Austrade media release

27 February 2007

Tasmania’s rainwater entrepreneur, Duncan McFie, is taking the world’s markets by storm with his innovative rainwater drink, King Island Cloud Juice, sending its second shipment of 13,000 bottles to Spain in the next few weeks.

Mr McFie thinks that Western European markets offer unique opportunities to businesses looking for growth opportunities.

“In my experience Western Europe offers large, mature markets, a shared business culture and business leaders with a strong affinity with Australians,” Mr McFie said.

“This region embraced my product long before local buyers came on board, in fact my business success is due largely to the enthusiastic response of the Western Europeans, particularly the Spanish.

“An order from one of the world’s best restaurants, El Bulli in Spain, has given us real gourmet credibility as has a mention in French Vogue and a very productive partnership with our European distributor, Wawali. We are now stocked in France, Germany, Portugal, Italy and we hope, in the not to distant future, more widely in Australia.”

“I’m really grateful to Austrade for their support and help in accessing and developing this market.”

“They were there from the beginning helping with everything from in-market promotion on their Spanish language website to participation in culinary events.”

Austrade’s Frankfurt-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Peter Rasmussen, encouraged Hobart businesses hoping to emulate Mr Mcfie’s success to attend the Austrade Western European Winning Business with Innovation seminar to hear about market opportunities and how to develop strategies/plans to enter the market.

“Merchandise exports by Australian companies to Western Europe grew by 34% in the last 12 months and Austrade can help connect you with the opportunities present in this market,” Mr Rasmussen said.

“Western Europe is a large, highly competitive, more established market so innovation and a point of difference in your offering is a short cut to achieving business success in Western Europe-as Cloud Juice has discovered.”

The Western Europe region includes Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and many others.

Hobart seminar:
19 March  8:00am to 12:00 noon  The Bowen Room, Hadleys Hotel, 34 Murray Street, Hobart

Register online http://www.austrade.gov.au or call Austrade Direct on 13 28 78

A Cloud Juice representative will be presenting at the Hobart seminar.

Peter Rasmussen is available for interviews.

MEDIA CONTACT:    Samantha Mattila, Senior Media Adviser, Ph: +61 2 9390 2388, Mobile: +61 434 567 673

For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre.