Two Staffordshire firms have just returned from a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) market visit to Indonesia celebrating new and potential business worth tens of thousands of pounds.

The companies visited Indonesia to strengthen relationships with existing contacts and develop new clients in the marketplace with support and expert advice from UKTI and its commercial team at the British Embassy in Jakarta.

ATF Textiles, of Milford, Stafford, returned from the visit with a substantial increase in business.

The company, which has three employees, designs and supplies innovative adhesive tapes to give clothing, particularly shirts, flat, pucker-free seams.

The seam tape can be found in high fashion and designer labels, industrial workwear, school uniforms and corporate clothing.

Company director Alistair Banks said: "While I was in the market, I visited an existing customer in Jakarta - a manufacturing firm which currently produces one million shirts per month and is going to increase this by up to 20 per cent with the use of one of our new tapes trialled and tested during the visit.

"As a result, our turnover will increase substantially as the new tape and garment design goes into production.

"The UKTI market visit was the perfect platform to meet customers. I met a number of potential customers who are now trialling our products and have already given us excellent feedback."

ATF Textiles has been working with UKTI for five years and exports 98 per cent of its products.

Hygan Products, of Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, has developed a comprehensive range of consumable products for the ceramics sector, including synthetic sponge products and high quality brushes. The company has 11 employees.

Joint managing director Jon Hewitt said: "I visited our existing customers and several potential new customers.

"The comments were very favourable and we have been asked to provide samples and quotations, which I am confident will lead to us gaining at least three new clients over the next few months.

"About 70 per cent of our turnover is export business and much of this is to the Far East, where the economy is continuing to grow.

"The economic downturn in the UK makes it more important than ever that West Midlands companies look to overseas markets and take full advantage of the help available from UKTI.

"There are many opportunities in countries like Indonesia, but it's essential to go out and visit the markets to develop the personal relationships that are so important to gain new business."

Hygan Products has been working with UKTI for about 15 years.

UKTI international trade adviser Robert Lawley, based at North Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, who organised the visit, said: "Indonesia is one of UKTI's identified growth markets, but already UK exports to the country amount to £350m, so as a market for West Midlands companies it certainly has tremendous potential.

"Indonesia's population stands at 240 million - the fourth highest in the world - and with significant investment secured for the future, it's undoubtedly going to be one of the major economies in South East Asia. GDP growth was 6.1 per cent year on year in 2008 and 4.5 per cent in 2009, and a healthy forecast of 5.5 per cent has been made by the government for 2010.

"Companies like ATF Textiles and Hygan Products have entered the market early and I'm sure that as the economy grows, so will their sales. It's definitely a country that many more companies should consider as part of their export strategy."