Saluting our flag-flyers

Lancashire businesses of all types and sizes are already hard at work, selling their goods and skills across the globe, opening up new markets and expanding existing ones.

In this second part of our overseas trade special (read the first part here) we highlight more of our Lancashire Export Champions.

Singleton’s Dairy

Two-time winner of the Queen’s Award for Exports, Singleton’s sells handmade British cheese in more than 30 export markets on four continents.

The fourth generation family owned business started out more than 80 years ago and is now one of the UK’s leading speciality cheese exporters.

Recipes created by founder Duillia Singleton in the 1920s and 30s are still used for some of the Longridge firm’s range of more than 30 cheeses. Many are marketed under the firm’s Grandma Singleton’s brand, which was developed in her honour.

Singleton’s has its own sales and marketing company in the US and also sells its products in Australasia, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and South America.

AM Seafoods

AM Seafoods sources seafood produce from around the UK, Jersey and Norway and sells into export markets across the globe, including Dubai, South Korea and China as well as Europe.

The second generation family run business sells brown crab, king scallops, queen scallops and whelks, as well as handling the trawlers used to catch them. Operations include Kildavanan, B&M Fishing, WM Shellfish, Arctic Harvest and Fleur de France Fisheries.

AM Seafoods’ new £150,000 processing site in Fleetwood will expand chiller and cold storage facilities as well as providing central services for processing departments.

Jonesco

Export sales account for more than 50 per cent of the family run manufacturing business’ revenue.

It supplies polyethylene mudguards to the commercial and leisure vehicle markets and has sold more than nine million since it was founded in 1967. Jonesco also makes products for the fire and safety market and containment pallets.

It owns a French subsidiary and sells its products in more than 50 countries in  geographical regions including Asia-Pacific, Central Asia, Middle East, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America.

Preston-based Jonesco’s 165 staff work three shifts, five and a half days a week to ensure prompt and efficient supply to locations around the world.

Sovereign Beverage Company

The Blackburn-based business handles the sales and marketing of alcoholic drinks brands to more than 70 markets around the globe.

It had plenty to cheer about last year when it sold more than 300,000 bottles of Hobgoblin beer in South Korea after joining a Department for International Trade mission to the country.

Sovereign Beverage’s clients include Greene King, Marstons, Robinsons, Timothy Taylor and Innis & Gunn, as well as Blackburn brewer Thwaites.

Clients’ products are now available in more than 100 bars internationally – a figure that is expected to reach 250 this year following the introduction of products available on draught.

Chemist 4 U

The online pharmacy business won a listing on the Sunday Times SME Export Track 100 league table after hiking overseas sales by 66 per cent to £4.1m in two years.

Chemist 4 U earned 47th place on the table on the back of particularly strong demand for its services in Germany and Denmark. Managing director Shamir Patel took the Skelmersdale-based pharmacy online in 2011. Now its 48 staff sends out around 16,000 parcels on a daily basis – from prescriptions and vitamin tablets to treatments for hair loss and bad breath.