Thinking globally: Don and Cathy Schwarz visit Washington, D.C.

Don and Cathy Schwarz received an e-mail June 30 from their son Nick asking what they were doing the following Thursday.  The owners of Jonti-Craft in Wabasso had been invited to an event in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the recent progress of President Barack Obama’s trade agenda.

Two days later Don and Cathy Schwarz were in the nation’s capital rubbing shoulders with dignitaries and making connections that may just help their business internationally.  The story of their arrival in Washington, D.C. actually begins a few months earlier in February when Tom Franta, Jonti-Craft executive vice-president, took part in a conference call with state and federal leaders to express support for additional and expanded free trade agreements.

According to Cathy Schwarz, Jonti-Craft began opening its business beyond the boundaries of the United States and North America in 2009, and in the years since the start of its international efforts it has encountered the kinds of issues the company be-lieves need to be addressed for them to be successful on a global level.  Jonti-Craft had been selected by the White House to take part in the call and the subsequent trade progress celebration, be-cause it is a small business in the United States that could be helped by expanded trade agreements.

During the February conference call, Franta stated education funding allocated for furniture hit its peak in 2008, and since then has been relatively flat.

“So, in 2009 we started looking internationally to increase our sales,”?said Franta, adding the company also hired an international sales manager and began the search for international business partners.  According to Cathy, doing business in other parts of the world is quite a bit different than what Jonti-Craft has experienced domestically. She said that includes working with different types of partners.

For example, she said in the United States work is typically done with dealers related specifically to an industry, while in other countries it might mean working with others who have a more indirect connection, such as a furniture dealer or book store.  “We pair up with people who are passionate about education,” said Cathy, adding at times that can be hard to identify.  A trade agreement, such as the Trans-Pacific Part-nership (TPP), would be good for Jonti-Craft and its international trade efforts, as it helps to level the playing field and ensure all in-volved in the agreement are playing by the same rules.

Jonti-Craft is currently working in more than 25 nations around the world, and it has emerging efforts in areas of Central and South America, said Schwarz, adding at first the international focus happened because of others who were looking for the kind of product Jonti-Craft manufactures.  “They found us,” she said, adding that helped to convince them they could take steps to expand into other parts of the world.  Click here to read the complete article!