Warwickshire firm helping overseas businesses settle in the UK sees Brexit boost
A Warwickshire-based company, which helps foreign businesses establish in the UK, is expanding after seeing a growth in demand due to Brexit.
EBS is taking a second office at the University of Warwick Science Park’s site at Warwick Innovation Centre. This will enable the company to accommodate additional staff and create a state-of-the-art video conferencing suite to be able to hold virtual meetings with clients and also to take part in webinars with partners, such as the Department for International Trade (DIT).
The business was founded in 1991 to help companies invest in or export to the UK.
It currently employs 10 people –supporting overseas businesses with everything from establishing a UK entity, legal compliance, accounting and payroll through to understanding the relevant taxation policies after Brexit.
It has more than 200 clients, which range in size and sector and is seeing a growth in manufacturing companies that wish to set up a UK base, technology companies looking to invest in the UK, as well as a clutch of businesses in automotive and engineering that want to be based close to the likes of Jaguar Land Rover.
Martin Williams, Managing Director of EBS, said some of the more recent demand has come because of Brexit.
He said: “We are very pleased to be growing, particularly in the current climate and it shows there is still a great demand from overseas companies wanting to come to the UK. We have clients all over the world – around 50 per cent from the EU and then everywhere from South America through to India.
“EU companies wish, post Brexit, to stay close to their UK customers, and some have to register a UK entity due to regulatory issues. For whatever reason, there is considerable interest in investing in the UK.
“Here in the West Midlands, there is a big attraction for those in the automotive and advanced engineering sector. We are also seeing a big growth in tech companies investing in the UK and, at the other end of the spectrum, we are now working with a Colombian chocolate manufacturer, who recently won a contract with one of the major UK supermarket groups.”
He added: “The Warwick Innovation Centre is a great base for us and it is ideal that we can expand here. Not only that, some of our clients also have offices within the Science Park which means they are close to us and many of them also tap into some of the other services available such as the technical marketing, business support and angel investment that the University of Warwick Science Park offers.”
