Research Leads to Agritechnica, Yielding New Sales for Mattracks
Mattracks manufactures rubber track conversion systems for trucks, tractors, ambulances, and other vehicles. Based in the rural northwestern Minnesota town of Karlstad, Mattracks was seeking new international market opportunities for its wide range of tracks and turned to the U.S. Commercial Service in Fargo, ND for assistance.
Mattracks participated in the Northwest Minnesota ExporTech program. Organized by the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) Fargo and Enterprise Minnesota, as part of this program, CS North Dakota conducted in-depth, customized market research on several markets, including Germany, where CS staff identified dozens of prospective German business partners. The market entry strategy that Mattracks pursued, in consultation with CS North Dakota, was to get a booth within the USA Pavilion at Agritechnica, the largest ag show in the world. CS Ag members provided extensive assistance to Mattracks, including providing a contact list of 76 potential in-country German partners and buyers to reach out to in advance of the show (in addition to many contacts Mattracks already had in Germany), logistics counseling for shipping items for display in the booth, identifying hotel rooms, a connection to the ATA Carnet program for shipping items duty-free to trade shows, lining up interpreting assistance and assistance with the common meeting area in the reception area of the USA Pavilion, which is managed by CS staff. After participating in the USA Pavilion, Mattracks made an immediate sale to a new European buyer they met at the show, and they finalized sales to other customers whom they had been in contact with before the show, and who placed orders at the show.
“We probably wouldn’t do Agritechnica if it weren’t for the U.S. Commercial Service and its USA Pavilion,” said Roger Brazier, Sales Manager at Mattracks. “We went to Agritechnica in large part due to market research done by the U.S. Commercial Service in the Fargo showing that Germany was a top potential market, and the Agritechnica show was a perfect venue for us to connect with Germany and other buyers. This was a new market and it would have been difficult to approach it on our own. The ability to display our equipment in the USA Pavilion in a cost-effective manner is priceless, as we’ve found that exhibiting equipment at trade shows is one of the best ways to bring in new business. We also relied on the CS for a customized contact list in advance of the show, lining up interpreters, answering questions on shipping and customs clearance, arranging meeting space, and organizing a hospitality area. In the past, we exhibited at dozens of smaller trade shows, but we decided to try a new approach where we could make a big splash by having our equipment on display in a prominent market in a prominent Pavilion. We feel the USA Pavilion at Agritechnica has been a great vehicle for our success.”