13 October, 2010

“From a 1920s office and warehouse in Tyneside’s Team Valley, Paul Chandler is quietly changing the world.”

That’s according to The Times, whose Mapping British Business series today turned its attention to the North East and profiled the local businessman behind the hugely successful Traidcraft brand.

The company is described by the newspaper as “a champion of both the consumer and the producer”, and the article examines Mr Chandler’s push for a universal definition of fair trade, as well as its work with major supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose, Asda and The Co-operative.

It also provides some interesting facts about Traidcraft. Did you know, for example, that the company works with more than 100 producer groups in more than 30 developing countries; produces some 450 different Fairtrade food, craft and textile items; and sells a staggering 26 million of its Geo Bar cereal bars every year?

You can read The Times’ full interview with Mr Chandler online, where you can also learn about the other North East businesses making the headlines.