It was clear from these discussions that UK buyers would, in very many instances, prefer to purchase from UK suppliers, thus gaining the benefit of a local source of supply, obviating cultural and time differences and obtaining high quality products. However, the buying departments in the OEMs frequently did not have the time or resources to find, assess and select new UK suppliers.

Julia Moore, GTMA CEO, commented: "This is a significant initiative which, while facilitating the procurement process, will also promote the qualities and strengths of UK suppliers and demonstrate their ability to provide real added benefits to the OEMs. It is particularly relevant now as many large companies are reviewing their supply chains in order to streamline the whole purchasing process."

www.gtma.co.uk