[share] The Quincy Area Safety Council (QASC) will sponsor OSHA General Industry Courses July 18 – 21 at Vatterott College in Quincy.  The OSHA 10-hour General Industry Course will take place from 8am-5pm Monday, July 18 – Tuesday July 19. The OSHA 30-hour General Industry Course will take place 8am-5pm Monday, July 18 – Thursday, July 21.

The OSHA 10-hour program is designed and intended to provide instruction on a variety of general industry safety and health standards to entry-level workers. The course emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention. Registration fees are $175 for members (with a $25 member discount for each additional student from the same employer) and $195 for non-members.

The OSHA 30-hour program is more comprehensive than the 10-hour general industry program. It is designed for anyone involved in general industry, especially personnel responsible for supervision, management, safety and the company’s employees. The course emphasizes hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention. Registration fees are $425 for members (with a $25 member discount for each additional student from the same employer) and $450 for non-members.

Thomas Grey, CHCM, President, Grey & Associates, Champaign Illinois is the instructor. Tom Grey is a highly skilled trainer and coach in employer and employee development of safety performance. Tom has over 28 years of hands on experience as a former plant manager, safety manager, human resources manager and quality control manager in manufacturing, distribution and trucking industries.

Tom is a graduate from the University of Illinois and a US Army Veteran. He is a trained Industrial Designer, Humane Resources Generalist, Board Certified Hazard Control Manager (CHCM) and OSHA Outreach Trainer. Tom has been trained in the OSHA Outreach OSHA 501 General Industry 10-hour and 30-hour Trainer Program. He is also authorized to instruct for the National Safety Education Center and the OSHA Training Institute on the OSHA 511 General Industry Course and SHA 501 General Industry Train-the-Trainer Course.

Download the Registration Form. For more information visit www.qasc.org or call 217.224.0149 or email qasc@adams.net. 

The mission of the Quincy Area Safety Council is to improve safety in Quincy and the surrounding area through a network of safety-minded individuals acting to predict, prevent, and minimize accidents.

By Jim Foley, Director – Turner Center Operations
Illinois SBDC International Trade Center

[share] Selecting the right foreign partner in a new country is a critical marketing decision. The right partner can lead to new sales and profits. The wrong partner may mean significant lost sales, poor branding and ultimately withdrawal from the market. For most companies, their first foreign partner is their agent or distributor. As that partner will be doing most of the marketing activities in the country, getting the right partner is crucial.

A firm must begin by detailing what it wants from the foreign partner. How much of the sales and marketing burden will be pushed on to the partner? If the exporter is planning to open a distribution facility, then much of the logistics issues will be handled by the exporter rather than the partner. Similarly, if the exporter is planning to open an overseas sales/marketing office, there are considerably less expectations from the partner.

Following are some of the issues to consider when choosing a partner. These will help identify the potential strengths or weaknesses of each partner as well as the opportunities and threats they face in the country and industry in which they operate. These same strengths and weaknesses need to fit with the strengths and weaknesses of the exporter, and the opportunities and threats need to match with the international goals of the exporter. This may be difficult to achieve, which is why the selection of a foreign partner is most commonly selecting the ‘best’ partner among a list of considerations rather then finding the ‘ideal’ partner.

Product Lines Currently Represented: One of the best indicators will be the product lines (brands) the potential partner already represents. This reveals a great deal about their experience, strengths and focus. There may be some lines that would be competitive with the manufacturer’s product and preclude any potential for a representation agreement. This is particularly important for exclusive representation agreements. Manufacturers want to avoid ‘line collectors’ – companies that try to represent as many product lines as possible in hopes that ultimately one or two will be huge successes.

Industry Focus and Technical Knowledge: Most agents and distributors focus on particular industries. Though their focus may not be a perfect match, it can be used as a guide. If particular technical knowledge is required, such capabilities will need to be identified.

Years of Experience: Manufacturers are sometimes attracted to relatively new agents and distributors that may be more aggressive given their relative need to grow and succeed versus other competitors in the market. On the other hand, a mature, experienced partner may have the needed contacts to ensure greater success for the exporter.

Sales Structure: This is a critical indicator. It describes how the foreign company sells and to whom. For example, does the distributor only sell to retail locations, but never to the end-user? Does the distributor sell to large accounts?

Current Customers: If research has determined that particular customers are crucial, such as government agencies, some clarification by the company needs to be made to ensure they will be contacted.

Customer Support: If training, parts distribution or product repairs will be necessary, determine what customer support functions the company is able to provide.

Office Locations: The location of the main office and any other offices will indicate the geographical sales focus of the company. It will help determine what part of the territory it can effectively cover.  

The Illinois SBDC International Trade Center can assist in finding suitable foreign partners. We subscribe to databases that list foreign companies by industry and sales activities. The State of Illinois Office of Trade and Investment offers direct assistance in finding and vetting foreign partners, as does the US DOC Peoria Export Assistance Center within the U.S. Commercial Service. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for your next partner search. For more information, call (309) 677-3075 or email illinoissbdcitc@bradley.edu.