Business development partner of innovative Scandinavian organizations in North America

An innovative material handling equipment manufacturer wanted a database of the most suitable distributors for their equipment. They provided an extensive list of typical products a prospective distributor might sell. This gave us a jumpstart, and we had a list of more than 150 potential North American distributors in the first meeting after creating the project plan. In the meeting, we discussed the prioritization of the distributors and our suggestions about other products that could be sold by the potential distributor.

The end report had more than 200 potential distributors, of which 39 were identified as particularly prospective candidates. Those candidates were categorized based on company size estimation, presented brands, special material handling products, and geographical coverage. A PowerPoint slide was created for each of the 39 distributors, as pictures are very important when reviewing the suitability of a distributor’s product selection.

As a conclusion, we made a top 3 list for geographical locations: Canada West, Canada East, USA West, USA Midwest, USA South, and USA East. Also, based on the geographical locations of the best distributors, we could make a reasonable assumption about the best market area. We obtained some verification from other sources that the area with the best distributors indeed seems to be the best location for the company’s business.

150+ Canadian energy plants, pulp, and pellet mills were identified and researched for a technology provider. All mills and plants were categorized by size based on their estimated biomass usage. Pictures of the plants and mills were also collected and analyzed. After our own analyses, we interviewed industry experts (1 research institution, 2 technology providers and a mill) about the suitability of our client’s innovation for the Canadian market.

Based on the interviews conducted and additional data gathered, we created a shortlist of the most promising prospective customers. We also collected the contact details of their decision-makers.

The project delivery included an Excel database with company and decision-maker contact data. Additionally, a 40-page PowerPoint presentation was delivered that included information on how the mill processes work in the specific area of interest, equipment used in Canada, current challenges perceived by prospective clients, an overview of the industry standards, etc.

Several states were selected as the target market for a Nordic Forest product manufacturing company. The company has extensive exports in several countries and has decided to expand its distribution network in the U.S. The company needed more distributors to increase its geographical coverage. One of the key criteria for identifying prospective distributors was a good strategic fit with the distributors’ product portfolio, and other products carried brands.

Forest Joensuu (Forest Bioeconomy Cluster of the City of Joensuu) contracted Nordic Trading House to gain market understanding from North American forest bioeconomy markets and create an efficient way of collaborating between the Forest Joensuu Bio Innovation Ecosystem and its members and networks in North America. In the project, British Columbia, Canada and the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington State) were chosen to be analyzed further, and the insights were shared in a webinar presentation.

The project was also a follow-up to a Canadian delegation’s visit to Finland. The project began with a survey of 31 delegation members, yielding 22 responses. The survey confirmed the delegation’s success and provided valuable insights into Canadian interests and the applicability of Finnish technologies in British Columbia. The results were shared in a webinar, and many follow-up webinars were hosted based on the feedback received. One of the highlights was an innovation exchange webinar that aimed at fostering collaboration and increasing business and R&D activities, featuring presentations from nine companies and projects. With 78 registrants, the event facilitated network building, received excellent feedback, and resulted in business for Finnish businesses.