Working with UK Trade & Investment, the British Marine Federation (BMF) and the British Consulate-General in Auckland, CEproof was able to set up meetings with four companies and made contacts with others at networking events during a trade mission to New Zealand.

As a result, CEproof won contracts with Vaudrey Miller Yachts NZ Limited and Marten Yachts.

"The help from the British Consulate-General in Auckland has been invaluable, " said Alasdair Reay, operations director of CEproof. "Without them we wouldn't have explored the New Zealand market and won what was at that time the biggest contract for our company."

The company joined the UK Trade & Investment's Passport to Export programme in August last year and since then have been working closely with a dedicated international trade adviser. Subsequent to New Zealand, CEproof developed new markets in the USA, Malaysia, Taiwan and a number of European countries.

"Exports account for 35% of our turnover and that figure is growing, " said Reay. "With assistance from UK Trade & Investment, we are now looking at China."