“This order will keep our manufacturing business busy for two months and puts us in a really strong position.

"We’ve invested in new machinery and have recruited six new apprentices who will be involved in fulfilling this order. Recruitment for more shop floor staff and other roles is under way.”

Houghton International already has deals in place in Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and signing up to the UKTI’s Gateway to Global Growth programme enabled it to part-fund the cost of attending the Denver conference.

The programme is directed at companies with two to ten years exporting experience and provides an international trade adviser to carry out a business review and develop a strategy for breaking into new markets. Interested companies can find out more by calling the North East International Trade hotline on 0845 0505054.

UKTI international trade adviser Bill Oliver worked with Houghton International on the deal and said the programme “provides valuable support for companies already exporting to research and explore new markets”.

He said: “The huge interest that the Houghton team had at the EASA event shows that face-to-face contact with potential customers is vital – and as part of the support available, the programme gives companies the chance to meet clients in the market.

“Whether a company already has some overseas customers or is only just considering exporting, there will be a way that we at UKTI can assist them and I hope this success will inspire other firms across the North East to contact us to find out how we can help them grow globally.”