Pictured: Jane Albon, MD of Nature's Purest, Juliet Vandenbrand, International sales for Natures Purest, and staff who had come over to sign the deal from Green-Kids Ltd - Jeanne Sivitskaya, International Director and Alexey Artamomov, General Manager

An organic baby clothing firm have clinched their first ever deal with Russia, in the latest of a series of overseas deals, with help from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Jane Albon, who set up Kibworth Beauchamp based Nature's Purest, six years ago, makes and sells chemical-free natural cotton baby products - including clothes and toys.

The company were invited by UKTI on a mission to Moscow in February 2010.

Jane said:

"UK Trade & Investment set me up with some excellent contacts, including Mothercare, and they all loved the product, but they needed me to have a Russian distributor."

Over the next 18 months Jane worked with UK Trade & Investment to find a suitable distributor, and then in December last year she was approached by Russian trading company, Green Kids Ltd, who supply children's and baby clothing all over the Russian Federation.

Jane said:

"Because I'd been on the trip to Moscow and done all the relevant research I was well placed to speak to the company.

"The best thing was they then came to visit me here in Leicestershire to sign the initial two-year contract."

Jane says Russia has been a fantastic market to break in to.

"They have nothing like my product there, but have a large market of top end mums looking for nice organic baby things. The look of our product really appeals to them too - it's all very British looking and nicely packaged.

"Lost of firms have tried to copy what I am doing but they can't get it right which has left me in the market place as a very individual brand."

Suzy Bolton, International Trade Advisor, who has been working with Jane for four years, said:

"Jane has hit upon an idea that stands out in the market-place. No one else is producing these high-end completely natural baby products right now, and so quite rightly, there is a huge demand for them across the world. She has previously conquered Brazil, with her second store due to open in April, and is selling her products from Australia to Chile and from the Czech Republic to the USA.

"Russia can be seen as a tough market but with persistence and determination it is possible to land deals such as these, and we can help firms to take their first steps to do this."

To find out about exporting your product contact UKTI's East Midlands export hotline on 0845 052 4001.

Jane is due to share her experience of working with Brazil by speaking to fellow East Midlands companies who will jetting off to Brazil on a UKTI market visit on 2 March 2012, at a Derby event.