How a Furniture Manufacturer is “Designing” its Presence in European Markets
Homecrest Outdoor Living (Homecrest) is a Minnesota-based furniture company that manufactures sophisticated and stylish outdoor furniture. While the company’s products are already sold in 43 US states and 5 Canadian provinces, Homecrest continues to expand internationally and pursue potential opportunities in Europe. A North Dakota District Export Council member referred Homecrest to the National Rural Export Center (REC) in 2023 after receiving their own RAISE report earlier in the year. In collaboration with the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) in Minneapolis, Germany, and United Kingdom, the National REC delivered two Potential Partner Lists to Homecrest.
In step with its own sophisticated products, Homecrest decided to obtain Potential Partner Lists in the sophisticated markets of Germany and the United Kingdom. The Potential Partner List contained 21 partners (in total) with a focus on local furniture wholesalers and retailers. The CS Europe offices provided key guidance on how to contact European business prospects and trade shows for Homecrest to consider. After receiving their potential partner lists, Homecrest noted the following regarding the helpfulness of the report:
I think it is an informative and helpful presentation that gives us a roadmap for the next conversation. -Mark Bottemiller, VP of Sales
It’s been a pleasure working with [the Rural Export Center], this has taken us a long way down the path and showed us what the options are. -Randy Shorts, CEO
The Homecrest team plans to meet with CS Minneapolis to continue discussing the next steps for expanding into the European market.