Shade Haven Providing Comfort to Cows Everywhere

Does standing in the middle of a field in the hot sun sound fun to you? Well, cattle probably don’t like it much either! That is what a beef farmer thought when he partnered with two graduates from the University of Wisconsin to solve the problem. They teamed up and created Shade Haven, a rural Viroqua, Wisconsin company that manufactures mobile shade structures that provide dairy and beef cattle with some much needed relief from the heat.

Shade Haven became interested in international business opportunities and needed some coaching to get started. They contacted the U.S. Commercial Service (CS) office in Milwaukee for assistance with overcoming the exporting learning curve, so that they could begin quoting orders they previously would have avoided.

Peter Bergquist, Shade Haven’s CEO said, “We contacted CS Milwaukee after struggling to understand government literature and other online resources on the exporting process. We wanted to pursue some new export opportunities but didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully, CS Milwaukee helped us get started with exporting by showing us how to comply with all the exporting requirements, documentation needs, and other logistical challenges. I now direct almost all my questions regarding exporting and international business to CS Milwaukee, as they have become an invaluable resource for growing our international business.”

Shade Haven eventually received a sales lead from the United Arab Emirates, but was unsure exactly how to proceed. Elizabeth Laxague, the local trade specialist in Milwaukee worked with CS UAE and counseled Shade Haven on the market. They received guidance about customs clearance and other topics to ensure they could comply with import requirements in the Middle East.

Shade Haven also prepared to do business in the European Union, but had questions about the regulatory environment and standards. They attended a seminar hosted by CS Milwaukee on the CE Mark and European Directives specific to machinery, so company officials would understand European import standards. Cows lounging under their Shade Haven Armed with new export knowledge and resources provided by CS Milwaukee, Shade Haven successfully completed their first export shipment to the United Arab Emirates in November 2014, followed by more international orders including an order from the United Kingdom.

For more information on Shade Haven, visit their website http://shadehaven.net