Hi °C | Lo °C Unicorn Mouldings is a leading manufacturer of Flexi-Tile loose lay interlocking floor tiles for industrial flooring as well as commercial and domestic applications.
It operates from production facilities in Lisburn and Markethill and exports widely including to European markets such as France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Looking to extend its export reach the company used an Invest NI trade mission to explore opportunities in the Baltics. As a result it won its first business in Lithuania for its highly innovative PVC flooring system.
Export Sales Manager Natasha Mitchell says: “We knew very little about the Baltics until we attended an Invest NI seminar on the region and then were provided with the opportunity to go on the trade mission. We are always interested in exploring new markets for our products and decided to seek market research help from Invest NI about opportunities in the three markets of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.”
Invest NI helped the company access up-to-date market research data in preparing for the mission.
“The research also pinpointed several potential distributors for our products. This led us to sign up for the mission and to use the opportunity provided to meet potential partners. We looked closely at what each could offer us and, on a return visit, we appointed our distributor in Lithuania.
“We’ve been immensely encouraged by their level of commitment and proposals to market there. Our new Lithuanian distributor is working closely with us and is setting aside time and other resources to market our products effectively to commercial and residential customers throughout the country,” adds Natasha.
Dr Vicky Kell, Invest NI’s Trade Director, says: “Lithuania is the biggest, and economically the strongest, of the three Baltic markets and offers significant business opportunities for our companies, especially small and medium sized enterprises. It is a small and business friendly nation of just three million people which makes it a good market for small businesses, particularly first time exporters, to gain experience and expertise in exporting. The country is also an ideal springboard to neighbouring markets such as Latvia, Estonia and, of course, Russia.”
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