How being part of the EU influences our industrial marketing services

Once you have taken account of the cultural differences and heritage that give us our local and personal identity – which we all want to preserve – then the argument comes down to economics. A personal viewpoint from Roland Renshaw, Group MD at international industrial marketing services company DMA Europa Group.

Building the UK workforce

We have built a great team of bright, hardworking people here in the UK, including people from several countries of origin – some of whom have since become UK citizens. Being part of the EU as a trading bloc and accepting top-quality workers from around the world is part of what will continue to make this country a success.

Conversely, losing good quality people because we have restrictive employment laws is extremely counterproductive. We lost a valuable tax paying Chinese speaking employee to a US employer a few years ago – after he had paid for an English education - because we were forced to meet conditions that put locals at an advantage. Which was challenging when we needed a bi-lingual Chinese speaker in order to export to China.

The economics of funding a European organisation

The economics of how we fund a ‘European’ organisation such as the EU can be debated forever, it is however each nation’s responsibility to negotiate that deal, something the UK has just done. Beyond that the benefit to the people of each country is in trade and commerce.

The wealth of the UK as a country has come from hard work, innovation and trade. Anything that jeopardises our ability to do business with the rest of Europe is a threat to our well-being as a nation and as individuals. Being part of the EU doesn’t damage the great privileges of living in the UK, a well ordered, (mainly) law abiding society with low levels of corruption, high living and educational standards, and the NHS, which regardless of criticism is amazing.

It doesn’t matter how many times I have to re-set my American computer software preferences to ‘Language English (United Kingdom)’ I will do it for the convenience of using the software, which allows me to run a business that benefits our staff and the country in general.

Global industrial marketing business

The same applies with Europe, our Global Industrial marketing business employs around 30 people in the UK and has many more suppliers and dependants, we are over 50% export and around 45% of our business is traded in Euro. Our good relationships with other companies and customers globally are the reason why our business has the opportunity to be successful.

We do some business with countries that are traditionally regarded as ‘difficult to do business with’, but we don’t chase that business because it has a high cost of sales. Currently the bureaucracy and law making done in Europe is making it easier to employ good people from anywhere in Europe and to trade seamlessly with other European countries – this is good.

Better trade pays more tax into the UK economy, it increases our exports and benefits the EU as a whole. The uncertainty about Brexit is already hurting the UK economy. The vote should not be about whether to stay in or not, but on the deal that has been negotiated. Risking an exit just to get a new deal ratified is a political move, a risky, unwelcome and expensive one.

Process Industry Forum would like to hear what your thoughts are on the subject.