FROM the streets of South Korea to the breweries of Germany, products sold from Ipswich are making their mark on the world stage.Today two Ipswich companies have been singled out for praise by the government after they seized on opportunities across the world.

FROM the streets of South Korea to the breweries of Germany, products sold from Ipswich are making their mark on the world stage.

Today two Ipswich companies have been singled out for praise by the government after they seized on opportunities across the world.

The firms, Factair Limited in Boss Hall Road and Solvair Limited in Foxhall Road, beat competition from throughout the region to shine at the first regional UK Trade and Investment Awards.

Factair beat 10 other companies to win the Suffolk Passport to Export award after it dramatically increased its export markets by working with experts from UK Trade and Investment.

Since joining the Passport to Export scheme in 2004 it has secured an exclusive contract with a distributor in South Korea and is now directing its attention to Germany, Holland, France and Italy.

James Coleman, commercial director at Factair, said: “We're really chuffed with the award.

“This year will be our most successful year and 2004 was our most successful year before that. Things are definitely heading in the right direction.”

Factair manufactures respiratory safety products which provide breathing assistance and ensure a clean air supply. The systems are used in industries where clean air, such as environment where chemicals are used or in paint spraying.

Mr Coleman said: “We knew that we wanted to go into Europe because the standards in the UK and Europe are the same so it was the obvious jump to go into Europe.

“What we weren't too sure about was how we should go about finding the right types of people.

“We've got lots of enquiries now from Europe.”

While Factair's five-strong team were named the overall winners, Solvair was highly commended in the same category.

The firm has its sales headquarters in Ipswich and with the help of the Passport to Export scheme it has started exporting its drying systems to restaurants, breweries and others businesses in the food and beverage industries in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, France, Spain and Turkey.

Chris Davies, Solvair's sales director, said: “We're bringing equipment into this country which is manufactured in the USA and we're repackaging it for the European market.

“Seventy per cent of what we do now is going out overseas. It's really taken off.”

N Do you have a business success story? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.