MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Castelmec is changing the way offshore manufacturers do business in Latin America.
Latin America is one of the world’s most dynamic regions. Emerging economies and rising personal incomes create a business environment that offers growth opportunities as large as any in the world.
For offshore manufacturers, the region also presents significant business challenges. Latin America is not one market, it’s eighteen markets each with its’ own unique regulatory and logistical complexity. In addition, manufacturers are exposed to risks such as political instability and currency fluctuation that can create volatility in product demand.
At Castelmec, we developed a platform we call SDO (Sales Direct Outsource) to meet the challenges of operating in Latin America. SDO is a proprietary, proven sales process developed for Sharp Electronics, a Fortune 200 company. Frustrated with being excluded from the sales process by distributors and squeezed by large retailers, we created a new “ground up” approach providing direct sales to local market dealers and an e-commerce store for online ordering.
Our sales team, headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay prospected extensively in each Latin American market and created an exclusive database of thousands of local market dealers. The result is a new channel that provides broad market penetration and a diverse customer base for your product. We are now expanding our business to offer SDO services to other companies that want to sell products in Latin America.
The SDO service provides each client with a dedicated sales team that works exclusively for you and your product. Once we establish a client relationship, we will not sell a competing product. This allows you to think of Castelmec as your sales team, scheduling regular meetings and developing marketing campaigns based on direct market feedback.
Our approach to the market also reduces inventory and currency risk. Product is pre-sold to your local market customer. Once sold, the Castelmec shipping and logistics team is the industry leader in moving your product efficiently through customs and into the local market for delivery or customer pick-up. This reduces the inherent risks of holding large inventories at local market distributors.
Back office operations are managed and coordinated through our centralized contact center and one of our in-country offices located throughout Latin America. We even provide event management support giving your product visibility at local trade shows and product conferences.
Each client relationship begins with a complete assessment of your products potential for growth in the region as a whole and in the individual markets making up the region. If the opportunity is attractive, we develop a pro-forma profit and loss statement and a sales and marketing plan for accessing the target markets. Our 20 years of on the ground experience in the region, database of thousands of dealers and extensive customs data provide you with the foundation to make informed business decisions.
The cornerstone of the SDO service is our proprietary ERP system. The system provides real-time access to your data through our web portal giving complete transparency into your customer’s purchase behavior. Built on a fully SAS 70 Type II certified cloud computer system, we offer complete CRM, financial reporting, multi-currency transaction processing and e-commerce functionality. We can even offer electronic dashboard capabilities customized to your specific key performance measures so that you can track your business anywhere, including via your mobile device.
I am confident that our years of on the ground experience, distinctive approach to the market and modern infrastructure will ensure the greatest success for your products. Castelmec invites you to access one of the world’s fastest growing regions and let us lead the way.