Maui Jim

 

Building their trade in shades:

Maui Jim Inc.

Sometimes even successful businesses need help learning the universal language of sales.

Having begun as a sunglass kiosk on a beach in Hawaii, Maui Jim, Inc. is no stranger to growth. By 1998, Maui Jim, Inc. had grown from its small beachside beginnings to a nationwide distributor and manufacturer of high-quality eyewear. With offices in Hawaii, Canada and mainland U.S.A., Maui Jim was a successful business by anybody’s standards. But the people behind Maui Jim had their eyes on making even bigger waves in the international market.

The question was how to get there. While those running the company knew a lot about domestic markets and business in general, no one could claim expertise in the realm of international trade.

For the knowledge and advice they needed, Maui Jim, Inc. turned to Bradley University’s Turner Center for Entrepreneurship (TCE). Maui Jim Logistics Manager Chris Bessert began by attending a TCE seminar on foreign exchange. Chris found it to be so helpful, he decided to give TCE a call.

The Turner Center for Entrepreneurship directed the management team of Maui Jim to the International Trade Center (ITC) and its director Jim Foley. Jim began by meeting with the company’s principals and listening to their questions about duties and international regulations. He answered what he could, then researched solutions to their other questions.

“Jim was willing to be our sounding board,” Chris said. “He was open to any and all questions, and if he didn’t have the answer at hand, he knew how to point us in the right direction for the in-depth knowledge we needed.”

Before long, Maui Jim’s move paid off. The International Trade Center helped Maui Jim, Inc. work through its challenges and establish international sales. Since working with the ITC, international sales now represents a significant percentage of Maui Jim, Inc.’s total sales and the company boasts eight offices in foreign countries.

“It’s great to see a company commit to international growth and stick to it. It’s so exciting to see such success and the commitment to growing,” said Jim.

As Maui Jim continues to globalize, different challenges present themselves regularly. The ITC and TCE continue to advise the company on subjects such as planning and analysis of markets, tariffs, product classification, international documentation, and competitive analysis.

“We look at the International Trade Center as a business partner,” Chris said. “They’ve been an incredible resource."