INTERNATIONAL AUDIT AND CONSULTING GROUP

Valmetal conquers the world from Saint-Germain-de-Grantham

in Agriculture by

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In the small town of less than 5,000 inhabitants of the Centre-of-Québec; Valmetal exports its automated feeding systems for dairy farms around the globe. David Vallieres is Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Valmetal, the family business that was started by his parents in the early eighties. David and his two brothers are actively involved in the expansion of the business.

The international adventure begins in mid-1990. “In 1995 we decided to set seriously with the purchase of a plot of land in Wisconsin – “The Land of America”! This has convinced the US agricultural sector of our seriousness and it has been the beginning of our development outside of Quebec and Ontario. In 2000, we bought our biggest competitor. In the following decade, we made four significant acquisitions, including two American companies that we repatriated here. ”
Soon, a Swiss, who bought his products directly in the United States, opened the doors of Europe to them and they became their first dealership there. Then they went to Finland! Meanwhile, David Vallieres assiduously went to trade fairs and multiplied overseas visits to potential dealers. “You have to set clear goals, said the mechanical engineer graduate. On receiving an application online, we jumped on the plane … It is easy to lose sight of our goal! We now have specific objectives concerning the turnover and the number of products sold by territory. ”
To conquer the world, we must not fear challenges. It is essential to speak the language and understand the business culture of the target country. “The way of doing business in Ontario has nothing to do with that of Russia or Japan!” laughed the VP globetrotter. But it is also necessary to be informed, to keep up to date and ready to move. “In the world of agricultural business, people buy because of affinities to the people. We must learn to know how to develop relationships! ”

Stand out and take the time to consolidate

But, in addition to investing time and money, we must be diligent. If one variable is removed from the equation, it will fail. “If you go to a trade show once and you think you will come back with contacts, better stay in Quebec. You must go again and again. ”
To stand out, Valmetal invests heavily in research and development and implementation of the service.  “We always try to be at the forefront to offer innovative yet practical solutions. We put a lot of energy to adapt our products to different climates. And as our customers work seven days a week, we keep in mind that our equipment must be easy to repair. “Indeed, it is not all to seek new clients; the key to long-term success is to keep them!
Already well established in America, Europe and Asia, Valmetal wants to continue to build on export, but unhurriedly. “We experienced strong growth and we want to continue to serve our customers, said David Vallieres. For now, we are consolidating our clients before tackling new markets. ”

 

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