Pure Michigan Export Program

Company: Air Lift Company

Location: Lansing, MI

Products/Industry: Air Spring Suspension

Top Five Countries Exporting to: United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany and Brazil

Air Lift Company has developed dependable air spring suspension products since its inception in 1949. The early years of stock car racing proved Air Lift’s air springs’ supreme versatility. Air Lift’s products were widely used for twenty years by most every stock car racing team, and its cars were among the top competitors on the NASCAR Grand National Circuit.  Today, Air Lift Company is proud of its racing roots and is committed to customizing its products for their customers needs on the road.

Air Lift Company works constantly to create new innovative products and upgrade existing products with the latest technology. The company has an extensive list of products and services including load support products, air helper springs, no-drill applications, custom solutions for suspension and air compression systems, and air lift performance products for full air suspension replacement, and compressor systems for lowered performance vehicles. Air Lift Company is so committed to quality and innovation that it has received the most awards dealing with air suspension in history from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

For several years, Air Lift Company has received STEP grant incentives from the Pure Michigan Export Program part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Most recently, Air Lift Co. was able to attend trade shows around the globe, meet with potential international distributers, network with leaders in international trade, and expand their products functionality by selling within new markets.

“The Pure Michigan Export Program has helped our company achieve great success,” said Krista DeJonge, chief financial officer at Air Lift Company. “Thanks to support from the export program, our company has had the opportunity to grow exponentially overseas, which has greatly improved our sales.”

Air Lift Company is looking ahead to how it would like to utilize funding from the Pure Michigan Export Program in 2014.  Air Lift expects increased sales within many of its international markets, particularly in the United Kingdom, the company’s top overseas export country.

“The Pure Michigan Export Program specifically helped us reach out to new distributers in the United Kingdom in 2013,” said Krista DeJonge. “Next year, we expect sales in the United Kingdom to continue to grow and even double in size. Because of our sales efforts that occurred in 2013 that the export program helped us with, our sales will increase even more over the course of the next several years.”

Air Lift Company believes the staff at the Pure Michigan Export Program has been very helpful, and they expect to continue to build connections with their staff in 2014. Specifically, export program representatives have notified Air Lift about new trade opportunities and have been incredibly helpful performing administrative tasks. 

Overall, Air Lift Company’s return on investment (ROI) has been positive while working with the Pure Michigan Export Program. Air Lift has seen significant growth in sales of products that traditionally have made up a smaller percentage of their overall sales, which they directly credit the Pure Michigan Export Program. Air Lift Company expects their ROI to continue to increase with the help of the export program in 2014.