Trade links between Bristol and Kenya are being boosted today with the visit to the city of 175 business people from the East African country.
The event, which has been organised by the government’s trade-boosting body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and Barclays Bank, includes a ‘meet-the-buyer’ session when 15 firms from across the South West will get the chance to showcase their products and services to the Kenyan delegation.
Taking part in this session will be Bristol firms Flying Penguin Enterprises, which supplies vehicle parts, consumables, tools, accessories and equipment, and general and municipal vehicle specialist Gulliver’s Truck Hire.
Gulliver’s has already established links with Kenya following a visit last November by managing director Philippe Harding and sales and remarketing manager Matt John to the capital Nairobi and its second city Mombasaunder UKTI’s Passport to Export programme.
Mr Harding said: “The time spent in Kenya was highly beneficial to Gulliver’s and we were able to forge invaluable contacts and relationships as a result. The visit enabled us to explore various avenues of potential business by outlining the full range of benefits we could provide Kenyan businesses such as our vehicle range, insight into current market trends and experience of the export process. Our offer is very compelling to overseas businesses as we are able to offer the full package, from purchase to delivery.”
The 175 Kenyan business people, all members of the Barclays Bank Business Club in Nairobi, will be joined by Wanja Michuki, the principal counsel for trade and economic affairs at the Kenya High Commission in London. The ‘meet-the-buyer’ session, which takes place at Leigh Court, near Bristol, follows a visit this morning to the Kip Keino stadium in Filton, which will be used by the 2012 Kenyan Olympic team as their base. The delegation will tour the training camp and accommodation facilities at the stadium, named after Kenya’s most famous athlete and two-time Olympic Gold medal winner for mid-distance running. Mr Keino visited the stadium earlier this year.
Mike Rundle, of UKTI South West, said: “The Kenyan trade delegation is undertaking a tour of select UK cities, including Birmingham and Cambridge, and is visiting Bristol due to the Olympics connection.
“This trade visit is not only a great opportunity for select local companies to showcase their products and services to a large number of Kenyan businesses but also for Bristol to establish important trade links and to work toward building a lasting legacy from the opportunities created by the 2012 Olympic Games.”
Representatives from the Bristol office of accountants and finance specialists Smith & Williamson will also be at the event at Leigh Court.
