Minister’s mission takes him to 3M HQ

Trade Minister Ian Livingston visits the 3M factory in Chadderton

MINISTER for Trade and Investment Lord Livingston was in Oldham to meet business giants 3M as part of a campaign to boost export revenues.

The minister met staff at the firm’s Chadderton base, which houses the company’s European manufacturing operation.

The visit was part of a new campaign - Exporting is GREAT - hoping to generate 3,000 appointments with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) advisers and drive £1.2 billion in export revenues.

Lord Livingston recently pledged to increase the help UKTI offers to medium-sized businesses (MSBs).

He said: “Improving export performance is vital to building a sustainable recovery, and a fundamental part of the Government’s economic plan.

“The North-West has the third largest number of MSBs, 870, in the country, and we are actively supporting this hugely important sector.”

The 3M parent company is an American multinational with headquarters in St Paul, Minnesota. The firm has sales of $30billion, employs 88,000 people worldwide and sells more than 55,000 products from adhesives to electronic circuits.