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Laminar Medica, based in Tring in Hertfordshire, are European leaders in the design, test, validation and manufacture of packaging systems which protect vaccines, drugs, blood and associated medical products from extremes of temperature during transportation. Their export strategy is complemented by effective communications which has enabled the company to build strong relationships with contacts overseas.

Laminar took its first step as far back as 1998 to strengthen its links with French customers through taking on a French speaking person in their sales team. Prior to that there was just a Sales Manager and then Sales & Marketing Assistant Katrina Bray (now Marketing Manager). Although many of the company’s clients spoke English, communications with France were a challenge on the language front, and the company decided to put together a strategy for dealing with the different sectors of the market. This included dealing with specialised employment agencies to recruit people with both language skills & international sales experience.

Now the company has a robust sales teams which can deal with enquiries in the main European languages of their clients. “The key,” says Katrina, is to avoid making compromises and take on people with both language and business skills, and sometimes this means taking on European nationals with a good command of English. Laminar currently employ a number of foreign nationals working in their Hertfordshire office. It is also an advantage to have on the staff someone who has not just learned the language but who has been brought up in the market, and they can select from a pool of people from Europe over in Hertfordshire who have the requisite English skills.

Although orders are sent in English (as the dominant language of the science sector is English),correspondence is automatically conducted in the language of many of the company’s European clients. Says Katrina, “Business is generally conducted in English, but when you’re dealing with clients, they often feel more comfortable speaking in their own language. This ability adds to our USP as a company in face of competition. When we receive foreign lorry drivers we send a foreign sales person down. “

Some of the factory staff have learned basic French, and in one instance a Portuguese speaking member of staff could help out when a Portuguese driver, who spoke no English, became ill during a delivery.

Laminar’s website has been translated into different languages, including French & German, then Czech for smaller clients near the company’s facility in the Czech Republic. The company is also considering localising the site for the Polish market, as the Polish pharmaceutical market is potentially huge. Flags used to keep navigation to the international sections of the site simple. “We use a local translation agency and then bring it back in house to proof read, as quite often the terminology can be a bit strange. We don’t want it to sound ‘wooden’ before it goes live on site. We also recognise the importance of an ongoing relationship with the translator, as the same people become familiar with the products”.

Printed literature is all translated into French & German and Czech in PDF format, which is “definitely worth the investment. If we are going to market our products internationally, then we cannot be arrogant enough to think it’s all going to be fine in English.We also sometimes do niche marketing to specific countries, when we consider cultural issues & cultural logistics.”