Pure Michigan Export Program

Company: Rugged Liner    

Location: Owosso, Michigan

Products/Industry: Quality Aftermarket and OEM Truck Accessories

Top 5 Countries Exporting to: Middle East (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South America (Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Peru), Caribbean and Central America, Russia, China

After creating a strong foothold in the automotive industry and influence in the Mid-Michigan area, the Williamson family of Flint decided to expand their business domain from exclusively car dealerships to aftermarket truck accessories. In 1996, the Williamson’s accomplished this by establishing Rugged Liner in Owosso, Michigan. For years the company found success locally and nationally, but when the recession hit the United States truck sales declined. Rugged Liner CEO Scott Williamson began diversifying products and shipping internationally. In 2012, the company signed its first contracts with original equipment manufacturers in the United States and Mexico. Later that same year Rugged Liner was introduced to the Pure Michigan Export Program.

“I was hesitant to get involved at first,” said Yannick Greiner, director of international sale for Rugged Liner. “I thought there would be a lot of paper work involved and red tape that I didn’t want to invest my time in. But they were persistent in not only telling us but showing us how easy the process was.”

After accepting the STEP grant incentives from the Pure Michigan Export Program, Rugged Liner had the opportunity in September 2012 to attend a trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. In November they were able to attend an international trade show in Las Vegas, which they returned to in November 2013. These shows allowed Rugged Liner to make significant expansions with its customer base. Greiner said that the company saw immediate results, and within a month of attending they were shipping products overseas to important markets like Russia and Germany.

“It was really important for us to have a presence at these trade shows, “ said Yannick Greiner, director of international sales for Rugged Liner. “It gave us the chance to maintain relationships with current customers and to introduce them to our new products. It also allowed us to capture the interests of new potential customers.”

In addition to attending the Las Vegas show in 2013, Rugged Liner was also able to take part in Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Trade Mission: China. With China’s growing demand for American made full-size pick-up trucks, Rugged Liner saw this as the best approach to enter the Chinese market. While showcasing their products at this tradeshow, Rugged Liner was able to engage all of their current Chinese customers as well as speak with potential customers from the Middle East and Africa. As a result of this trade show experience, China now accounts for a large proportion of their international sales, which today reaches to over 70 countries.

“If we hadn’t had the assistance from the Pure Michigan Export Program we could not have attended the trade show in China independently,” said Greiner. “They made it so easy for us too. We simply showed up with our product and were ready to sell. The increase in our international sales and the recognition and publicity we’ve received from these shows is truly a testament to how beneficial the Pure Michigan Export Program has been for Rugged Liner.”