each of the winners at the event held at the Thinktank in Birmingham received two pairs of tickets courtesy of award sponsors flybe for use on any of the routes served by the airline.