|
|
|
 World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara has helped
strengthen the global position of numerous companies.
Trade Success Stories:
|
|
|
|
|
INTERNATIONAL TRADE CASE STUDY:
Market Entry Assistance helps Koike Aronson sign four
new distributors in South America
| Company: |
Koike Aronson Ransome, Inc., Arcade, NY |
| Year Incorporated: |
1946 |
| Number of Employees: |
170 |
| Annual Sales, last fiscal year: |
$45 to $50 million |
| International Sales, last fiscal year: |
20% |
Company History:
Koike Aronson, Inc. is known worldwide as a high-quality manufacturer of
Cutting Machines, Welding Positioners, Portable Machines and Gas Apparatus.
Koike Aronson, Inc. is headquartered in Arcade, NY with additional
operations in Japan, South Korea, and the Netherlands.
Situation:
As part of an overall revamping of its business, Koike Aronson retained
World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara (WTCBN) for work that has resulted in new
South American market opportunities for the manufacturer of welding and
thermal cutting equipment. Koike Aronson had a single sales representative
operating out of Chile, with a territory covering all of Central and South
America. With a strong outlook for potential business in those Latin
countries, a search for distributors began in an effort to bolster the sales
force and increase sales. The main objective for this targeted World Trade
Center Buffalo Niagara Consulting project was to locate, screen, and secure
at least three additional independent sales representatives to cover the
regions of Central and South American markets.
“This was a major step to building our export sales.
Our expansion strategy focused first on our employees and manufacturing
processes; then we turned our attention to international sales, and we used
the World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara for a focused effort on South
America. We have made significant progress with the new distributors in
Columbia, Venezuela, Argentina and Bolivia, and we are nearing an agreement
for new sales representation in Brazil. With the help of WTCBN, working
together with our international staff, we are well on our way to completing
the development of our distribution network in South America. We would
probably have gone down the wrong road if we tried to do this exclusively in
house and the cost would have been significantly more.”
-- Jerry Leary, President & CEO of Koike Aronson
Solution and Results:
WTCBN worked with Koike to establish targeted industry segments and end user
markets to include Steel Service Centers, Welding Distributors, Machine tool
and die distributors, Earth moving equipment and manufacturers, steel tank
manufacturers, shipyards, and vehicle manufacturers. Then the criterion was
established for determining the best match for independent sales
representation. WTCBN performed market investigation including trade flow
and competitive analysis. Several companies were contacted from various
Central and South American countries expressing their interest in Koike’s
products; companies in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela were
identified.
World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara provided the
following results:
-
Identified key distributors for our products in
major South American countries.
-
Increased direct contact with potential reps and
distributors.
-
Identified potential sales reps in these countries.
-
Discovered major differences in sales structures as
compared to the United States.
-
We eventually signed good distributors in Columbia,
Venezuela, Argentina and Bolivia.
-
WTCBN helped lay the groundwork for the signing of
a new sales rep in Brazil that is expected in 2007.
-
Quote activity increased from all four new
distributors.
To discuss how World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara
can help you with market entry or any other trade issue, call us today with
your specific needs and discuss how our services can help your company. Call
us today at 716.852.7160 or toll-free 1-877-WTC-INTL (1-877-982-4685). |
