Another 20 companies eligible for export strategy consulting
The Northern Ontario Export Assistance Program has been funded for another two years. Originally launched in 2011, the program subsidizes eligible export marketing costs and assists mining supply and service companies in the development of an export marketing strategy.To date, 80 companies have participated in the one-on-one strategy development program. Companies are coached by one of two export advisors – Jon Baird, former managing director of CAMESE (The Canadian Association of Mining Equipment and Services for Export) and Mel Sauvé, president of Global Growth. Another 20 companies will be accepted into the program over the next two years.
Through the export marketing assistance component of the program, companies can access up to $10,000 to help cover costs such as branding, website development and translation. Trade show attendance is also subsidized with eligible expenses including airfare for two company representatives, accommodation, meals and ground transportation.
“Over the next two years, upwards of $800,000 in marketing assistance will leverage close to $2 million in spending,” said project manager Scott Rennie.
The program has helped Northern Ontario mining supply and service companies grow their business in a wide variety of markets, including the U.S., Asia, Africa, Europe and South America.
The slack in the global market has adversely affected mining suppliers, acknowledged Rennie, but “companies that are doing better are those that are doing work outside of Ontario and Canada,” he said.
“It’s very exciting to see these companies grow, but first and foremost, it’s a credit to their entrepreneurial spirit and hard work. I’ve seen companies take a much more serious look at marketing and sales, getting away from the notion of the president also being the chief salesperson, and developing competencies they need to market and sell their products in new markets.”
Rennie has noticed a major shift in sales strategies of mining suppliers since the inception of the program.
“The days of being able to start a mining supply and service company in Sudbury and go 10 or 20 years selling locally before taking the plunge into export markets are gone,” he said. “Many new companies are coming forward now with innovative products and services and, for them to be successful, they’re going straight to export markets.”
Companies participating in the strategy development program can also take advantage of a number of one-day workshops on topics such as branding, search engine optimization, intellectual property protection and different aspects of selling, including finding, motivating and working with agents and distributors.
Several new initiatives are planned for the next two years.
“We will be able to work with 15 or more companies that have previously participated in our strategy development program to come back and spend a day or two with one of our advisors to do a refresh because things change in companies and new opportunities present themselves,” said Rennie.
“Towards the end of his year, we will also start working with up to 10 companies on some customized sales training. We’ve done some sales training in the strategy program and we’ve organized some one-off workshops in the past, but we felt there’s a need for some companies to go a little deeper.”
The program has also spawned an informal export club in Sudbury that allows mining suppliers to get together over a beer, network and talk shop. Two get-togethers have been held to date – one in February and one in June – each attracting 45 to 50 people.
Rennie hopes the networking events will lead to collaboration and the sharing of resources and ideas.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Corporation and Fednor, the federal government’s economic development agency for Northern Ontario, each contributed close to $1 million for the extension of the Export Assistance Program.
