9/11/2008
Heavy Equipment Resources of Florida, Inc.
"“We knew we wanted to export. We just didn’t know how. The certificate program opened our eyes to opportunities and resources that made exporting a reality for our company,” said Leslie. “Cathy and the SBDC connected us to the experts we needed to get started.”"
Company Expands through Exporting Leslie Smith, co-owner of a thriving family-owned landscaping business in Jacksonville, has been paying attention to all the news about the expansion of JaxPort. So, when he heard about the International Trade Certificate Program – Export Series being offered by the SBDC at UNF, he signed up immediately, and brought along his brother and nephew. The SBDC partnered with JaxPort, Enterprise Florida, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce to put on the program, designed to help small businesses sell their products and services in the international marketplace. Smith never really thought about getting involved in international trade until he heard about the export series. Now, thanks to the knowledge and commercial contacts gained during the six-week program, facilitated by Cathy Hagan, Certified Business Analyst at the UNF SBDC, Smith is expanding his business horizons to include exporting agricultural equipment. With the recent shipment of a motor grader to Germany, Leslie Smith officially became an exporter. He credits his success in launching Heavy Equipment Resources of Florida Inc. (HERO) to his participation in the export series. Cathy brought together experts in the field from Enterprise Florida and the U.S. Department of Commerce, among others. The program also featured “live case studies” – business owners who had practical exporting experience – to share their stories. Smith also took advantage of the one-on-one counseling the SBDC provides for small business owners. He met with Ms. Hagan to discuss the development of a business plan to help guide the growth of HERO. Smith is using his 20 years of experience in the construction business to source new and used construction equipment to export. And he is using international leads provided by Enterprise Florida and market research from the U.S. Department of Commerce to help him find buyers. These were resources he was unaware of until his participation in the SBDC’s program. He also followed up with the banker from Regions Bank who presented information about international payment mechanisms and financing. The bank provided him with financing to fund his entrance into exporting. Smith will be one of the “live case studies” featured in the next international trade certificate program put on by the UNF SBDC. His advice is simple. “You can’t be an exporter until you export something.” Smith knows from personal experience that if you take advantage of all the resources available to help, you can be successful doing business internationally.