Pittards
languages enhance understanding and help build stronger relationships with foreign customers
Headquartered in Yeovil, Somerset, Pittards is world renowned for manufacturing and supplying high performance leather to leading brands of gloves, shoes, luxury leather goods and sports equipment. Amongst its clients it boasts Adidas, Lacoste and Louis Vuitton.
Pittard's products are also put to good use in other ways. It recently sponsored equestrian three day eventer and Olympic silver medallist, Jeanette Brackwell, at the Athens Games, supplying her with water resistant high performance leather for her saddle, along with dressage gloves.
The company has also received a host of accolades in recognition of its success and achievements, including being named Royal Bank of Scotland Sunday Times Innovator of the Year in June 2003.
Languages mean more efficient business
The vast majority of the company's work has an international dimension with around 90% of its products exported and much of the raw materials it uses imported. It imports raw materials and chemicals from countries around the world, including: South America, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Middle East. It also exports to over 30 countries including: Europe, North America, India, Pakistan and the Far East.
Being a business with such a strong international focus, as Mike Dodd, Managing Director stresses, "It is vital we are able to communicate with both our suppliers and clients". He goes onto explain the way the company uses languages and how they benefit from them. "We require languages for day to day interface with businesses and extensive overseas travel. Speaking a foreign language often means better understanding and more efficient and productive business."
Languages convey cultural knowledge and understanding
Mike Dodd also mentions the invaluable nature of language in helping to understand and convey other cultures, especially in countries where business and cultural norms are often very different to what we are used to or expect, and as a consequence these aspects are overlooked by businesses. As Mike comments, "Many companies often believe successful communication in the customer's language will be enough for success. Sadly this is not the case. To build productive long-term relationships with overseas customers, showing you have an intimate understanding of a countries business culture marks your business out as possessing a serious commitment to the relationship".
Visit the Pittards website at www.pittards.co.uk
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