International Trade Award

Barking up the right tree! - UK International Trade Award for Pet Company

The best of the region’s exporters were honoured at the prestigious annual West Midlands International Trade Awards, held in February 2005 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Birmingham.

The event, sponsored by airline Emirates and the Royal Bank of Scotland, was organised by UK Trade & Investment and the Midlands World Trade Forum (MWTF) to celebrate the achievements of West Midland companies which have embarked on the Passport journey or are MWTF members.

International trade director Doug Mahoney opened the ceremony, followed by guest speakers Isabella Moore, director of IKM UK Ltd and of the National Centre for Languages, and marketing expert Allyson Stewart-Allen.

There were four award categories:

Best New Exporter – For companies that have started exporting as a result of Passport.
Best Use of Language Within International Strategy – For those that have developed an effective language strategy in preparation for market entry.
Best Small Exporter – For companies with fewer than five employees that have made significant progress with their exports through Passport.
MWTF Exporter of the Year 2005 – For companies whose exports have been driven forward by best practice and clear aspirations for the future.

The Pet Behaviour Centre won the Best Small Exporter Award.

Hélène Renard-Coadic, West Midlands Passport to Export co-ordinator, said: “The array of products and services our companies sell around the globe is amazing and in many cases, they are world leaders in their field.”

The award is in recognition of the work done to launch the popular series of behaviour booklets for pet owners, including ‘The Good Behaviour Guide’, ‘How to Have a Happy Puppy’, and ‘How to Have a Contented Cat’ to pet owners in the US. Supported by the UK Trade & Investment’s Passport for Export Scheme, publications manager Pauline Appleby heads the project and worked with W Sacramento based Alison Appleyard Gainer to set up Pet Behaviour Publications, specifically to distribute the booklets to retailers, veterinarians, breeders and pet owners.

The series of booklets have established themselves in the UK as easy-to-read first points of reference for pet owners. ‘Happy Puppy’ is perfect for owners at the time of their puppy’s first vaccinations, ‘The Good Behaviour Guide’ is for all dog owners who wish to have a happy, well-balanced companion and ‘Contented Cat’ provides cat owners with the information they need to make sure their cat enjoys life to the full. In addition to providing advice for owners, the booklets offer superb value for money. The UK series has recently been re-designed, updated and expanded, to include titles on horses and rabbits.

“We are delighted to receive this award which is a reflection of the considerable time and energy invested in the project by publications manager Pauline Appleby and distributor Alison Appleyard Gainer ”, said David Appleby MSc CCAB, author and principal of The Pet Behaviour Centre practice and visiting behavior counselor at the Queen’s Veterinary School, University of Cambridge.