As part of the British Chambers of Commerce’s annual Chamber Business Awards 2022, Metalfacture, a manufacturing business based in Leicester, has won the Global Player award thanks to its ambitious global expansion strategy 

The awards, now in its 19th year, is one of the showpieces of the business calendar, highlighting the role of firms in delivering growth and prosperity for the UK and local communities. The Global Player award recognises the work of a business that has demonstrated significant and sustained growth internationally through harnessing the opportunity of overseas markets, proving that exporting can power business growth.  

Metalfacture, a member of the East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), has achieved remarkable growth in sales and profitability during an exceptionally difficult period for businesses, due to a strategy of diversification and significant international growth. They supply to markets globally, and to date have delivered to over 56 countries.  

Their export sales equate to approximately 45% of total sales, with significant growth over the past three years. The business experienced a remarkable 8000% growth in one year alone, highlighting the opportunities on offer from international trade. 

Sarah Howard, Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:   

“The success of Metalfacture’s bold export strategy is a prime example of the growth that can be achieved by taking advantage of the global market. They have demonstrated a thorough understanding of overseas markets and requirements and have proved that borders are not a barrier to trade. The fact that they pursued their ambitious trade agenda during the height of the pandemic only further highlights this businesses’ ingenuity and resilience.  

“Interestingly, Metalfacture focused on harnessing the power of social media during their global expansion. They grew their online presence and discovered that social media was the easiest way of expanding their overseas customer base. They found new customers, and now have over 20,000 worldwide followers.”