Specialist food distributor, Midlands-based Oakland International, has announced the appointment of Edith Hurst-Earl to the post of European Customer Support and Development Manager based at their Redditch depot in Worcestershire.
As part of the firm’s expansion plans and to further add to the management support team, Edith who joined Oakland in 2008, previously holding the post of customer support executive, will be tasked with relationship management in the UK and Ireland, with a specific European client focus designed to drive growth primarily in France and Germany. Export sales already account for around 34% of Oakland International’s UK turnover and the aim is to increase this to 40% over the next 3 years.
Oakland International managing director, Dean Attwell, stated: “Oakland International is keen to support and develop existing associations and relationships as a key European strategic growth partner for food producers in the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, and Edith’s appointment is pivotal to this going forward.
“With her extensive industry experience and her intrinsic knowledge, she is a real asset to our team, developing and supporting business whilst raising awareness of Oakland International’s extensive supply chain network.”
Reporting directly to the MD, Edith will concentrate on extending Oakland’s existing European supply chain network, with a primary aim of supporting French and German exporters into the UK and Ireland, whilst cementing the foundations for export initiatives through local connections from the UK and Ireland to Continental Europe.
Oakland International’s proven track record for Irish supplier export development, working with a variety of producers, has achieved significant UK sales growth as the result of a simpler, low cost route to market and the sharing of retail market intelligence through the likes of supplier development conferences and a genuine desire to foster partnership for business development, which they now aim to replicate with targeted French and German producers.
Edith commented: “I am thrilled to be invited to support Oakland as we advance our European supply chain network and I am delighted to be able to better utilise my language and relationship building skills to project manage something totally new.”
Oakland International Limited
Tel: 01527 596 222
E: sales@oakland-international.com
Twitter: @OaklandIntUK
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