A Worcester firm has won new business supplying the defence sector in Australia, with help from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

CMCA (UK), of Pierpoint Street, specialises in the life cycle management of systems for the defence and aerospace industries.

The company helps clients to keep complex engineering systems running by sourcing and supplying parts that are difficult to find, monitoring components and systems to reduce the impact of obsolescence, and implementing logistics management programmes.

Its customers include the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, and Ultra Electronics.

CMCA (UK) has recently completed UKTI's flagship Passport to Export programme, which the company joined a year ago for help in reaching the Australian market.

Obsolescence adviser Nigel Wallis said: "We have just won a trial monitoring contract from a very large Australian defence manufacturer, together with a servicing contract from an engineering support company.

"The combined value of the two orders is £10,000 but there is potential for much more business in the long term. These contracts have given us a foothold in Australia, which is significant for us because their defence market is very similar to that in the UK.

"Financial support from UKTI through Passport to Export helped to fund a visit to the market last year and we benefited from an excellent Overseas Market Introduction Service report from UKTI's commercial team at the British High Commission in Canberra, which gave us the contacts we needed to conclude the deals.

"The advice and information from our local international trade adviser, Linda Smith, was fantastic. We really appreciated being able to run ideas past her and knowing that we weren't on our own."

Established in 1997, CMCA (UK) has 30 employees. The company now plans to join UKTI's Gateway to Global Growth programme for more experienced exporters.

UKTI international trade manager Linda Smith, based at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "CMCA (UK) has maximised the support available using Passport to Export and has really committed to its ethos.

"The results speak for themselves with the success created in Australia, and I look forward to continuing to work with Nigel in pursuit of increasing export sales."

UKTI's Passport to Export programme provides a package of support for new or novice exporters, including a free export health check, attendance at an export workshop, assistance in formulating an international trade strategy and funding towards implementing this strategy, quality training and mentoring advice and access to the full range of UKTI services.

For more information about how UK Trade & Investment can help your business expand into new markets abroad, contact the international trade team at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on 0845 641 1613.