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RTR

Learning the language has earned success for RTR.

The Gateshead-based company is the UK subsidiary of German-based RTR Handelsgesellschaft. The company supplies tubes, pipes and forgings to the power industry.

With a turnover of £2.7 million, RTR has export sales to the value of a £0.25 million and the four-strong team in Gateshead now deals with all sales and marketing activities for the company in the UK.

However, being the British arm of a German company means that international communication is vital in the everyday work of RTR.

So when an annual meeting was called in Germany that all staff were due to attend, the team decided to brush up on their language skills.

Contact with their German colleagues on a daily basis means that all UK staff require a certain level of language skills and all four members of the UK team speak German to varying degrees of proficiency. However, they wanted further coaching in advance of the meeting so they were able to follow and participate more fully in proceedings.

The team embarked on a three-month programme of one-to-one sessions to improve their language skills and increase their knowledge of German business culture. With the support of financial assistance through the ERDF fund administered by the Regional language Network North East, RTR was able to enrol all its staff onto individual sessions for beginners, intermediate level and through to advanced classes. And each student had a different focus for improvement.

UK General Manager Kieron Moore says: "The language coaching helped us to get a better understanding of our colleagues in Germany. It also gave us a better insight into the subtle differences between the German and English approaches to business.

"Knowing the language has helped us to break down cultural barriers and get the best from our business relationships."

Armed with honed communication skills and a greater awareness of German business culture, the meeting in Germany went very well. The considerable investment made by RTR in language coaching has secured the positions of the four members of the UK-based team in the long term.

For the three-month coaching period, RTR invested £2,400 and was able to access £960 of financial assistance towards its costs. Now other members of staff with more advanced language skills may seek further language coaching at a higher level.

Kieron Moore, UK General Manager, Philip Ross, Assistant Manager and Kathleen McCormack, UK Accounts Secretary with their language coach Manuela Wendler.

Zélie Guérin, Manager of the Regional Language Network North East says: "Investing in language skills is one of the most profitable ways a company can develop its export communications strategy. Not only that, but as RTR's success demonstrates, it can also consolidate and strengthen a company's future."