A NORTH-EAST company has moved into overseas markets and secured more than £500,000 of work.

Gate 7, in Gateshead, already exports 90 per cent of its products to Europe and the US, but was keen to explore new opportunities in Japan and China.

With the help of UK Trade and Investment, the manufacturer, which supplies the off-road vehicle sector, visited both countries to investigate best practice techniques and build contacts with potential customers.

Gate 7, which gained a Queen's Award for International Trade in 2005 and was named Export Business of the Year 2006 in the North East Chamber of Commerce awards, has since secured new business worth more than £500,000.

Managing director Keith Wickham said: "We have now established a base in Shanghai with active Chinese representation and we are already discussing several interesting projects in our field.

"The best practice visits to Japan have provided the experience, which has paved the way for really effective lean manufacturing projects."