Business Oregon’s Global Strategies Team works daily with Oregon companies seeking to expand the reach of their products to markets around the globe. Oregon business owners and our team of experts know how important export growth is to Oregon’s economy. Report from Business Oregon September 2011.
The Business Oregon team offers technical assistance and planning support as well as financial grants through the Oregon Trade Promotion Program (OTPP) that help Oregon companies market their products and meet new customers and distributors at international trade shows. Here are some examples of some of the Oregon companies we’ve worked with that have benefited from accessing new global markets:
- KIALOA Paddles, (Bend), met with Business Oregon’s Japan Representative Office in 2009 to discuss various inquiries the company had received from Japan. Within months, KIALOA received an order for paddles, and they have recently shipped a second order to the same customer. In total, KIALOA Paddles has exported more than $4,000 in product to Japan as a direct result of Business Oregon export staff assistance.
- Erickson Air-Crane, (Central Point), recently announced the pending sale of five, S-64 commercial helicopter aircraft to China Taicang Aircrane Company Ltd. The companies executed an agreement that provides for the five aircraft to be delivered over a two-year period. The first plane was delivered in February 2011.
- LEKTRO, Inc., (Warrenton), a family-owned business, landed more overseas customers after Business Oregon provided the company a $2,500 Oregon Trade Promotion Program (OTPP) grant to help defray some of the costs to exhibit at the Singapore Air Show in February 2010. As a result of its work at the trade show, Lektro estimates it garnered $240,000 in additional sales orders for its products. The return on this investment so far is nearly 100:1.
- Brammo, Inc., (Ashland), the electric motorcycle manufacturer, reported recently that they expect to realize more than $5 million in new export orders as a direct result of participating in the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, in November 2010. Business Oregon provided OTPP funding for this small manufacturer in Southern Oregon to participate in a targeted trade show for the motorcycle industry.
- Oregon Soap Company, (Portland), recently attended a natural products trade show in Hong Kong. Our Japan Representative Office arranged meetings with potential importers and distributors of natural consumer products. Within a year of initial contact with an Oregon Global Trade Specialist, Oregon Soap received its first export order to Japan. The Japanese office also helped Oregon Soap find a distributor in Japan for its product.
- Castor & Pollux, (Clackamas), a pet food maker, met with a Japanese company at a trade show in September 2009. With ongoing assistance by Business Oregon staff, both in Japan and Portland, various questions about the product and its potential for distribution in Japan were resolved. By December 2009, Castor & Pollux received an order for their first load of pet food destined for Japan. During 2010, the company received about $100,000 in export sales of pet food to its new distributor in Japan. So far this year, the company received $750,000 worth of orders for its natural pet food products.
- Mountain High Equipment & Supply Co., (Redmond), received a $2,500 OTPP grant to help defray costs of attending the 2009 AERO Friedrichshafen trade show in Germany. The company’s participation at the trade show generated an estimated $250,000 in new sales. Founded in 1985, Mountain High produces state-of-the-art, aviation oxygen equipment.
- SAM Medical, (Tualatin), received a $2,000 OTPP grant from Business Oregon to help company officials attend the 2008 MEDICA show. The MEDICA show featured 4,400 exhibitors from 64 nations and offered a complete range of new products, systems and services for inpatient and outpatient care to more than 100,000 visitors from more than 100 nations. SAM Medical attributes $10,000 in additional sales to its presence at the MEDICA show. In June 2011, a $2,500 OTPP grant allowed the company to attend the BIO International show in Washington, D.C., which led to introductions and contacts that are expected to generate around $15,000 in additional sales.
- Met One Instruments, (Grants Pass), manufactures air monitoring equipment, and is working closely with Business Oregon. In June 2011, Met One, along with four other Oregon companies, participated in the China International Environmental Protection Exhibition and Conference in Beijing using Business Oregon Trade Promotion grant (OTPP) of $1,800. As a result, Met One realized an estimated $135,000 in new sales.
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