Rexton Business Breakfast by Dirk P. Stewart On October 22, 2004 at the Rexton Village Café, I attended a Business Breakfast. The guest speaker at this event was Mr. Allen Doyle of Global Windows. Allen Doyle is a graduate of Mount Allison University and received a degree in Industrial Engineering at the Technical University of Nova Scotia. For the past 20 years he has been in the window manufacturing business in Atlantic Canada. He began his career in 1983 with Schurman Industries in PEI, moving to Kohler Windows in 1988 where he worked for 13 years in various management roles. During his term as plant manager at Kohler the company dramatically increased its export activity to the American Northeast. In 1997 he took on the responsibility for Product Development and Planning with a specific emphasis on the U.S. market. In 1992 Doyle took on the role of General Manager for Global Windows in Richibucto. The company has seen significant growth over the past three years by developing new markets in Nova Scotia and Maine. Enterprise Kent organised the breakfast presentation in conjunction with Small Business Week. The early morning audience (7:30am start) received the PowerPoint presentation, which was done very well, with the audience interacting with several great questions. Keynote points in Doyle’s presentation on Exporting and Gaining New Markets were: do your homework on your chosen market, do not sacrifice delivery time, streamline production with lean manufacturing techniques while at the same time never letting standards decrease. These factors allowed their windows to enter the mid to upscale range of the US market. They aimed their product at distributors who were familiar with dealing with Canadian Companies. One of the biggest features Global offered was a Lifetime Warranty on all their products beyond the competition's 25Years. Several other factors allowed them to enter the US market including their website with American specifications and prices and a 2-3 week delivery guarantee, something unheard of in the US marketplace. Being only five and a half hours away from Portland, Maine, put them closer to New England than Ontario or other locations in the United States. Having a 1-800 phone number is also a necessity when doing business across the border.   Dirk P. Stewart is a multitalented Miramichier. A singer, songwriter, musician, folklorist, entrepreneur and more, Dirk works with the Mighty Kent Online Community. To comment on this article e-mail dirk@mightykent.com. Email this Article   |   Giv'er Atlantic Canada!