Success is sweet for soft drinks brewer
Jan 20 2010 By The Journal
A TRADITIONAL soft drinks brewer with a 105-year history in the region is fizzing after securing a number of contracts since attending a Business Link showcase event.
Hexham-based Fentimans is doing business with a number of regional and national firms including Morrisons, National Trust, People’s Theatre, Glassworks and Starters & Puds, after attending last year’s North East Regional Business Fair, now re-branded Business Exchange North East.
The event provided the company with 14 one-to-one meetings with a range of influential buyers and eight of these have now resulted in new business or additional opportunities with existing clients.
Contracts include supplying additional products to six local Morrisons stores and introducing more lines to retail outlets at National Trust sites nationally.
Fentimans director Geoff Wright decided to attend the event because of the broad cross-section of potential buyers lined up.
He said: "I saw the Procurement Pavillion aspect of the event as an opportunity to talk to local people within national organisations like Compass, where it would otherwise be difficult to gain an inroad, as well as to raise awareness with local businesses like Starters & Puds to help us generate more custom at a grassroots level.
"I was also interested in speaking to organisations such as the NHS where I thought there could potentially be opportunities but where I didn’t know how to go about investigating this."
Procurement Pavillion works by matching UK purchasing professionals with North East suppliers so that the region’s businesses are guaranteed one-to-one appointments with public and private sector buyers actively looking to purchase specific products and services and form productive relationships.
Mr Wright added: "Business Exchange North East was very fruitful for Fentimans, boosting our company and providing an opportunity to make useful contacts.
"It was a fantastic, well organised event and definitely worth our time attending.
"Where else can you get 14 potentially lucrative sales meetings in one day?"
