Door Stud Gets a Foot in the Door
Door Stud is a Fargo, North Dakota-based manufacturer of door installation equipment. Door Stud’s Owner Jim Newenhouse connected with the U.S. Commercial Service North Dakota seeking assistance refining the company’s strategy for expanding into new global markets. The Door Stud team initiated a RAISE Matrix + 3 Country Reports to identify three top potential markets for Door Stud products. The RAISE Research included listings of potential in-country partners as well as research on the construction industry, DIY market, and e-commerce potential. RAISE Research is produced by the U.S. Commercial Service’s Rural Export Center (based in Fargo, North Dakota).
To further the international efforts, Newenhouse also conducted a Website Globalization Review in November 2020. He selected Australia as the primary target RAISE market. When the U.S. Commercial Service delivered the RAISE report to Door Stud, one of the recommendations in the report was for Door Stud to attend the Sydney Build trade show. Newenhouse traveled to the Sydney Build show and made a $35,000 sale with an Australian building materials distributor. The Australian distributor was a prospective partner identified from the RAISE report, based on a recommendation from the U.S. Commercial Service in-country Commercial Specialist in Australia. Newenhouse also met with the Commercial Specialist at the International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas, where Door Stud was recognized as a Best of IBS winner. Door Stud’s success through this process was supported by a STEP grant, administered by the North Dakota Trade Office.
“The assistance from the U.S. Commercial Service’s Rural Export Center and in-country staff in Australia helped to ensure a logical, and sophisticated to approach the market,” said Jim Newenhouse. “The use of the RAISE Research, the Website Globalization Review, and the in-country assistance, bolstered our ability to connect with the right partners. The global team and tools helped me understand the market before approaching it, and also helped me feel more supported while going into a new country. The STEP grant was also instrumental in allowing me to travel to the market, which was vital to getting a commitment from the targeted in-country partners.”