Small U.S. firms make big global sales: Sinking dollar, cultural ties, free trade provide boost
USA Today -by Edward Iwata
April 8, 2008
A motorcycle-riding businesswoman. As a teen growing up in Missouri, Rebecca Herwick loved dirt bikes and big motorcycles. Today, the 49-year-old Herwick is owner and CEO of Global Products (www.GlobalProductsInc.com), a St. Peters, Mo., firm that is the exclusive dealer and licensee for Harley-Davidson decals, caps, T-shirts and other gift items.
Herwick saw the international potential for Harley-Davidson products during a trip to Europe in the mid-1990s with her former husband, who founded Global Products. The demand for goods with Harley-Davidson's famous bar-and-shield logo has grown steadily each year.
Herwick sells her products through dealers and distributors in Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Dubai. This month, she's helping a Chinese auto dealer open the fourth Harley-Davidson dealership in China, in the large city of Qingdao.
International sales last year accounted for 10% of her company's $18 million in annual revenue, and she expects the figure to grow to 25% in the near future if she expands to potential markets in Latin America and other regions.
"When you ride a Harley, you have a sense of independence and empowerment and luxury," says Herwick. "It doesn't matter where in the world you may be — that feeling is still there."
link to article
|
|
<-- go back to all articles |
