A POTATO harvester manufacturer has started a recruitment campaign to keep up with increasing demand from export markets.

More than 25 per cent of the machinery manufactured by Ely-based Standen-Pearson has found customers overseas, with notable successes in Scandanavia and Australia.

The company has now promised an “active and aggressive” strategy to help spearhead further expansion and is looking to recruit design and development staff to help cope with the workload.

Alex Mathias, the company’s marketing director, said: “We have been working in a niche market and have been very subject to the vagaries of what happens in that market.

“By exporting, it helps to balance out our demand and not just working in the UK.”

Mr Mathias said it was important that all companies looked beyond their shores for business in the current economic climate.

He said: “The world is getting smaller every day and we have to think global.”

Going into markets that are more demanding also challenges the company to produce more high-quality machinery adaptable to different countries and climates, as well as build stronger and more durable equipment.

Its current potato harvester range includes the QM compact, the T2 three-row harvester and the T2 two-row, which is offered with a choice of five modular separating systems.

In response to grower demand, it also has been developed to accept an extra wide 1,500mm discharge elevator, which allows greater capacity and improves efficiency.