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Project part-financed by the European Union
When Dani Merad and Lawrence Kieran got together in 2005 to start an on-line retail business they could never have imagined that within 18 months they would be doing million dollar business with the USA Government.
UKPipelines.com provides quality drain and sewer repair products and equipment to the water industries, power companies and local councils. Over the past year UKPipelines has established successful relationships with new overseas suppliers from the USA, Germany and France on an exclusive distribution basis.
Says Dani Merad: “Our exclusive distribution relationship means we can plan and invest in our merchandising and promotional policy with confidence and develop a conflict-free marketing strategy to address our buyers efficiently and effectively. Last year we joined UK Trade & Investment’s Passport to Export programme which gave us some good solid guidelines about trading overseas as well as alerting us to all the local resources that are available to help exporters in the region.
“Before the Passport programme we found ourselves responding reactively to overseas demand and it all felt rather random. We felt as if we were missing a trick, but were unsure as to how to coordinate and control our export business. Passport prepared us for international trade so that if and when the big break came we would be able to handle it effectively.”
The big break for UKPipelines.com came sooner than they expected. Last year they began talks with the US Government who were interested in the Pipeline Cruiser inspection system – a camera device which can be used inside pipes and drains to scan for damages and defects. They had seen the product on-line and were keen to find out more, initially showing interest in purchasing just four of these cameras. Now after a few months of negotiations the US department is buying 10 of the devices, with training, plus spare parts for use in the state of Alabama, making this order a million dollar deal for UKPipelines.com.
Through UK Trade & Investment the company has had access to funding from Yorkshire Forward’s Targeted Export Support Scheme (TESS) which has helped them visit overseas markets in a bid to expand their international trade further into Europe and North Africa.
Adds Dani Merad: “Lawrence, my business partner, went to the states in February 2007 to visit our clients to organise delivery schedules, and we subsequently both went to deliver the first two systems and for one week’s training at the client’s location in Alabama. UK Trade & Investment have given us every support in our exporting activity and I hope we will continue to work together successfully. We have been working closely with the international trade team at South Yorkshire International Trade Centre who keep us updated on all the resources available to us. The team also prepared a substantial report for us on the business prospects for UKPipelines.com in some specific European markets we are interested in.”
Says Duncan Slater, international trade adviser at South Yorkshire International Trade Centre: “It’s great to see such a young company getting such a sizeable contract. With this significant contract in the US they will be able to build up their business in other sectors in the United States as well as world-wide. Meanwhile we will be looking to see how some of the other export services provided by UK Trade & Investment might help the company capture more business in overseas markets”
Website: www.ukpipelines.com
