Elite Business Live is a leading London international business conference 11-12th March 2021. They invited Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics, to be the Keynote Speaker followed by a panel discussion with other entrepreneurs.Carl’s overall point is that UK Exporting will be greatly accelerated by working with the Department for International Trade’s network of 400 International Trade Advisors across the UK and by exploring the website GREAT.gov.ukToday was a very exciting day seeing the return of our CEO Carl Hunter to the speaking podium, as he delivered the Keynote speech at the Elite Business Live conference at Hilton, Kensington in London. Speaking to a virtual audience, Carl was delighted to deliver this speech and join the panel discussion afterwards alongside three commendable fellow entrepreneurs operating global businesses.
Carl’s speech focused on the adversity the past year has posed, yet that which Coltraco has overcome, and how the ability to adapt is the very definition of intelligence. The pandemic forced companies to either hibernate or rapidly adapt and develop new strategies and those who performed the latter will successfully thrive.Coltraco Ultrasonics has been exporting worldwide for nearly 30 years, to 120 countries worldwide. The key to expanding overseas is understanding ones own values, how you wish to operate business, and attract only those whose values align with your own. British innovation is at our core, however Global cooperation continues to be our vision.Chairman and CEO of Coltraco Ultrasonics, Carl Hunter OBE was invited to give the keynote speech in which he describes his response to COVID-19 when it hit the global stage, specifically in the UK 1 year ago on 11th March 2020. Overnight we lost 50% of our shipping market as a result of coronavirus. Carl pivoted and immediately switched to a strategy of Diversification, Resilience and Growth to bounce back and come out with a great growth journey 1 year later. We have welcomed new team members, promoted existing team members, created new technology and diversified our customer base worldwide with an even stronger global network of partners, distributors and service centres.
In the Q&A Carl gave a few tips about successful exporting:
- Start by working well in your homebase, if you can succeed in the competitive landscape of the G5 economy of the UK, you will be able to map this elsewhere; “succeed at home before going abroad”; then look to USA, Asia, Commonwealth, EU, Middle East, Africa for example
- There are opportunities in the EU post Brexit; we are in the early days of a new relationship and it will get better
Carl then joined a panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders who shared their advice on successful overseas expansion. Carl was pleased to share the stage with the wonderful:
- Kerstin Robinson, Co-founder Nix & Kix
- Matanel Bigger, CEO of Monpure
- Rashida Abdulai, Founder & CEO of Strand Sahara and
- Anna Morsa, Group Commercial Director at Genuine Solutions Group.
Co-Host Hannah Prevett catches up with Carl after the panel to ask what he’s most looking forward to when international travel resumes. You will be surprised by his answer!
All photo credit goes to Elite Business Live 2021.
