Coventry and Warwickshire has seen a post-EU-referendum export boom, according to new figures.
So much so, that the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has expanded the team at its International Trade Hub to deal with the number of requests for export documentation from clients across the region.
Between June and August the Chamber service delivered more than 1,000 export documents for firms across the city and county – including a record ever month of 368 in August.
Clients include everything from construction equipment exporters through to companies in the medical sector and their markets include, among others, the EU, the rest of Europe, China, India, Singapore, the USA and South America.
Lisa Hobday has now joined the Chamber’s International Trade Hub, which incorporates the UKTI service, from a firm in Barwell, Leicestershire which itself has been exporting around the world with support from the Chamber.
Lisa, who will manage the export documents service, said she was joining at an exciting time.
She said: “I was in my previous role for more than 11 years with an import/export company so I know all about trading overseas and, also, what it’s like to be on the side of the client making use of the Chamber’s service.
“To see those figures for the past three months – especially on the back of the Brexit decision – is very exciting because it means that rather than a drop in exports, we are seeing a boom.
“I am really looking forward to working with the team here and businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire in supporting their overseas growth aspirations.”
Ajay Desai, the head of international trade team at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber figures were a good barometer for the region’s exports.
He said: “We find that if more businesses are making using of our export docs service, then more businesses are exporting generally.
“As part of our Go For Growth campaign, we have really pushed the opportunities that are out there for companies to grow through international trade so to see us hit record figures for August is great news.
“We have had great testimonials too from clients around the region, thanking us for our help. If we can make the exporting process as simple as possible for them, I believe it leads to more businesses having the confidence to sell their goods and services abroad.
“It’s great to have Lisa on board to work on export documentation – we are practising what we preach when it comes to Go For Growth and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable for both the Chamber and our clients.”