A WORCESTERSHIRE creative product design consultancy is winning substantial business in China.
JMDA, of Hill Furze, near Pershore, designs a range of products from concept to production, with particular expertise in the area of child safety equipment.
Following support from UK Trade & Investment, JMDA has formed a partnership with Hachi, a specialist product engineering development and supply company in Shenzhen.
JMDA marketing and finance director Cherril Barker said: “Hachi is very highly respected by blue chip companies across the world. It had been searching internationally for a specialist design firm for a long time, and we were the only one that met its requirements. Together, we are offering a complete service to a global client base. We anticipate that the business could be worth up to £158,500 over the next year.”
JMDA formed the partnership with Hachi after making several market visits to China over the past two years with financial support from UK Trade & Investment.
As a result of the visits, JMDA won deals worth about £115,000 to design child car seats and strollers for eight Chinese companies, and managing director Derrick Barker is also negotiating additional contracts worth up to £400,000 in Shanghai.
Mrs Barker explained: “Before we joined UK Trade & Investment’s Passport scheme for new exporters in 2006, our export orders were very small.
Now, they account for about 70 per cent of our annual turnover. We are also exporting to the USA, North and Eastern Europe and Brazil. We recently exhibited at the Kind & Jugend exhibition for baby and children’s products in Cologne, thanks to financial support from UK Trade & Investment’s Tradeshow Access Programme.”
Established in 1991, JMDA has seven employees. The company was highly commended in UK Trade & Investment’s West Midlands international trade awards earlier this year and a finalist in the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce awards (Small Business of the Year).
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here