Friday December 13 2024
Swindon & Wiltshire News
A handful of innovative Wiltshire companies are doing business stateside this week to generate interest in their products and services as part of a delegation led by Business West’s award-winning international trade team.
Businesses including Chipside and Scanning Pens are on a whistle-stop tour of the East Coast’s major business and financial centres to network, learn about the latest business opportunities and potentially find new clients.
As the most populated coastal area in the United States, the North-Eastern Seaboard and Chicago are home to some of America’s most admired companies and is the driving force behind the national economy.
Seven of America’s top 10 universities, two of its busiest airports and the seat of the federal government are all located there, making the United States’ North-Eastern Seaboard and Chicago a compelling market opportunity for growing and ambitious UK businesses.
During the seven-day visit, companies will engage with the Boston and Chicago business ecosystem with a view to accelerating their trade with the States, in addition to learning about the support on offer from the UK government abroad.
Discussing the potential opportunities America has in-store for his business, managing director of Chippenham’s Chipside Paul Moorby said: “We are looking forward to speaking with like-minded innovators, policymakers and private businesses to share best practice and to learn from each other.
“We are excited to be supporting the mission and to being able to promote the excellence of the South West.”
Jack Churchill, co-founder and chief executive of Westbury-based Scanning Pens said: “Scanning Pens are looking to foster closer ties to the Boston Education & Technology sector.
“We provide technology that allows students and adults who have reading difficulties such as dyslexia or English as a second language to access printed text, anywhere anytime.
“Pen scanner technology is already being used in schools, colleges and in the workplace across the US.”
Business West’s market specialist for the US, Ameeta Virk, who is leading the visit, said: “There is no substitute for getting out into the target market and meeting target customers and partners face to face.
“This, along with a host of supporting meetings with local innovation centres and business leaders, is exactly what we’ll be doing.”
Running parallel to the visit led by Business West, who are responsible for delivering the Department for International Trade (DIT) support services contract for the South West of England and who generated over £650 million of export sales for the UK economy in 2018, is a delegation spearheaded by Bristol’s city mayor Marvin Rees and West of England Metro mayor Tim Bowles.
The visit aims to ensure maximum impact through collective profile-raising, shared resources, and a strong and coherent story about the benefits of partnering with, investing in and trading with Bristol and the wider South West.
