Pure Michigan Export
Program
Company: Amigo Mobility Case Study
Location: Bridgeport, MI
Products/Industry: Electric Scooters
Top Six Countries Exporting to: Mexico, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom,
Australia, Czech Republic
Al
Thieme was a young man working as a plumbing and heating contractor in
Bridgeport, Mich. when a family member began to lose her mobility due to
multiple sclerosis. Witnessing this loss of independence, he worked in the
evenings, after his day job, to create an innovative form of mobility. Thieme
went on to invent the first ever power operated vehicle/scooter – the Amigo.
Named for being the “friendly wheelchair,” Amigo Mobility International, Inc.
was founded on November 12, 1968 and an entire industry was born.
Today,
the headquarters occupies nearly 52,000 square feet of space, including a 2008
addition of 22,000 square feet to the assembly and warehouse areas. The company
is passionate about Improving Lives Through Mobility®. Today the Amigo is sold in a variety of
different markets, signifying the company’s commitment to customer service,
function and innovative design.
For several years, Amigo
Mobility International has received STEP grant incentives from the Pure
Michigan Export Program part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
Most recently, Amigo Mobility was able to attend trade shows around the globe,
meet with potential international distributers, attend trade workshops in
Michigan, implement market research techniques, network with leaders in
international trade, and expand their products functionality by selling within
new markets.
“Working with representatives
from the Pure Michigan Export Program has been a very positive experience,”
said Jennifer Thieme Kehres, account manager at Amigo Mobility International.
“Thanks to support from the export program, our company has had the opportunity
to do business in countries and markets we’ve never reached out to before,
which has increased our sales.”
Amigo Mobility International is looking ahead to how they
would like to utilize funding from the Pure Michigan Export Program in 2014.
Amigo Mobility expects increased sales within all of their international
markets including the healthcare market for people with disabilities, the
commercial businesses market for large grocery stores and malls, and the
amusement market for amusement parks and zoos around the globe. The export
program will help Amigo Mobility plan its attendance at the largest retail
trade show in the world, held in Dusseldorf, Germany, in an effort to find more
European distributors.
“We’re excited to see how the Pure Michigan Export Program
will help us reach our goals for 2014,” said Jennifer Thieme Kehres. “Since our involvement with
the program we’ve seen our company grow significantly, and we expect that
pattern to continue next year.”
Amigo Mobility International 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 helped Amigo Mobility International brainstorm new ideas
for selling in new markets, work with international government agencies, build
contacts, and conduct market research.
Overall, Amigo Mobility International’s return on investment
(ROI) has been positive while working with the Pure Michigan Export Program. In
2013, Amigo’s return on investment was approximately 1220% as a result from
support from the Pure Michigan Export Program and the new markets in Mexico,
Canada and the United Kingdom in which it helped the company connect. The export program’s effect on Amigo’s return
on investment can seen more clearly when looking at a specific sales example.
In May 2013 Amigo’s ROI for a tradeshow in the United Kingdom was 191%. After
including the STEP grant incentives allotted toward that particular trade show,
Amigo’s ROI increased to approximately 460%. Amigo Mobility International
expects their ROI to continue to be positive with the help of the export
program in 2014.