This week, I went to the Santander’s inaugural Parliamentary Trade Fair, an event that brought together nine diverse SMEs, who exhibited their products and shared their stories of international trade and exporting to markets across the globe.
The businesses represented different sectors and areas across the country and included:
- Baker & Baker – Baked goods.
- Jelly Drops – Sugar free sweets for people with dementia and the elderly to enable them to keep hydrated.
- Cocogreen – Coconut coir substrates.
- Total Waste Management – A recycling and recovery company specialising in commercial scale sustainable recycling and recovery.
- Algeo – Manufacturer and distributor of medical materials, technology, and consumables, such as podiatry, physiotherapy, footwear, and orthopaedics.
- Ocean LED Marine – A manufacturer of underwater LED lights for boats.
- Ramsden International – An exporter of British F&D brands such as Cadbury & Heinz.
- Sanjeev 1979 Ltd – A clothing and footwear wholesaler.
- Lawton Tubes – A copper tube and pipe supplier, supplying materials for plumbing, air conditioning, medical and industrial.
It was fantastic to hear from the SMEs and learn about the global opportunities they have been pursuing. It was also helpful to hear of some of the barriers they face, and what they action they would like government to take – as well as the role of banks like Santander.
I also enjoyed meeting representatives from Santander UK, who are working hard with SMEs to make exporting easier and give them the confidence to go global. They had country specialists present and were demonstrating Santander Navigator, their online platform that helps businesses identify growth opportunities, navigate obstacles, and build connections.
Overall though, it was great for me to meet people and refer them to the businesses both small and large in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Together we can support the growth of business.
