Four professional services firms recognised for export success
The UK government has lauded a selection of British companies for their international trade achievements. The inaugural ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ awards saw four professional services firms among those recognised.
As the UK looks to redefine its relationships with the world after Brexit, the government has sought to emphasise the efforts of firms which excel in overseas trade. As part of this drive to encourage the world to see the UK not as a country which just severed ties with 27 of its closest trading partners, but as ‘Global Britain’, this has seen the launch of a number of business awards.
One award is the newly launched ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ competition.
Organised by the Department for Business and Trade, the ceremony aims to highlight the vital contribution small businesses make to the UK and its international trade partners – “supporting jobs, paying higher wages and helping deliver on the government’s priority to grow the economy,” according to the UK government’s website.
Speaking on the inaugural awards, Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch commented, “We’re proud of our British exporters and these awards rightly highlight some fantastic businesses punching above their weight and selling UK-made products around the world. I hope they serve as inspiration to others looking to get onto the exporting ladder.”
Professional Services
The awards were judged by senior officials at the DBT and the Institute of Export & International Trade’s director general Marco Forgione, before the winners were announced earlier in June 2023. Among the small and medium-sized firms celebrated at the event was a quartet of professional services firms.
Announced as an overall winner in the category for financial and professional services, Altrincham-based Worldwide Recruitment Solutions was celebrated for its widespread support to clients in over 40 countries. Among the services the company exported were recruitment and talent sourcing solutions, relating to renewable energy, oil and gas, and offshore marine projects.
Speaking on winning the prize for financial and professional services, a statement from Worldwide Recruitment Solutions read, “We are immensely proud of our team for their unwavering dedication to excellence, innovation, and customer service. The WRS team works tirelessly to deliver exceptional results for our clients and candidates. We would also like to thank our clients and candidates for their trust and support over the years. Winning this award would not have been possible without your continued support.”
At the same time, three other professional services firms received highly commended recognitions. Each was lauded in the same financial and professional services category.
Turnkey Consulting was established in 2004 and has offices in the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, and the US. It has been exporting since its inception, and joined the UK government’s ‘Passport to Export’ scheme early in its development, receiving support and specific advice that helped to kickstart its international expansion plans.
Today, with headquarters in the UK, Turnkey Consulting currently provides its services to clients in five continents.
Richard Hunt, the CEO of Turnkey Consulting, noted, “International expansion has been at the heart of our business from the outset. We have worked hard to develop a strong global presence, overcoming the various challenges presented by creating a consistent service offering across multiple operating centres, and it is hugely rewarding to have this recognised, along with the acknowledgment of the contribution that Turnkey is able to make to the UK as a whole.”
At the same time, Nantwich-based Direct Access Consultancy was also highly commended. The firm provides consulting services related to disability access, advising on construction projects around the world. Among its overseas projects, Direct Access has attended the SEA Expo and Summit in Saudi Arabia; as well as supporting the 10+10+ Vision for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and partnering partners with City of Allen, Texas to deliver access audits of parks
Finally, European Business Solutions (EBS), from Warwick, was also highly commended. Founded in 1991, the firm works with companies wanting to set up in or export to the UK market.
A statement from EBS read, “We are pleased to announce that EBS has been selected as one of the highly commended businesses of the inaugural Made in the UK, Sold to the World Awards. We would like to congratulate the winners and other highly commended businesses.”
