Following the launch of International Festival For Business by George Osborne MP on Monday, June 13, Made in Britain Campaign have visited the Lake District home of Derwent, fine art materials brand, where they have been manufacturing fine art pencils since 1832.

John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, toured the Derwent factory where the internationally-renowned art materials brand create and manufacture their expansive range of fine art pencils. The facility is also the distribution hub for Derwent’s international customer base which ships to over 90 countries worldwide.

John was shown around the high-tech modern facility where he discovered Derwent’s commitment to sustainability, quality and innovation whilst meeting the needs of artists globally.

During the visit, John experienced the craftsmanship, quality control and modern manufacturing processes that are behind the creation of Derwent pencils. The Made in Britain team spoke to a selection of staff at Derwent, discovering their dedication to the historic firm and its impact in the local and international communities.

“Derwent’s heritage and legacy speaks for itself and fits perfectly into place with what British manufacturing and the Made in Britain campaign stands for, a marque of quality innovation, and excellence. Derwent places great importance on its heritage, whilst looking to the future in terms of product excellence and product innovation”, commented John Pearce.

Simon Wells, Derwent Vice President commented “Our international reputation has been achieved through our long held commitment to quality and innovation. We welcome the Made in Britain team to the factory in Lillyhall today to demonstrate first-hand what the Derwent brand means to our employees, customers and consumers.’

The Made in Britain visit marked the third day in three weeks of celebrations for the International Festival For Business. Derwent’s extensive product knowledge and modern manufacturing techniques, ties in with the first week’s theme: advanced manufacturing.

The visit comes six months after Derwent joined Made in Britain and the distinctive red, white and blue marque will appear on Derwent’s newly refreshed brand identity and product packaging.

Made in Britain currently consists of over 700 members in all business areas. Made in Britain members have been displaying the marque since the campaign’s formation two years ago.

Throughout June the campaign is using the hashtag #welcomemakers for an intensive recruitment drive for new members featuring a select group of makers including Derwent. John and his team will also be running a daily Made in Britain Hour at 1pm on Thursdays on Twitter, where people can ask any questions to the campaign. Click here to follow Made in Britain on Twitter.

To find out more about Derwent, visit their website www.pencils.co.uk