On the Road in North America
We've just returned from a successful business trip to Canada and the USA, visiting existing customers and developing new business.
We have been exporting to USA since the nineties, when we began manufacturing specialised rubber products such as conveyor Impact Bars and Synthetic Screening Media and today we are shipping in the region of four containers a month of Endless Conveyor Belts and Cut Rubber Parts to McCloskey International in Canada.
FLYING VISIT
Jeremy Cross, GB/Export Sales Manager and Marketing Manager, Tim Monroe, set off in mid-May on an ambitious schedule to North America, which saw them visit seven customers in seven cities, and many states, over the course of fourteen days: from Ontario, Iowa and Illinois to Kentucky, Philadelphia, Georgia, and Quebec!
STRONG GROWTH
Happily, our customers in North America, like ourselves, are bucking the trend, having reported strong growth in the last financial year, with even stronger growth predicted, on the back of both domestic markets and export sales activity to Europe and the so-called BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China. Smiley Monroe have just recorded a record breaking sales month and are equally delighted to report a 123 per cent increase in export sales from Q1 2011 to Q1 2012. To ensure that we are able to meet growing customer demand while maintaining our high level of service, we have been strengthening our team in all areas - from production, scheduling and logistics to sales, purchasing, finance and R&D. This focus on success through our people is part of additional ongoing investment in new products, processes and equipment.
SHOWTIME
Demonstrating the international appeal of the show, many of our North American customers attended Hillhead 2012, where Smiley Monroe returned in style, exhibiting outdoors on Stand C23, following strong interest shown in our products and services showcased at the industry leaders’ construction trade show CONEXPO-CON/AGG, Las Vegas, USA.
Watch a short video of Smiley Monroe’s North American Adventure at www.smileymonroe.com and on Vimeo.
