BURY companies are being urged to warm to the prospect of exporting - to America's "Sunshine State".

And Radcliffe businessman Peter Weidenbaum underlined the benefits during an innovative video link-up to Florida.

The Trans-Atlantic video conference allowed Mr Weidenbaum and other members of the Bolton Bury Export Club to talk to business leaders in Miami.

Bolton and Bury Chamber's Business Link harnessed its new video conferencing suite at its Bury headquarters to allow Mr Weidenbaum to talk directly to his counterparts in the USA.

The Export USA initiative was attended in Bury by Robin Baylis, HM Consul for Florida, along with guests from local businesses.

Although pictures were interrupted during the one-hour satellite link, business chiefs in both countries were able to communicate using sound only.

Under the initiative, local companies can get export assistance in taking innovative products into the US market.

For a subsidised fee of £1,000, Bury innovators can receive extensive market research support to investigate the potential of their products in the US, practical advice and top-level training on marketing and publicity for the American market, and a trip to a relevant USA trade event to generate leads. Mr Weidenbaum, who runs Radcliffe-based measuring equipment manufacturers Trumeter, said: "The event allowed us to establish a contact with Florida, one which we can hopefully build upon.

"There has already been a lot of support for the idea of organising a trade mission to follow this up." He said this could involve firms from Greater Manchester travelling to the US and American company representatives coming to the UK.

He added: "If we want to attract American companies over here, then we've got to do so as part of the Manchester conurbation.

"This would allow them to enjoy the facilities we have in the Manchester area, such as the airport. Hopefully, these facilities would attract them when considering our area as a gateway to Europe."

Mr Weidenbaum, Bolton Bury Export Club chairman, stressed: "Florida has a lot of hi-tech industries and is also a gateway to Latin America. If British companies want to trade with that part of the world, Miami could prove to be an ideal location."

Mr Weidenbaum added: "We've linked up and made our first attempt - now we've got to build on that."

At the link-up were representatives from Marketing Manchester, GMBIC, Bury College, and Kamino International.

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