Success Stories

MEP Member

Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Story Title

ASMC Member Providing Hands-On Help through the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Client Profile

ALROL, a manufacturer of custom designed rubber rollers for the printing, packaging, textile, film, and foil industries was founded by Andreas Bruhwiler in 2003. After proving the durability, high wear resistance, and the rollers’ dimensional stability during customers’ processing operations in
Switzerland, Andreas decided to start a new company in America to support Americal Superba, a major textile and carpet firm in Dalton, Georgia. ALROL employs 5 people.

Situation

Shortly after launching ALROL of America, Bruhwiler realized his need for help in finding customers. Because ALROL did not have an existing customer base from which to launch a rigorous market penetration strategy, Andreas needed to target specific companies that he wanted to do business
with and then try to meet with them. He also needed to locate qualified buyers and determine their sales potential in order to increase his customer base as well as profit. His attempts to network with local community colleges and business groups did not produce the key contacts and leads he
desired. Andreas contacted the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (Georgia MEP) for assistance in locating new customers.

Solution

Georgia MEP brought in Charles France, Manager of Marketing & New Product Development, from the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Economic Development Institute (EDI). France recommended Bruhwiler develop a prospect profile he could use to identify companies that matched his profile but were unknown as ready buyers. France called upon one of EDI’s contractors who handled lead generation. France and the contractor set-up a budget and developed a plan to research ALROL’s target markets to locate qualified prospects. The consultants culled down a list of 13,500 suspects in
Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama within a 100 mile radius of Dalton to a more manageable list of 200 firms for Andreas, who was also ALROL’s only sales person, to call on.

Results

• Developed a schedule for converting “qualified” prospects.
• Scheduled 28 sales appointments.
• Developed new customer orders ranging from $4,000 to $8,000 per month for a new product ALROL helped develop.
• Developed a target marketing strategy.
• Expanded customer base.

Testimonial

“The benefits of a well-defined and focused marketing research effort that preceded making sales calls became apparent to me early. Had I not contacted Georgia Tech, my initial course of action of developing networks within the immediate community would have taken much longer and would have resulted in a lower return on invested sales and marketing dollars.”
Andreas Bruhwiler, Owner