Texam Develops Business Partnership In Germany

Texam in Lisburn, a specialist in the design, manufacture and installation of conveyor systems, has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to develop a business partnership in Germany.

The Northern Ireland company used the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) at as part of a drive to grow sales abroad. EEN is an EU funded initiative delivered by Invest NI to help local companies to explore business in Europe.

Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI's Trade Director, explained: "EEN is a unique pan-European information service that offers companies an opportunity to post a profile of their business, their products and services on a database. European companies interested in doing business with them can then seek assistance from us to develop a relationship.

"Texam, for example, pinpointed a potential business partner, MSF Vathauer at Detmold, near Leipzig, on the database and approached us to help make contact. Our staff in Belfast then contacted the relevant EEN centre in Germany and helped to arrange direct contact between Texam and MSF Vathauer.

"The service provides a very useful platform for Northern Ireland companies either to access a potential partner to help grow exports in a target market or to expand business in Northern Ireland by embracing complementary products and services from another European business. It’s also a free service to companies interested in developing European business relationships."

John McGuigan, Texam Managing Director, commenting on the company’s new business tie-up in Europe, said: "I came across MSF Vathauer during a trawl of the EEN database. I was looking for business opportunities including complementary products that we could distribute throughout the UK as part of our growth strategy. I found a small profile of MSF in the business partnership database and requested further information about the company and how best to pursue this interest.

"Invest NI was extremely helpful and arranged for more detailed information to be emailed to me. I subsequently contacted the company to explore business opportunities. Within a month of my initial interest I signed an agreement to become MSF's official distributor in the UK.

"What attracted me to MSF was their experience in the manufacture of mechanical and electrical motors. This made them an ideal fit for us as a manufacturer of sophisticated conveying systems for handling a broad range of materials. EEN certainly worked well and quickly for us, enabling us to introduce new products to our markets fast."

(CD)