ONE OF the county's most notable exporters has announced plans to extend its international reach further still with a deal to trade with Sri Lanka.

Padiham-based What More UK hopes that the deal, which will make its range of home accessories available to the 20 million inhabitants of Sri Lanka, will encourage other British firms to consider the opportunities that could lie ahead thanks to thinking internationally.

This comes only weeks after the company unveiled a similar deal with the Central American republic of Costa Rica and less than a year after the firm added Senegal, in West Africa, to its list of export destinations.

What More director Tony Grimshaw OBE said: “British companies have lots of advantages over other countries when it comes to export.

“For one thing the UK is ideally positioned geographically for export and we have a reputation for building top quality products that are made to last.

“That’s why all our products have prominent British branding with an easily recognisable Made in Britain logo.”

Since 2009 the economy of Sri Lanka has grown by an average of 5.3% each year firmly placing it in the category of Asian Tiger Economy and now joins 75 other countries around the world that Padiham’s What More exports to.

The firms will hope that deals like this will help to illuminate the continuing importance of the UK manufacturing sector, which still makes up around 20% of the economy at places the UK in the top 10 manufacturing nations in the world and have also been keen to stress the firm’s environmentally friendly methods.

Good produced at the company’s facility in Altham include storage boxes, kitchen and cookware, garden ware and products for the home laundry and utility room.

All of these are made from single use plastics diverted from landfill.