A Powys manufacturer has established an office in the US as it targets significant growth in overseas sales.
RM Group, which employs 62 people at its base in Newtown, designs and builds both manual and automated machinery used to process and package items for industries like food and drink, construction, energy, utilities and general industry.
It now exports its products to more than 15 countries from its factory in Wales, including Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Iraq and the USA. The firm was founded 20 years as a small packaging business, initially focusing on animal feed.
It new office is based in Delaware. It has set a target to increase exports by 50% in the next two years. Exports currently account for 20% of its sales.
RM Group director Rosie Davies, said: “After establishing ourselves in the UK, we realised we had a model that we could replicate elsewhere. Exporting provides us with another strain of revenue that supports the foundations of our business and its growth.
“Exporting also offers us security as having a diverse client base across various regions means that if trade ever drops in one industry, we can move and market ourselves in another.”
In addition to recruiting a US business development manager to assist with the expansion in the US, RM is also hiring a dedicated export and business development manager to support its ambitions to move into more territories worldwide.
RM’s recent success has been assisted by the Welsh Government, which provided financial aid to support company representatives to attend trade missions, as well as conducting detailed research into potential new territories, including the US, to determine the appetite for its products.
Welsh Government will also be partially funding hiring costs for RM Group’s new international manager role in the US.
Ms Davies added: “The Welsh Government has helped us to substantially grow the export side of our business. Exporting may seem daunting but trading on the international stage can reap huge rewards and I would encourage any export curious businesses to investigate further.”
