NAFTA HAS NOT BEEN A MAJOR IMPETUS FOR AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS TO EXPORT, ACCORDING TO A GRANT THORNTON SURVEY OF 250 MIDSIZE COMPANIES WITH BETWEEN $10 AND $500 MILLION IN ANNUAL SALES. NEVERTHELESS, THE SURVEY FOUND THAT MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY OF THE SURVEYED EXPORTERS NOW EARN AT LEAST 20% OF THEIR TOTAL SALES REVENUE FROM FOREIGN SALES IN COMPARISON TO THOSE SURVEYED TWO YEARS AGO.
FOR ANDR… SCHNABL, AN ATLANTA PARTNER IN THE ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTING FIRM, THE 1996 SURVEY SHOWS THAT “THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME,” MEANING THAT MANUFACTURERS ALREADY INVOLVED IN EXPORTING HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY WHILE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO DO SO GENERALLY REMAIN STAGNANT.
THE SURVEY INDICATES, MR. SCHNABL TOLD GLOBALFAX IN AN INTERVIEW AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER, ATLANTA, THAT MANUFACTURERS WHICH EXPORT LESS THAN 10% OF THEIR TOTAL SALES WERE NOT LIKELY TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFORT TO EXPORT MORE.
BUT MANUFACTURERS THAT EXPORT MORE THAN 10% TOTAL SALES WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR EXPORTS. THESE COMPANIES, HE ADDED, HAVE ESTABLISHED EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS AND LEARNED TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND UNFAMILIAR MARKETS, CULTURES AND COMPETITIVE BARRIERS IN FOREIGN NATIONS.
ALTHOUGH NAFTA HASN’T MADE MUCH OF AN IMPACT — A MISTAKE, FROM MR. SCHNABL’S PERSPECTIVE — OTHER FACTORS DID FURTHER ENCOURAGE THE EXPORTERS ALREADY ENGAGED.
THIRTY-FOUR PERCENT INDICATED THEY BELIEVE THAT THEIR PRODUCTS IMPROVED, MAKING THEM MORE COMPETITIVE ON WORLD MARKETS, WHILE 12% BELIEVE THAT THEIR SALES FORCES HAVE ENHANCED THEIR ABILITY TO SELL GLOBALLY.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT MOTIVATION CITED BY 27% IS THAT LIMITED GROWTH POTENTIAL AT HOME HAS FORCED THEM ABROAD.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, MR. SCHNABL MAY BE REACHED AT (404) 330-2000; FAX, (404) 330-2047.