GM MARKETING LEADING THE WAY IN RESPONSE TO THE WINDSOR FRAMEWORK
“Northern Ireland is on the cusp of positive economic growth”, reveals James Woods
James Woods, the COO of distribution company, GM Marketing, is from Belfast where he lives with his wife, Alice, and their 5 daughters, aged from 2 to 14.
As a leader in his business, he’s been at the forefront of setting up task teams to deal with the fall-out that came from the UK leaving Europe.
That included setting up a team dedicated to figuring out how GM Marketing can ensure their brand partners – which include Tilda Rice, MOTH Cocktails, YAZOO, Nando’s and Costa – can continue to move their products across the UK, Ireland and the EU. It has not come without its challenges as James Woods explains.
“Brexit has been the gift we didn’t want but that keeps on giving”, said James. “When the inevitable happened, and it was clear that change was coming, I immediately responded and accepted it, a character trait I have honed over the years. Then I began the process of figuring out the challenges it would throw up for the FMCG sector. A sector that relies a lot on free movement. As a company, we decided to face any changes head on which means we have been able to stay agile and pivot when our brands needed us to.”
Not just the finance guy
“I’ve always had an interest in business far beyond my original Financial Director role and as an Accountant – soon after joining GM Marketing the phrase “not just the finance guy” was coined and to be truthful, it has hit the nail on the head.
“I have a genuine curiosity about all aspects of the FMCG sector which extends into how social and political changes affect our business. That thirst for knowing more and for problem-solving has allowed us to do better for the organisations that we work with.”
Challenges continue
“The information coming from Stormont on questions around the Windsor Framework and now labelling just isn’t clear, rather it’s causing confusion for companies based in Northern Ireland and GB. We are used to the cut and thrust of our unique political landscape but for some of our brand partners, trying to make sense of it all has been impossible.
“Business needs certainty and stability and when that isn’t there, Northern Ireland can appear unattractive to international companies. If we don’t have clarity around what the problem is, it’s impossible to deal with it.”
Getting the response right
“We have bases in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and GB, so we’re immediately an attractive brand partner for anyone moving goods in those regions as well as the wider EU.
“We are steadfast and resolute in our ambition to ensure brands can move into the Irish market and that we can find a solution to any issues which may come up.
“Our team is dedicated to taking the hassle away from companies; we are problem solvers and we’re happy to put the hard work in to keep our brand partners on shelves when it matters.”, said James.
Labels are not always a good idea
EU labelling is another issue that James has been trying to navigate.
James said: “It’s all connected to Brexit and the Northern Ireland protocol. Due to differing food standards and regulations between Great Britain and the EU, authorities had to think of a way to ensure the passage of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland without any risk to the EU supply chain.
“They had to do this without endangering the unique customs setup between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. One of the results was the Windsor Framework, which established a ‘green lane’ that could reduce red tape on products crossing the Irish Sea. This led to the agreement for “Not for EU” labelling.
“In reality, products with the “Not for EU” labels simply mean they should remain in the UK market – it doesn’t necessarily mean those products do not meet EU standards.
“The labelling was introduced to meat and some dairy products moving from GB to Northern Ireland in October 2023. However, it will be rolled out across remaining retail products this year and next.
“HMRC guidance states this labelling change is only required for products moving into Northern Ireland under NIRMS – ‘the green lane’. However, when The Tories were still in power it was suggested that the Government may expand the labelling to all products sold in Scotland, England, and Wales regardless of any movement into Northern Ireland. It is our hope that under a Labour government, this will no longer be on the cards as it causes further unnecessary complications. Recent indications are that this should be the case.”
Raise a glass to Northern Ireland
James continued: “GM Marketing recently obtained a bonded warehouse in Belfast which means we can store alcohol in a duty suspended state, an efficient and cashflow-saving exercise that we expect lots of our brand partners to take advantage of.
“We have upskilled and added to our team to make sure we have the expertise required to complete all customs movements for our goods where relevant, both for alcohol and non-alcohol products, and now with the added ability to store and move those alcohol goods under bond.
“We are the go-to people for solutions as our teams have been working on a broad spectrum of issues like these for years – we’re unintended experts.”
Northern Ireland on the cusp of positive economic growth
James said: “When it comes to big picture thinking, it makes sense for organisations to set up a business in Northern Ireland, or indeed to use a distribution partner here. Historically when we see what the GB land bridge has done for places like Leicester and middle England workforces, the benefits are clear. And I believe Northern Ireland is now the destination of choice for companies looking for European, Irish and UK distribution. I believe that Northern Ireland is on the cusp of positive economic growth.”
James concluded: “At GM Marketing, we are big enough to do the job but small enough to care. We take the trust that brands and consumers put in us very seriously and as a company we’re proud of that. We are problem solvers, and take any challenge presented to us with a ‘can-do’ attitude.”