Local companies see exports as sure way to grow business (Dayton, Ohio)

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Source: Dayton Daily News

So in 2001, Fisher opened a sales office in Germany, even though his Xenia firm, which makes pincers or “hands” placed on the ends of some robotic arms, was then just five years old. He understood that U.S. companies must concentrate on markets abroad as the domestic economy improves.

Today, exports comprise 20 percent of SAS Automation’s sales. Fisher wants to push that to 25 percent. Exports are a “big part” of how SAS survives, Fisher said. If the companies were “dependent (only) on this market here, we would have a tough time.”

Steve Berglund is chief executive of Trimble, which provides positioning products such as GPS systems, lasers and more to construction, engineering and agricultural markets worldwide. He sees more “upside” to future sales outside the U.S. than within the U.S. Today, Trimble’s sales are about evenly split between domestic and foreign markets, Berglund said. But he expects to possibly double sales to India this year and he has his eye on Africa as well.

“Right now, China is the second largest country for us, after the U.S., which would have been unthinkable maybe five, six years ago,” Berglund said.



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