/ EXPORTS 1. Your company is among the manufacturers with the highest exports. When did you start exporting significant amounts and which were the main difficulties you were forced to overcome? 2. Which are the current difficulties for exporting? 3. At present, what percentage do exports represent on your income statement? 4. What countries are your main clients? Which ones are potentially interesting and why? xpanding market? 5. Asian countries, are they an interesting e the large clients and human resources for establishing Lurdes Tirapu, responsable de ourselves all over the world with high quality and rigour. marqueting de Fagor Arrasate. The current sectors require close implementations, local plants, local service... all this requires significant finan- cing and a large group of high-value people. Let’s say that the image of the solitary sales person who packs a suit- case and goes travelling is no longer possible. 3. The figure is between 85 and 95%, depending on the years. 4. In America, these would be US, Canada, Mexico, Argentina 1. The exporting vocation of Fagor Arrasate could already be and Brazil. In Europe, Germany, Poland, Russia, the UK, seen in the early days, in the early 1960s, when the France, Romania, the Netherlands, Sweden and within company still used its original name ‘Talleres Arrasate’ this framework, we could also consider Turkey. In so far and it was just starting to explore the American markets, as Africa, we would be talking of South Africa and Egypt, mainly Mexico. Success was soon to arrive and this while in Asia, India, China and Japan. But we can’t forget encouraged the company to continue its work abroad, Australia. extending its markets in Europe and nearly all of America. In so far as potentially interesting, and which are not yet on It was as of 1988 we internationalisation took on a strate- all the lists (such as China, India, Russia, USA, Germany, gic nature, opening the first own branches, enlarging the Turkey or Brazil) we come across Vietnam, Thailand, sales network to nearly 70 countries and signing collabo- Malaysia, Indonesia and a few of the former Soviet Repu- ration contracts with third parties in the more developed blics, as well as a few African countries which in the mid- countries. In the late 1990s, the sales of Fagor Arrasate term are going to receive new iron and steel plants or are mainly abroad, with figures always exceeding 80% automotive manufacturing plants. every year and branches which were firmly established in 5. There is no doubt about it. Within the iron and steel sector, several countries. At last, in 2008, the company took the China represents 50% of the world’s production and manufacturing leap with the construction of FMMTK, our consumption. In the automotive sector, it is the one with plant in China, close to Shanghai. the most growth and with tremendous expectations. India “Clients have become more globalised and they require suppliers who are long- term partners and who follow them throughout their projects” In the beginning, the main difficulties were to find human and China still have a steel consumption per capita which resources capable for performing the exporting action in is 30 times lower than in Europe and there are about 20 so far as languages, idiosyncrasy, technical knowledge, times less cars per inhabitant than in western countries. etc., and on the other hand, ensuring the brand was The growth and potential are tremendous. / acknowledged throughout the entire world, given that, in general, Spain was not associated with technology and advanced machinery. Also the need for providing service to faraway locations. Financial resources for growing at the same rhythm as 2. In our sectors –automobile, steel, electrical appliances– the clients have become globalised in such a way that they require suppliers who are long-term partners and who are capable of following them to wherever they set up. This entails that one can no longer go out and sell, one must now offer a comprehensive service: Sale, after-sale service, consultancy, ‘simultaneous engineering’, etc., in short, sharing the clients’ evolution. And this leads to a need for significant financial and human resources. / 21