News Article

Two of the North East’s stalwarts of exports will soon bring to an end their careers with the UK Trade & Investment - careers that have seen them dedicate a total of 85 years to helping companies through the pitfalls of setting up in business, sorting through the rules and regulations companies face and helping them with overseas sales.

International Trade Adviser Ron Seymour was the first of the two to set foot on the career ladder when he joined the Board of Trade in Newcastle in February 1967. Joyce Rawlings, Regional Marketing Manager, joined in the Summer of 1968 in Cardiff having got a job with the Board of Trade there as a temp while waiting for ‘A’ Level results.

Both have seen a range of changes in their times with what was originally the Board of Trade, later the Department for Trade and Industry and now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, as Ron remembers:

“One of my tasks around this time was to operate a state-of-the-art audio-visual presentation on the region. This was made up of a cassette player and two Kodak carousel slide projectors and narrated by none other than Mike Neville!

“This was shown to potential inward investors and, with a colleague, I  took the presentation and accompanying equipment to Slough to show to the US Vice Presidents of Bristol Myers who thought our presentation so quaint that they subsequently relocated their manufacturing operation to Cramlington, sadly this has since closed.”

But it is not just technology which has changed during their careers. Joyce remembers a significant change which occurred in 1971:

“I moved to London in 1971 and worked with Department of Trade and Industry in its headquarters in Victoria Street in the section that was set up to deal with our entry into the ‘Common Market’. It was a prestigious section and I had to be negatively vetted to work there, which I thought made me very important! It was my first introduction to ‘Timed Immediate’ labels and delivering documents to ‘the House’ as well as seeing Ministers around the building!”

In more recent years both Ron and Joyce have been involved with inward investment and export work and have seen some big changes in the region.

Joyce remembers some key inward investment moments:

“I moved to Inward Investment in the glory days of the ‘80s - where I stayed for about 10 years. It was a wonderful job involving me in the successful inward investment that went on in the region including being involved with Nissan, Fujitsu, Lucky Gold star etc.

“It was the first job where I had real responsibility, which I loved and the highlight of that job - apart from eating for England in all the best restaurants with the many different investors - was escorting foreign companies around the region showing them possible sites for development. One venture involved getting a helicopter for Motorola and showing them the sites from the air – reading a map from a helicopter was difficult but also very nauseous!”

For Ron the highlight was exports and trips to one particular place stand out: “I have found that the people involved in exporting are interesting, outgoing and have a story to tell and are a pleasure to spend time with. They are also receptive to the advice, information and support offered by Government through UK Trade & Investment and related services that helps you to feel that your input is valued and that you are making a difference.

“Working in international trade has also given me the opportunity to travel to many interesting and exciting countries on every continent. Of all the countries I have visited Japan has made the biggest impression on me and I hope to go there on holiday when time and finances allow.”

Paying tribute to his retiring colleagues, David Coppock International Trade Director said:

“Both Ron and Joyce have been crucial in helping North East companies make the best of overseas opportunities, both in terms of inward investment and exporting our goods and services. 
 
“We all wish them both long and happy retirements but they will be greatly missed, and not just because of the 80 plus years’ of experience they will take with them. We also hope they keep their mobile phones switched on for a while after they leave us – just in case!”

Keen golfers, Joyce and husband Carl hope to spend much of her retirement enjoying the sport on “as many courses around the world as we can fit in” while Ron plans to “spend some quality time with my partner Laura, do a bit of travelling and become a better guitar player”.
      
Issued on behalf of UK Trade & Investment by Karen Bell, COI News and PR North East.  TEL: 0191 283 4003 or email: karen.bell@coi.gsi.gov.uk