UK: GPT makes the right connection.

GPT Payphone Systems has the market's number and beats the Japanese. Annabella Gabb.

Tucked away on the fringes of the Lancashire mill town of Chorley lies a small '50s factory. At first sight, there's nothing remarkable about it. But the despatch bay reveals activities that extend far beyond the North of England. Boxes marked Kuala Lumpur, Bogota, Seoul, Auckland, Georgetown Guyana and Manama Bahrain lie waiting for export. This is the home of GPT Payphone Systems, one of Britain's most successful exporters, which despatches some 80% of its coin and cardphones overseas and beats the Japanese hands down in their own backyard. Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and a number of Middle Eastern countries have all opted for GPT equipment rather than "inferior" Japanese rivals.