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Dear Exporter,
In our past issue we highlighted the many
benefits of going global and emphasized the
value of taking a realistic, focused, and
committed approach, since the benefits are
realized over the long term, not
instantaneously.
In this issue, we look at another key
requirement to global success: a thriving
domestic business. We also profile AMI's new
Chief Operating Officer, Dave Pellegrini,
who happens to know a great deal about
domestic business health and how to achieve
it. Our case study takes us to China, where
the process of finding a distributor is not
always as easy as it seems. Finally, we
introduce you to our summer interns, and
round out the issue with some international
news.
(If you are having trouble viewing this
e-mail, you can
see it online.)
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Putting Your Domestic House In Order |
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A robust domestic business is
essential if you want to thrive in
the global arena. Critical areas
that every would-be exporter should
examine include Logistics,
Customer Service, Finances &
Resources, and Products &
Brands. To assess the health of
your U.S. domestic business,
consider the questions below:
1. Logistics: Is my
logistics department currently
functioning at optimum capacity? Is
my staff capable of delivering
world-class service? Are orders
packed correctly and shipped on
time? Do they arrive intact?
International orders are more
complex than domestic orders,
necessitating special requirements
and specific documentation. If your
logistics department cannot fill
domestic orders correctly, then it
will not be able to properly execute
complex international orders. . .
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Finding a Distributor in China: A
Case Study |
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Recently, a U.S. beverage
manufacturer sought AMI's assistance
in identifying a distributor in the
China/Hong Kong market. AMI
represents this manufacturer
worldwide, and we agreed the Hong
Kong market, with its large number
of deluxe hotels and fine dining
restaurants, was particularly
suitable for this manufacturer's
high-end specialty products.
Now, finding a distributor in
China ought to be easy, or so many
U.S. companies believe. Simply
exhibit your product at a trade show
and--kaboom!--a qualified,
interested distributor will
miraculously appear. In reality, it
doesn't often work that way. . .
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AMI News |
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AMI Summer Interns Benefit from
Top-Notch Program
The office is humming with extra
activity these days as AMI's summer
interns Nagiko Seki (l) and Hiroko
Okamoto (r) learn the business
through hands-on experience. To
learn more about these talented
women, their role at AMI, and AMI's
competitive internship program,
click here.
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In the News |
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Demand for Organic in Britain
Outstripping Supply
Fishupdate.com reports that
consumer demand for organic products
in Britain rose 30% over last year,
an impressive increase compared to
the 3% rise in overall UK food and
drink sales. As British suppliers
struggle to keep up with demand,
opportunities arise for US exporters
to fill in the gaps.
Read the story
New Finance Minister Revives
Hopes for South Korea Trade Talks
Bloomberg Media reports that Kwon
Okyu recently took the helm as South
Korea's new finance minister,
fueling hopes for possible progress
in the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade
Agreement talks.
Read the story.
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Newsbites Lite |
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Tomatoes On the Menu at World's
Largest Food Fight
If you book now, you still have time
to make it to Bunyol, Spain for the
annual festival of
La Tomatina, a full-on food
fight featuring over 90,000 pounds
of very ripe tomatoes. The festival
is held every year on the last
Wednesday in August, and though it
is said to have originated with a
carnival riot that occurred in 1945,
most people now regard it as simply
an excuse for some good
old-fashioned fun. Credit for the
photo goes to
Aaron Smith.
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AMI Spotlight
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AMI Welcomes New Chief Operating
Officer Dave Pellegrini
This month the spotlight falls on
AMI's newly- appointed Chief
Operating Officer, Dave Pellegrini.
With over 32 years of sales and
executive management experience in
the food and beverage industry, Dave
brings to AMI an incredible wealth
of knowledge about the industry as
well as a visionary attitude and the
ability to bring the right people
together to get things done.
Recently with the consulting
company Pellegrini & Associates,
Dave has served as Sales and
Marketing VP for Pacific Seasonings,
General Manager of the Foodservice
Division for Nalley's Fine Foods,
and VP of the Foodservice Division
for Seattle's Best Coffee.
Dave was drawn to AMI, in part, by
the unique business model it
presents: "Peter (company president
Peter Guyer) has created a genuinely
new type of company. AMI is not a
food broker, but a full-service
marketing and consulting firm
focused exclusively on the food and
beverage industry. It basically
assumes all responsibility for a
domestic company's international
business. I don't know of any other
company that does that and I wanted
to incorporate my domestic
consulting business into AMI.
Together, our opportunities are even
more vibrant."
Dave's experience working with
domestic companies brings a new
dimension to AMI. "Dave's knowledge
of the domestic side of the food and
beverage industry is a great
complement to our international
expertise, and it broadens AMI's
range of capabilities," says Guyer.
"We now have the core competence to
service the complete marketing and
business development needs of U.S.
food and beverage companies. We're
really fortunate to have Dave on
board."
When he's not working in the
office or meeting with clients, you
can often find Dave with his wife
and two sons on their boat. Like a
true native Northwesterner, Dave has
a great passion for boating and
fishing and enjoys sharing that
hobby with his family. |
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