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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 99CI1UMPION here is a certain ethereal quality about doing ltusiness internationally from a small town Mark Sully, Champion's vice- president, marketing, admits, but to be effective requires a good measure of innovation. And the marketing arm of the company, which is one of the largest export marketing groups in Canada, r both intlwvAtive and effective. Marketing strategy has become one of the company's strengths as it strives for a larger share of the international road grader business and Mr. Sully frankly admits that Champion "does a better job of selling and servicing" its product. We have to differentiate ourselves from our competitors,' Mr. Sully suggests. "We have to be selective and do what we do better. Marketing methods are antiquated in the industry. We use the latest techniques because we want better coverage in the marketplace." The world, literally, is Champion's marketplace and Mr. Sully is quick to caution that while the company is based in Goderich, it has responsibilities in many countries where it sells and manufactures its product. A large company, in terms of retailing and manufacturing, Champion deals with those components as separate companies and organizations. Formerly employed as a consultant with The Television Bureau in Toronto, Mr. Sully readily recognizes the power of the medium of television in communicating with both customers and employees. "Our marketing system is based on audio-visual and all our salesmen sell with the system. It's easy, it's compact and it's effective and• unique," Mr. Sully explained. "It has worked in marketing and it is a good communication tool within t e company. Today, employees more (through Newsbreak) than ever before. And it's important in that it helps eliminate anxiety." Champion's sales and service is critical for the company to be successful in the export market. But, cautions Mr. Sully, Champion first had to prove itself on its own turf. "To be successful in the export market, you have to be successful at home," he says adding that the company's market share in Ontario and Canada would rival, any company's penetration in a market. "We had a dominance here but we had to look for new markets for • growth. We standardized our product and we only manufacture one thing. It's interesting, people will look at us and ask how we can survive without being a full -line manufacturer. We just focus on one thing and we can be• better because we don't have to compromise.' 9 What the company has been able GSSIWednesday, Nov 5, 1986 Mark Sully Mark Sully, dice -president Marketing to accomplish is to attract a strong dealer network, which is critical, considering the product is sold through independent distributors. However, to remain cornpetoitivee in a market, the company had evaluate the way it did business and find a more cost-effective way to produce graders. The implementation of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) will make the company more account,44e, Mr. Sully says, adding that the formalizes sysleiu ,�,.. ••�-r the company meet future market challenges. "MRP tells us what our capabilities are with respect to financing, manufacturing, delivery and inventory and it also allows us optimum flexibility," he said. "We have a single product and take a focused approach. The basic concept of our product hasn't changed all that much. But we have to be able to react to the market more quickly and we're forced to recognize problems faster. We can't ignore the realities of the market but we can try and get better at what we do." The"company made the tough decisions when required during the recession of 1982 and Mr. Sully contends that the fringe players are no longer in business. Champion, however, strengthened its position by reacting to the market conditions. "I think we're there," Sully said confidently. "We're the cost producer of graders in North American and we may be the low cost manufacturer. We've committed major capital expenditures for cost reduction and while we've looked at other sources, we couldn't find any big savings. We may spend more in research and development. The company is working on goals and a "pretty tight overall program" to make Champion a competitive player in the international market. And a major reason why the company will continue to meet its objectives, Sully believes, is due to the commitment of its employees. We have a unique relationship with our employees and through vehicles like Neybreak, I think we're honest with them," he explained. "We can talk to all groups of people within the company through Newsbreak and we can do it instantly. We also enjoy a rare relationship with the union." Champion's marketing strategy is an ambitious and innovative program designed to keep the company in the forefront of the grader industry. And with manufacturing concerns in several s countries and Champ graders toiling in over 86 countries around the world, it's obvious the strategy is paying dividends. The world Is Champion's market.