A Visit to Packtec in Tunisia

On Friday March 19th 100% Tunisian Olive Oil spokesperson Bill Sanders and I were involved in two great meetings at the close of our olive oil buying mission in Tunisia. In the first, we were privileged to meet with Mr. Abdelaziz Rassaa, Secretary of State in charge of Renewable Energy and Agri-Business. We provided an six-month update on our program to promote Tunisian olive oil in the US market, begun in October 2009.

Following our meeting at the Ministry, we headed for the offices of Packtec, our host for the buying mission and the organization with whom we work most closely on the promotion of Tunisian olive oil. While there, we visited with good friend and Packtec General Director Mme. Lémia Thabet, and Packtec Techincal Director Mr. Jalel Horriche.



Packtec provides an incredible amount of support to Tunisian companies seeking help with technical and visual arts issues regarding the packaging. From creating logos, to testing technical specifications of packaging materials, to creating reliable shipping containers and more, Packtec is an amazing resource for Tunisian companies preparing their products for the world. We toured the entire building, from sophisticated chemical analysis labs to the mock shipping dock where crates and pallets are tested for strength and durability.

It was an eye-opening visit into the breadth of technical support Packtec provides Tunisian companies, and provided a deeper appreciation of our collaboration with this extraordinary business development unit.

Félicitations!

Tunisian Olive Oil Mission Begins

The clock is ticking down the time when we head off for the airport Friday to start our journey to Tunisia. By Sunday evening, a group of influential olive oil buyers from across the United States--from all aspects of the olive oil business; importers, retail buyers, e-tailers,and distributors--will be gathering for a reception at the Ramada Gammarth in Tunis.

Our journey will be more than discovering what Tunisia has to offer in the way of olive oil. True, it's the world's fourth largest producer of olive oil, and Tunisian olive oil has been around for centuries. But what I'm also excited about sharing with our group is the culture and people of Tunisia that I've come to know over the years.

As we tour the country from Tunis to Sfax to Monastir, you can join along with pictures and commentary her and at http://tunisianoliveoil.wordpress.com/ and www.CrushandPress.com.

A Big International Marketing Mistake

It's been my privilege to work with many international marketing companies seeking to gain entrance to the US market. Over the years, industries have included textiles, OTC medications, hospital supplies, food, building materials, and agricultural products. These are not typically big multinationals, but rather entrepreneurial organizations with a keen awareness of the opportunity that the US market affords them.

Through us, they invest in the marketing tools they'll need to present their products to potential business partners here in the US. The big mistake that we see time and again, is a reluctance to engage competent and experienced sales representation in the market. Companies will invest in literature, public relations activities, advertising and even trade shows exhibits and promotion, but will not take the crucial step to hire an in-country sales champion to carry them the 'rest of the way' into the market.

If you and your company are considering entering the US market, avoid this fatal pitfall and use your marketing activities to uncover and engage a sales professional who knows the ins-and-outs of your particular industry. It is the difference between success and failure.