The event took place at Hill of the O’Neill & Ranfurly House where companies also heard from Jonathan Walsh, Director & Trade Consultant at Fortior Insight, about maximising opportunities, minimising risks, and understanding the Windsor framework.
Michael McGrath, Owner of Crushing Screening Parts Limited in Maghera, which supplies parts such as rollers, hydraulic pumps and fans, spoke about his experience of Dual Market Access. He said: “Dual Market Access means that there is no difference selling our products to Birmingham or Germany – for both markets we face no tariffs, custom declarations, origin requirements or other regulatory approvals. This gives us a huge potential customer base of over 500 million people in GB and the EU and enables us to fulfil orders quicker than our competitors. Invest NI has supported us in our export journey so far and their advice has given us the confidence and knowledge to grow our business beyond Northern Ireland into Europe and further afield.”
Ethna McNamee, Western Regional Manager at Invest NI, added: “It’s more important than ever that local businesses realise the opportunities in front of them presented by Dual Market Access, and that they seize these opportunities to explore new markets, boost supply chains and grow their business. Our Western regional team can support businesses at all stages, whether you’re a start-up looking for advice to scale your business, taking the first step on your export journey, or looking to think more strategically and boost export sales. I encourage local businesses to take advantage of the support available and get in touch with our regional team.”