Case Study: STAKA
Project details
Customer
Staka
Our services
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market entry support
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founding a GmbH
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German representation
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customer service
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german virtual address
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marketing support
The Dutch company Staka develops, manufactures, and sells roof windows for flat roofs. The company is successful in the Netherlands, is one of the market leaders and is growing steadily. Three years before the start of the cooperation with INDIPA, there were initial enquiries and some individual orders from Germany. Based on a market analysis, the German market was considered very attractive (market potential, average order volume, price level), which retrospectively proved to be true.
Staka products require some explanation. They are often planned and tendered by planners or architects and then purchased by roofers, either directly or through distribution channels This results in the difficulty of multi-level distribution and the need for qualified advice from architects, distributors, and roofers. This advice could not be provided from the Netherlands, due to the lack of appropriate language qualifications. Moreover, the market analysis showed, that German companies prefer to contact German suppliers, as they do not expect communication problems here, nor legal or cultural problems in the further course of the business relationship. At the beginning of the cooperation with INDIPA, Staka had neither German employees nor a German subsidiary or representation.
Impressions
Cooperation with INDIPA
INDIPA as full-service partner
Staka uses INDIPA as a full-service partner in the German market.
INDIPA provides a German business address, which is used first as the German representation, and meanwhile as the registered office for Staka’s German subsidiary.
In addition, INDIPA acts as the German sales office for Staka. This means that INDIPA’s employees process customer enquiries and take over all other activities (correspondence, translations, reminders) that occur in a sales department.
INDIPA also supports Staka’s marketing, for example by reviewing its Google Adwords campaign, revising product information or improving the homepage.
As personal Staka representatives, INDIPA’s employees have visited several construction sites to adequately advise customers or to work out technical solutions, or as stand crew at trade fairs.
In addition, INDIPA has a well-functioning network, so that legal issues or insurance matters can also be resolved quickly and without complications.
Right from the start, INDIPA’s employees are intensively trained on Staka’s products and their knowledge is constantly kept up to date – just like the other permanent Staka employees. Regular talks and personal visits to Staka’s head office in Oosterhout (NL) also serve this purpose. In addition to the operational matters of day-to-day business, dealing with the German market is also continuously improved.
Result
Quick and succesful expansion on the German market
Staka was able to launch the expansion of its sales activities on the German market quickly. The time-consuming and costly set-up of its own infrastructure fell away. From the point of view of its customers, Staka is fully and professionally represented on the German market, with a high degree of flexibility and low fixed costs. Staka is successful in the German market.
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All-round representation on the German market
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High degree of flexibility
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Successful on the German market
Customer’s feedback
“INDIPA organises our entire German customer service. INDIPA is integrated into our own organisation and contributes to the professional image we like to have. It is impressive how flexible, yet professional INDIPA is. The cooperation has led to strong sales growth in Germany, and the success we are having proofs that we made the right decision!”
Staka Managing Director, Eric Masclee