Export Stories: Hear How Cobb Companies Are Succeeding in International Trade

Will Kent leads the international commercial teams and
global industrial customer service teams. He began his career at Southwire in 2013 as senior product development engineer. His next role was Operations Manager in one of Southwire’s manufacturing plants. Will transitioned to the commercial team in 2018 when he became the Director, Inside Sales
supporting the international business unit. In 2019 he broadened his experience as he became the Director, Inside Sales for the industrial business unit which includes responsibility for the global customer service teams supporting OEM, IWC and the strategic industrial global accounts.

Will earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Auburn University and an MBA from University of West Georgia. He currently lives in Carrollton, GA with his wife and 2 sons. Outside of work he enjoys coaching youth soccer, traveling, snow skiing, golfing, and attending Auburn sporting
events.

John L. Daniel, Co-founder/Executive Vice President of Global Business Development of ProgenaCare Global.  Dedicated to building sustainable global relationships, John has created partnerships in multiple countries on four continents, most recently in Ukraine. He is an experienced new business developer with a demonstrated history of working in the medical device, regenerative medicine and biotechnology industries.  With patient care at the center of all he does, he is tirelessly bringing healing innovation to healthcare providers one relationship at a time.

A Georgia native, born to a Spanish mother and globe-trotting father, John has held a lifelong global mindset. His relentless curiosity and affinity for relationship building fuels his entrepreneurial spirit.  Early on, John was provided resources & freedom to build global businesses in innovative ways, and has leveraged these early learnings throughout his career. 

John holds an Industrial Engineering degree from Southern Polytechnic State University and Masters of Business Administration, Management of Technology from Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business.

Francesca Evans is the Vice President of International Sales at Americo Manufacturing Company. Hired into this role in November 2016 due to her 20 years of international sales and operations experience, she cultivates partnerships with customers around the world and pursues opportunities through new business development.

Evans grew up bilingual and speaks English, Italian, French, Mandarin and Dutch fluently. She earned her B.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Virginia, with one year abroad studying Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University. Later, she completed a graduate certificate program at Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing Center, one of only 30 US students selected for a year-long intensive study of China with courses taught in Mandarin by Chinese professors.

Impressed with the energy and opportunities in Taiwan, Evans returned to Taipei after graduating from college to launch her career in international business. She learned trading basics in an import-export company and then accepted the role of Export Manager with a Taiwanese label manufacturer, representing the company at shows around the world and developing new export markets.

Evans continued to broaden her skills and contacts in the label and packaging industry, working with companies in Asia, Europe and the United States. She was recruited to found Signatiss S.A., the Dah Mei Group’s first factory in Europe and was instrumental in the setup of the facility. She then continued as the European Marketing and Sales Manager for about five years where she established accounts and grew sales throughout France, Germany and the Benelux.

In a similar role for the SML Group, Evans remained in Europe for another five years, targeting clients with global production sites for maximum benefit to the Group’s 21 production facilities. After six years in Asia and ten in Europe, Evans moved back to the USA and continued to work for SML. There she fostered relationships with major brands including Walmart and Under Armour, handling product development and global account management for labels and packaging, which were beginning to incorporate RFID inlays for inventory management.

Francesca enjoys hiking, horseback riding, travel, reading and learning about different cultures and
cuisines. She has two daughters, one pursuing her degree at the University of Georgia, and the other at Georgia Tech.

Guido Adriaenssens, born in Belgium in 1954, is the President and Owner of WOW Motorcycles, America’s Largest and Best Used Motorcycles/Powersports Dealership. His journey in the business world began with a foundation in international business and languages.

Guido’s early career saw him as a traveling salesperson in the Middle East, promoting aluminum semi-products manufactured in Belgium. In 1979, he transitioned to a role with the Belgian Trade Promotion Office, serving at Belgian embassies in Latin America before eventually moving to Atlanta.

In 1991, Guido Adriaenssens started his own trading and export company: WORLD ON WHEELS INTERNATIONAL INC. As the company evolved, it streamlined its focus toward the export of motorcycles, cars, and related products, earning a global reputation under the name WOW Motorcycles. Guido’s leadership has enabled WOW Motorcycles to successfully export to over 50 countries.

In addition to its global exports, WOW Motorcycles, under Guido’s guidance, has expanded its portfolio to include the import of vintage vehicles. On the domestic front, WOW has flourished as a leader in the USA retail market, particularly as an independent reseller of used power sports equipment. The company, situated in a brand new 60,000 sq ft facility on Cobb Pkwy in Marietta, employs approximately 50 people. Guido Adriaenssens’ entrepreneurial spirit and dedication have played a pivotal role in WOW Motorcycles’ success and growth in the competitive world of power sports.