Black Country conveyor belt maker Cox & Plant has been helped to clinch an order in Poland - despite its commercial director missing out on a major trade show in the country.

The order for a conveying machine with three cross-head feeders that lead to a multi-head weigher is worth #35,000 to the company which makes processing equipment for the food industry.

The machine ensures that vegetables in pre-packed bags sold in supermarkets are evenly distributed.

It secured the order through a contact made at the country?s leading exhibition for the food industry, IFE Poland, in May this year by UK Trade & Investment regional international trade adviser food and drink, Helen Bethell, who manages the international trade element of Advantage West Midlands? food and drink cluster.

Established in 1972, Cox & Plant has 28 staff and has been working with UK Trade & Investment for seven years to increase its export business.

Commercial director Andy Cox said: ?UK Trade & Investment has taken us on a number of trade missions to Poland, which opened the door to this market for us, over the last few years.

?Since 2000, we have exported products worth about #4.5 million to Eastern Europe, and we are also selling to Scandinavia. None of this would have been possible without the support we have received.

?I travel to Poland on average about once a month, but couldn?t attend the IFE, so Helen brought back four contacts for me to follow up with my agent in the market.

?One of these has already resulted in an order.?

Cox & Plant has benefited from various services from UK Trade & Investment, including the Passport initiative, a scheme that gives new exporters the training, planning and ongoing support they need to succeed overseas which it completed last year.

Ms Bethell, who is based at Business Link West Mercia HQ in Worcester, said: ?It?s a real pleasure to work with such an enthusiastic exporter as Andy.

?The IFE show was the first time I had taken Cox & Plant?s brochures on the stand.?