Shanghai, China—For the second year in a row, Domotex asia/ChinaFloor will host a delegation of leading North American distributors to meet with suppliers from China and Asia. The week-long event will include guided factory tours and previews of product and new emerging technologies as well as a chance to visit exhibitors of the 19th edition of the show, which will take place March 21-23, 2017, in Shanghai, China. Building on the success of last year’s program, the goal is to facilitate further collaboration between the two groups.
While Asia is known to be a leader in product development and innovation, doing business in Asia can still be daunting for many North American companies. “This trip is designed to break down the barriers between Asia’s leading suppliers and North American distributors through greater understanding and shared business objectives,” said Santiago Montero, former publisher and editor-in-chief of Floor Covering Weekly, who has been tapped to lead next year’s delegation.
“This first-hand look at the quality and scope of Asian manufacturing operations will help foster new ties with North American distributors. Through a series of guided factory tours and face-to-face meetings, along with frank peer-to-peer discussions among group members themselves, we know we can help distributors deepen their ties with Asian manufacturers to help their businesses grow and thrive in today’s highly competitive market.”
Enos Farnsworth, director of distribution for Denver Hardwoods, noted, “The 2016 distributor delegation trip to Domotex asia/ChinaFloor was the most productive trip of the year. This was my first trip to China and I was overwhelmed by the innovation and quality of the manufacturing facilities. In fact, we scheduled follow-up meetings with three manufacturers; the new partnerships we developed are part of a private label program our Consolidated Distribution Network will be launching in Q1, 2017.”
Jeff Jaeckle, president, Jaeckle Distributors, added, “For me, the trip confirmed that the major factories in China are definitely high-quality operations. I was very pleased with the technology and investment I saw as well as product development. Being there also expanded my education on dealing with China on a direct basis. And just as important, it’s not often when you have the opportunity network and trade ideas with a great group of peers for five days.”
The 2017 delegation will include some of North America’s leading distribution companies, including J.J. Haines, Herregan, A-M Supply and Abraham Linc.
In addition to hosted factory tours, delegates will attend Domotex asia/ChinaFloor, one of the flooring industry’s largest international events. With over 50,000 attendees from all over the world, the event delivers an unparalleled opportunity to see products that are making their debut.
Two attendees will win a spot with the delegation through a dedicated online drawing. The entry is open to qualified owners/executives or buyers of North American-based distributors or retail organizations who fill and submit the participation form. The deadline for applications will be Jan. 15, 2017.
“I’ve attended Domotex asia/ChinaFloor for nearly 10 years now and each year I find something new and exciting in product development as well as a renewed effort by Asian suppliers to become more meaningful to their North American business partners,” Montero said. “It truly has been a transformative experience for the global flooring industry.”