50 Favourite Exporters

TAS

Australian Honey Products

Exporting since: 2004

Key markets: Japan, Korea.

Only in the export game for the past three years, Australian Honey Products is leaving its sweet aftertaste around the world. The bulk of their honey, beeswax and nectar products are distributed through Japan, Korea, the US, and Jordan, and export now accounts for 30 percent of their business.

Founded by Lindsay Bourke, Australian Honey Products is a family business with eight employees. Their success has only skyrocketed after winning the Tasmanian Beekeepers Association’s best Leatherwood honey award four times. Their first export came from an Austrade trade show.

The family attributes their export achievements since then to the quality of their product, persistence, and a commitment to checking and double-checking all details.

Roar Film and Roar Educate

•         Exporting since: 2004

•         Key markets: UK.

Founded by Kath Symmons, Steve Thomas, Craig Dow Sainter, Roar specialises in television documentaries and educational multimedia (e-learning), and export proved the best way to expand the business. “We realised that to achieve success as a complete unknown and from so great a distance, we needed an alliance or relationship with a major player,” says Dow Sainter. So Roar looked to the London Grid for Learning, a school-based broadband consortium that delivers infrastructure and e-learning content to 1.2 million students in London. After 18 months of “courting”, Roar was asked to develop modules for LGfL’s e-learning content, retaining the IP and full ownership of the product outside London.

While export accounted for 10 percent of revenue in the last financial year, Roar expects that in the next year it will exceed 40 percent with exponential growth both in UK and new territories in the following years.

The Learning Edge International

•         Exporting since: 2004

•         Key markets: North America, Europe, Asia.

Exporting its service to educational institutions within the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan, The Learning Edge International’s principal offering, EQUELLA, is an award-winning solution that has been designed by educators for educators.

Investing heavily in establishing an international presence, The Learning Edge International has gone through a re-branding process to establish a brand that is consistent and relevant to all markets. The company has also set up The Learning Edge North America and The Learning Edge Europe and office locations in Boston and London. As well as working with a network of partners who are responsible for reselling, account management and service provision, The Learning Edge International is a regular presence at key industry events.

Muir Engineering Pty Ltd

•         Exporting since: more than 30 years

•         Key markets: Europe, US, Middle East, Russia, Asia Pacific.

Soon to turn 40, Muir Engineering has been exporting their anchoring systems for more than 30 years. Their major exports have set sail to the US, Europe, Middle East, Russia, Asia, and the Pacific.

Setting up offices in key overseas markets, as Muir continues its growth in mega yacht markets, has led to approximately 60 percent of business focusing on export.

Founder and the sole owner, John Muir, is still dedicated to providing technical innovation, quality service, and reliability, with a team of 65 staff. As a result, Muir products are internationally preferred, and used by the prestigious yacht builders– Feadship, Lurssen, and Trinity. At home, Muir equipment can be seen on the decks of Australian icons, including Dick Smith, Frank Lowry, and Greg Norman.

Autech Software & Design

•         Exporting since: 1995

•         Key markets: US, Canada.

Founded by Darren Alexander and Rex Hesline, Autech has shipped more than 300,000 copies of visualisation software to more than 50 clients during their 12 years in the export market. Of the 14 countries they export to, the US is their main market.

The design house focuses on developing and distributing software to the global paint manufacturing industry, so they can promote to their customers what a new colour or finish will look like before they buy.

Autech reasons that a clear international business plan and market strategy raised their export revenue to 85 percent. With a team of 14 employees, Autech has put considerable time and effort into first testing and selling in Australia, detailed market research, and customer service.