Photo: At left is Don Wilfong, Vice President International Sales of Innovative Technology, Inc., with his Hong Kong distributor Eric Tam of BBT Network Company Limited and Commercial Specialist Fanny Chau of Commercial Service.

Florida Company Gets Charged Up with Sales in China

Hong Kong is a good market on its own and an excellent gateway to mainland China, as Florida-based Innovative Technology, Inc. found out. The Commercial Service Hong Kong helped the company find distributors, leading to equipment sales of more than $1.2 million.

Last March, Vice President of International Sales Don Wilfong contacted the Commercial Service's Export Assistance Center in Clearwater, Florida. Trade Specialist George Martinez contacted his colleague Fanny Chau in Hong Kong, who initiated an International Partner Search for the firm. Commercial Service offices throughout the world find buyers, distributors and business partners who are perfectly matched with the needs of U.S. suppliers in hundreds of different industries.

Chau found seven qualified candidates within two weeks, and Wilfong met with them last May, selecting three as distributors, covering the Hong Kong area and the China mainland. One of the distributors sold over $1 million worth of electrical equipment to China Mobile, and another distributor sold $20,000 to a local buyer.

"Hong Kong is a key gateway for U.S. small and medium-size enterprises to enter China," says Barry Friedman, Senior Commercial Officer in Hong Kong. You can get a secure foothold here, where English is spoken, and the rules for conducting business are ones we are familiar with."

As a way of continuing to grow the company, Innovative Technology began aggressively targeting international markets in the late 1990s. A leader in supplying high quality products to solve electrical transmission problems, the company has established distribution networks in more than 25 countries.