We spoke to the CEO and founder of award-winning company, Sure Purity, about the business’ recent Queen’s Award win, and the business support it has received to grow and expand in the North East.

Please tell us a bit about your business

Sure Purity was founded in 2016. We’re an award-winning manufacturer of purification systems for the beverage industry and we sell our products worldwide in more than 100 countries.

We manufacture a product called Carboguard, a multistage purification system that removes harmless trace impurities from carbon dioxide. It’s important because it protects the sensory attributes of a beverage’s flavour and provides consumer safety. Ultimately, it helps prevent any damage to a brand’s reputation. Providing a purification system has been made a mandatory requirement by the biggest soft drinks manufacturers in the world.

We currently employ seven members of staff at Sure Purity.

Sure Purity was recently awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of its outstanding achievement in international trade. How will the Queen's Award for Enterprise support further growth in the business?

The first thing to say is that it’s a very prestigious award and we’re extremely proud to have been awarded the honour. It’s given us a lot to talk about on social media which has really helped raise our profile. We’ve seen a lot of traffic to our website and people in the industry have started following us online as well.  

Winning the award has really raised our profile and reputation as an international supplier. It’s definitely given us a stamp of approval.

What business support services have you accessed in the region to grow Sure Purity?

We’ve benefitted from chatting with Ken Arnold, one of the North East Connectors at the North East Growth Hub. We’ve also received support from Phil Blacklock, an international trade adviser at the Department for Business & Trade in the North East. Back in early days of Sure Purity, we also worked with the Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) project in Sunderland.

Do you think the North East is a good place to start and grow a business? If yes, why?

Absolutely, and we intend to stay here. We try to source most of our suppliers within a 50 mile radius so we can continue to contribute to the wider local economy as well as create new jobs.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs starting a business in the North East?

First of all, know your market. You’ve got to do your research and really know your audience. We decided to export to the US first as two of our biggest customers are headquartered there. We also felt that the US would give us the best quality reference too, rather than starting in a location like China or France.

So really understand your market and know how you’re going to access the market too. The Department for International Trade is there to help so make sure you access all the different resources available to you. Take the time to find out what they are and understand how they can help you.

What business advice have you accessed via the North East Growth Hub?

When we began working with Ken Arnold from the North East Growth Hub, he pointed us in the direction of the Arrow programme at Newcastle University. We were looking to work with an academic partner so we could access their expertise and facilities.

The Arrow programme helped us get started with Newcastle University and now we’re working on two active approved projects with them. All that came through the North East Growth Hub.

Ken also introduced us to the Scaleup North East programme, which provided funding to support our expansion plans and our relocation to Blaydon. We also benefitted from the Made Smarter Adoption North East programme, which helped with the purchase of a specialist barcode printer.

We’re continuing to benefit from Ken’s input and advice on various business support programmes and finance and funding that’s available to us.

What are your future ambitions for Sure Purity?

At the moment we’re doubling turnover every year, and we want to continue that growth. Sure Purity has huge potential to grow its market share and our intention is to increase our footprint to open in more countries. Latin America is a high priority for us at the moment.

Secondly, we’re developing a new product. So as well as developing the business for the existing product, we’re launching a new product as well, which is a miniaturised version of our main Carboguard technology that can be used by fast food restaurants, hotels, and bars – anywhere drinks are dispensed.

The same impurities that exist in the large bottling plants happen at the point of sale, so that’s why we’ve developed this new technology. As you can imagine it has massive potential. In the United States alone there are 500,000 outlets that could take our product.

What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?

Think international, but don’t forget about your roots. The ground our building is built in is where I served my apprenticeship, and we’re a strong believer in apprenticeships. For every full time employee we recruit, we’re aiming to employ an apprentice.

Also, be prepared for the long haul, it doesn’t happen overnight. We spent two years in R&D and product development and a further year, year and a half, in field trials and pilots with brand owners before we were able to fully commercialise the technology.

You’ve got to be tenacious. Once you've got that bit between your teeth, don't let go.

To find out more about Sure Purity, visit surepurity.com.

For one-to-one advice and guidance to support your business, book an appointment with a Growth Hub Connector. Find more guidance on how your business can drive growth through international trade on the Markets Toolkit.

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