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Sandberg Furniture, Los Angeles, received the 2002 Global Marketer of the Year award from the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association for its exporting and marketing efforts abroad.

 Phil Sweet, vice president of manufacturing for Sandberg, accepted the award from WMIAâs John Park.

Sandberg uses high-technology equipment from WMIA members, including a Delmac point-to-point machine, Giben panel saw and Holz-Her edgebander, to make promotionally priced adult and youth bedroom furniture. The company goes a step beyond the basic ãsell-and-shipä philosophy when dealing with international markets that include Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, South America, Canada and Asia. The companyâs exports represent approximately 20 percent of its business.

ãWe learned early on that we had an advantage when it comes to exporting to foreign markets because we build to inventory,ä says Lori LeTourneau, vice president of sales for Sandberg. ãBecause we do that rather than build to order, weâre able to supply people on an as-need basis. Whether weâre shipping across the country or out of the country, the time element is very important.ä

Sandbergâs current ship time is roughly within 48 hours of receiving an order. The company has a 120,000-square-foot warehouse to store inventory prior to shipping.

Because Sandberg manufactures inexpensive bedroom furniture, its products are a good fit with the companyâs efforts and ability to market its products abroad.

ãAnytime you ship overseas, it adds a tremendous amount to the cost,ä says LeTourneau. ãBy the time the product arrives overseas, itâs quite a bit more expensive than what it would be sold for domestically. In our overseas markets, our products fall into the medium-price range rather than promotional.ä

Building relationships with contacts and agents in foreign markets is another thing that Sandberg uses to its advantage, and the company relies heavily on partnering with the right agents and contacts to build its foreign customer base.

ãWe rely a lot on our independent agents abroad,ä says LeTourneau, ãFor example, in Saudi Arabia, we gear our marketing efforts according to our agentâs suggestions. If he needs a particular marketing piece or product, he communicates that to us and we respond accordingly. If we have success in one region and learn enough about another area that is similar, weâll pursue contacts there. Itâs important to establish strong relationships to be able to sell those types of accounts.ä

LeTourneau says that other domestic manufacturers who build to inventory likely share the same export opportunity that Sandberg has.

ãI think the best thing companies can do to expand their businesses abroad is to do market research to find out consumer preferences in a particular region, then examine their own product lines and see if there is a match,ä says LeTourneau. ãI think itâs easier to look and see where the gap is and how you might fit in than it is to develop something new for a particular region.ä