Spanish SME reels in French commercial partner to bring seafood specialities to new markets.
Looking for new markets
Spanish SME Inkiele SL has been selling its delicious seafood products like marinated cod and pickled anchovies on the Spanish market for many years. Having built a faithful following of Spanish customers, the company was keen to expand internationally and take its Spanish specialities into new markets.
International potential
The company turned to its local Enterprise Europe Network branch in the Camara de Comercio e Industria (CCI) de Toledo for help. The Toledo team immediately saw the Inkiele's potential and reached out to their Network colleagues at the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) Auvergne, to get the ball rolling.
Together, the Network partners set up a company mission for Inkiele and other ambitious Spanish companies from Castilla-La Mancha to the French city of Clermont-Ferrand.
360° Network support
To create the best conditions for success, the Network experts ensured that Inkiele and other participants were fully briefed on the sector, the market and the potential partners that they would meet. They arranged over 30 business meetings and remained close at hand to provide French-Spanish translation and useful information on local regulations.
"We stayed close to the companies from the beginning to the end." explains Elisabeth Poorthuis of CCI Auvergne.
During the event, Inkiele met with Lign'Oceane, a French commercial agent specialised in the seafood sector. As the companies moved towards a business deal, the Network partners continued to provide both companies with legal and regulatory guidance.
Not long after the event, Lign'Ocean agreed to distribute Inkiele's products to French supermarkets.
Manuel Egea commercial manager of Inkiele emphasises how the partnership has strengthened Inkiele's position in the French market: "Thanks to the Enterprise Europe Network, I met a French commercial agent interested in distributing our products in France with its own trademark. We signed a contract that allows me to offer a larger range of products and gives me a stronger position in the French market."