New website for Lee Iwan

I have moved to a new website  LeeIwan.com!

Popular posts from the old site Lee Iwan Accumulated Experience will be updated and migrated, and new material added to the new site at breakneck speed.

By visiting and participating you will get insight and learn about the attitudes, actions and strategies that will increase results and reduce errors with international and Mexican business projects.

Examples:

• How to effectively start a business relationship in Mexico
• How to develop a strategic plan for the Mexican market
• How to develop a realistic business plan – objectives and chronologies
• How to creating trust and confidence from your first meeting
• The “right way” to approach Mexican business people
• How to find the right people in Mexico
• How to integrate the secrets of doing business in Mexico into your activities and communications
• How to avoid the most common mistakes that can sabotage you
• How to construct a solid base of reliable  knowledge and contacts
• How to focus and get results in each stage of business development:  investigation, cultivation, harvest
• How to create a positive image based on actions and deeds
• How to maximize your customer visits, trade fairs and commercial missions
• How to avoid cultural mistakes in Mexico
• How to use the power of patience to guarantee success
• How to use communications to avoid misunderstandings and increase commitment to the business
• How to avoid the stereotypes that will kill the deal
• How to find the decision-makers in Mexico
• How to find the resources and reliable information to make informed decisions
• How to understand the Mexican business environment, how business people think, what they consider important, how they make decisions and why
• How to surround yourself with support service experts to avoid costly start-up errors

Thanks for stopping by, please leave a comment, idea or your observations on how I might improve the site and information.

Lee

Website – Lee Iwan.com

Mexico Investment Portal

Aaron Burda and I have begun work on a very interesting (and hopefully useful) project.  Providing information and online links, in English, for foreign investors and businesses wishing to examine, analyze and evaluate Mexico for business operations.

The Mexico Investment Information Project (link)

We are a Creative Commons licensed project (i.e. not for profit) whose mission is to provide the best online resource to foreign businesses looking to invest in Mexico. Currently online is a very rough “mock up” of a website that we are planning to build over the next several months.

If you would like to participate in the project and feel you have some valuable expertise to contribute please apply for a userid.

Project History
The Investment Portal is a combination of two projects. Lee Iwan’s Business South of the Border Blog and Aaron Burda’s UC Davis Graduate School of Management Mexico Research Project. Both Lee and Aaron were convinced that the quality of the information available on the Internet about doing Business in Mexico could be substantially improved.

Project Future
We hope to organize the existing Internet English language resources about doing business in Mexico and add to it through having select volunteers write succinct articles on relevant business topics.

If you are a Banker, Lawyer, Accountant, Environmental Expert, HR Manager, Logistics Manager or other qualified and experienced individual with business expertise about Mexico and would like to provide information, advice, or website links to this project, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Related Information

Mexico Investment Portal

Understand Mexico Blog 

Business South of the Border 

Sourcing and supply chain strategy – Mexico

Purchasing from Mexico and Mexican suppliers?

Don Gringo at Catemaco News and Commentary brought these items to our attention.

Sourcing in Mexico gets easier.  The article points out that doing business with Mexico is easier than in the past.

• The proximity of Mexico to the US markets impacts communication, logistics, costs and time factors.
• Mexico has a history of dealing with the US, and are familiar with competitive manufacturing techniques.
• Relationships are critical to success.
• Beware of stereotypes.
• Take the time to find the “right” partner.
• Do’s and don’ts for doing business in Mexico

Does your supply chain strategy include Mexico?  It should.  Al Brown president of SupplyMex writes that Mexico offers:

• Logistics infrastructure, highways, rail and port system that has been improved over the past 10 years.
• Free trade agreements with 42 countries.
• Global production and quality standards.
• Stable political and economic environment.
• Skilled workforce.

Thanks Don.
Related Links

Purchasing.com

Why you should pay attention to free-trade treaties 

Maquiladoras in Mexico

Industrial and Business Parks in Mexico

Questions – Answers, Doing business in Mexico

Have any questions about how to do business in Mexico?

Any specific problems or dilemmas related to doing business in Mexico?

Questions about the business culture in Mexico or Mexican culture in general?

Would you like to know more about a specific theme related to Mexican business?

Need references or information about organizations, people or associations in Mexico?

Send your questions to me at   lee.iwan  at  gmail.com
or post a comment here.

Related Links

How to do business in Mexico

Official government websites of the 32 Mexican States 

The definitive dialing guide for calling Mexico

Shorten your learning curve about Mexico

Business South of the Border

Foreign direct investment in Guanajuato, Mexico

The State of Guanajuato, Mexico has over 572 companies with foreign capital registered and located in the state.

The following information has been translated from an article dated November 6, 2006, published in the newspaper Correo, by Vicente Ruiz, Link.

49% of these foreign companies in Guanajuato are involved in manufacturing, and 29% are commercial operations which together represent an investment greater than 1,000,000,000 (one billion US dollars).

Due to changes in laws regarding foreign investment in Mexico (in 1993, 1995, 2001), 90% of all economic activities in Mexico are completely open to foreign participation and investment.

Mexico’s growing national economy, free trade agreements with 32 countries and geographic location provide great economic and logistics advantages to companies opening operations in Mexico.

In Guanajuato, 50% of all the foreign companies are located in the city of Leon (281), followed by Irapuato (71) Celaya (52), San Miguel Allende (31), Silao (26), San Francisco del Rincon (25), Guanajuato (19) and the rest (67) throughout the state.

Guanajuato occupies the first position for foreign investment of the all the Mexican states in the North-Central region.

Principal industries in Guanajuato that received direct foreign investment include:

• The automotive industry received US $ 874.2 million
• Processed food industry (concentrates, preserved products) received US $ 99.1 million
• Manufacture of paper, cellulose and derivatives received US $ 18.9 million
• Commerce of non-agricultural items received US $ 17.3 million
• Chemical manufacturing received US $ 15.9 million
• Clothing manufacturing received US $ 7.5 million
• Textile manufacturing received US $ 5.2 million
• Plastics manufacturing received US $ 5.4 million
• Food products received US $ 4.8 million

Who has invested in the State of Guanajuato, Mexico:

Country…. Investment (Millions of US dollars)…… %

United States of America……..1’ 009, 214.00………..92.7

Holland………………23, 277.90………….2.1

Spain………………….18, 234.00………….1.7

Germany……………14, 267.30………….1.3

Denmark……………..4, 913.90………….0.5

Taiwan…………………4, 426.00………….0.4

Others………………..14, 549.60………….1.3

Total: USD $ 1’ 088, 882.70 (Millions)

Related Links

Aumenta inversion extrañjera en el Estado de Guanajuato: SE (Spanish)

Secretaria del Economia de Mexico (English)

State of Guanajuato webpage (English-Spanish)

Correo (Spanish)

Mexico manufacturing, US inventories and safety stock

Manufacturers are returning to Mexico after “experimenting” in the Asia Pacific region. Some of the big reasons for this return are ; to reduce time to market, eliminate the financial costs of inventories in transit, lower the logistics costs, and to strengthen the supply chain by moving closer to just-in-time deliveries.

But moving to Mexico isn’t going to solve all the problems.

A September 2006 article in CFO magazine points out how US businesses are increasing safety stocks “just in case”. Delayed in the USA The article points out how supply chain disruptions are being provoked by an increasingly saturated US highway system and bottlenecks in deepwater ports and railyards.

The good news is that Mexico is close to the USA, a truckload of goods can leave any point in Mexico and arrive at the US destination in as little as 4-5 days. The railyards and new multimodal Interior Port in Guanajuato, Mexico allow manufacturers to establish production facilities in the interior of the country. Exporters can now clear customs and load the sealed container onto the rail-car at the new (2006) high capacity Customs port located in the geographic center of Mexico.

The bad news is that unless the US begins to upgrade their highway, port and rail facilities, supply chain managers in the US will be buying and storing higher levels of inventory to assure continuity of operations, “just in case”.

Related Links

Delayed in the USA – Supply Chain

Industrial and Business Parks in Mexico

AMPIP Mexican Association of Industrial and Business Parks

20 ideas – how to avoid major problems with your export business

Exporting is an extremely difficult process as compared to selling in the local or national market. Exporting is not easy, and it’s not inexpensive. It takes planning and requires people that are open, flexible, problem-solvers, and quick at adapting to new situations.

A smart organization that desires to export their products will invest time and money building the proper administrative and sales structure before they begin operations.

20 ideas – how to avoid major problems with your export business

1. Say no to customers. When you can’t do it, say no upfront, before you make an agreement.

2. Create an export strategy before you begin to export. Don’t get sucked into exporting by “accident”.

3. Samples should be equal in quality to the actual production that will be shipped.

4. Make everything perfectly clear with customers. Don’t assume anything, don’t work with suppositions.

5. Learn and understand the business culture of your export market and customers before you begin.

6. Provide detailed price lists and price quotations to the customer. Understand your Incoterms (if you don’t know what these are, stop know and click here)

7. Contemplate what problems might possibly arise (internal and external) that could affect shipment or delivery. Prepare alternatives or take preventive action.

8. Understand that there is a learning curve that affects the organizations ability and performance when exporting to new markets. Calculate the time this will require, and it’s cost.

9. Write down and sign all agreements with the customer (dates, specifications, changes, time, everything). Verify everything with an email or fax if unable to physically sign the agreements and changes.

10. Use caution about exclusivity agreements. Everyone wants exclusivity, will that exclusivity support your entire export production? Will it limit your ability to grow?

11. Develop a quality control system throughout the company.

12. Never send poor quality products, especially in order to meet a shipping deadline.

13. Research the transportation, temperature and climatic conditions that the product will be subject to prior to arrival at the export destination.

14. Create an export price strategy. Know where you are going, and how you want to get there, your costs and required profit margins before you begin to quote prices.

15. Clearly define the costs of production and separate them from the costs of the sales required for exports. Give the sales department a base price to build upon, and make sure they clearly identify the costs related to sales and promotion in the export markets.

16. Always have at least 2 customers in the export market. This will provide protection and stability for your production and for the customers in the export market.

17. Customers who provide the research, development and design for the product may bring samples to you. Assist in the development and manufacture of the samples. Your production know-how (turning ideas into product) is fundamental and important for all involved.

18. Research and investigate fashion, trends and tendencies. In order to survive, you have to create, not pirate and copy.

19. Quality complaints and suggestions must be addressed and implemented immediately. This has to be part of the understanding of every worker, from production to sales to executive suite.

20. Discipline, planning and order. Production planning, raw material purchasing decisions, financing, infrastructure investment, human resources, sales and marketing all must be planned and coordinated, at all times.

Added Oct. 1, 2006 – Bonus legal reminder:  Know the law of the country to which you are exporting concerning:  retention of documents for litigation, product quality and manufacturing and product safety before you begin sales and shipping.  Understand your responsibility and liability for recalls, retrofitting, refunds or destruction of the product.  Learn about your legal responsibility and relationship with brokers, agents and distributors and your products.

Related Links

7 tips for doing business internationally

Maquila and Maquiladoras in Mexico

Why you should pay attention to free trade treaties

Mexico and international free trade treaties

Maquiladoras in Mexico

An Internet search for the definition of the terms maquila and maquiladora will turn up quite a variety of ideas and interpretations.

The maquiladoras have created quite an emotional and political reaction on both sides of the US and Mexico border. They have been accused of stealing jobs from the US, promoting sub-standard working conditions, lowering wages, exploiting workers, and not contributing to the Mexican economy.

Despite the controversy, the maquiladoras are growing and thriving in Mexico. They offer attractive benefits to organizations that are seeking competitive production and assembly costs, skilled labor and Mexico’s proximity to the US market. Recently many transnational organizations that moved manufacturing operations to China in the 1990’s have moved back to Mexico due to cost and logistic advantages.

Maquila and Maquiladoras – definitions and activities

• The term maquila comes from the Spanish term that refers to the portion paid (in grain, flour or oil) to a miller for milling a farmer’s grain.

• Maquiladoras are legal entities under Mexican law, with special tax privileges, they provide service, assembly or manufacturing operations.

• Maquiladoras are able to import raw materials or semi-processed materials from foreign countries, in order to service, process or assemble them in Mexico, and then export the finished product back to that country. These activities take place without the collection or payment of import, export or V.A.T. (value added tax) taxes.

• The maquiladora program was created by Mexico in order for foreign organizations to take advantage of low labor costs in Mexico (primarily the USA), and to provide employment to Mexican workers in Mexico. Initially the maquila operations were located close to the US border. Currently maquila operations can be found throughout Mexico.

• Maquiladoras can be 100% foreign owned, 100% Mexican owned, or a joint venture between Mexican nationals and foreign investors.

• Maquiladoras are also known as twin plants, in-bond industries, export assembly plants and offshoring.

• The maquiladoras in Mexico suffered from a crisis of plant closings in the 1990’s and early 2000’s as many companies moved operations to China. Since 2004, Mexico has seen a resurgence of the maquiladoras.

• Check with your attorneys and accountants in Mexico about the specific benefits of the maquila program. As of September 2006, there were important legal changes (simplification and consolidation of government compliance and monitoring programs) that will affect current and future maquiladoras.

Related Links

Why you should pay attention to free trade treaties

Industrial and business parks in Mexico

Official government websites of the 32 Mexican states

Maquila and Maquiladoras in Mexico

Why you should pay attention to free trade treaties

Globalization, transnational companies, global sourcing and outsourcing, free trade, do any of these terms sound familiar?

Obtaining products and raw materials for the lowest price possible is a fundamental concept in business. Today organizations are looking for manufacturers and locations worldwide where they can find lower costs of production in order to remain competitive.

Combine the factors of: quality control, low cost production, logistics costs, and the time involved to get the product to market from the factory, and you understand the challenge of doing business and sourcing products in today’s global economy.

To truly determine the final cost of the product, all these factors must be calculated. This will determine which country offers the best competitive advantage. Make sure you are analyzing any existing free trade agreements when you are seeking suppliers globally.

Free trade treaties between countries have a significant impact upon the final cost of goods. These free trade agreements eliminate the tariffs and taxes on imported and exported goods between the countries involved, depending upon their concentration or percentage of “local” or national raw materials (including labor), as specified in the free trade agreement.

Free trade agreements between countries are of great importance and value only if are exclusive and not accepted by all trading countries. The more free trade is embraced by the international community (through treaties or elimination of import and export tariffs) the less impact the current free trade agreements have in determining competitive advantages for a single country.

Here is a simple example of how the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) free trade treaty between Mexico and the USA, would favor the US supplier over a Chinese supplier.

Example of free trade agreeement competitive advantage:

US supplier to Mexico. If I want to purchase paint made by a US paint manufacturer and have it shipped to my warehouse in Mexico, my total cost to bring the goods to my warehouse in Mexico would be the cost of the paint, plus freight and customs clearing costs. There is no import tariff on this product due to the NAFTA free trade treaty. It would take 4 – 6 days to arrive in my warehouse in Mexico once the product has been shipped from the USA.

US paint $ 20.00 + Freight $ 4.00 + Customs $ 1.00 = $ 25.00 total cost of the US product in my warehouse in Mexico

Chinese supplier to Mexico. If I purchase the same product, from the same transnational company, but it is manufactured in China. Transportation time is 40 days from date product is shipped from China.

Chinese paint $14.00 + Freight $ 8.00 + Customs $ 1.00 + Import tariff (13% of CIF value) $ 2.86 = USD $ 25.86, total cost of the Chinese product in my warehouse in Mexico.

In this example the final cost of the product is $ .86 lower from the US supplier as compared to the Chinese supplier, despite a lower initial product cost. Factor in the financial cost and time required to move the product from the factory to my warehouse, and the lowest final cost in this case would clearly come from purchasing product from the US supplier.

Mexico’s aggressive free trade strategy

Since the 1990’s Mexico has bet heavily on international free trade agreements as a method to improve their competitive advantage and increase their manufacturing base and attract foreign investment.

Mexico has signed 11 existing free trade treaties and 2 complementary economic agreements with 42 countries. It is the only country in the world to have standing free trade agreements with North American and the European community.
The free trade agreements have greatly increased international competition (imports) in Mexico (good for the consumer).

Free trade agreements have allowed Mexican exports to increase and reach destinations and markets that were closed before due to tariffs and costs. There has been increased foreign investment from countries that desired to use Mexico’s free trade competitive advantage for international manufacturing and export projects.

The Mexican manufacturers and suppliers of the national Mexican market were given a “sink or swim” option. Virtually overnight (many of the treaties were phased in over a period of 3 – 10 years), their previous protected market was filled with imported goods (more competition, lower cost, higher quality).

Those that have survived the “invasion”, have had to improve their efficiency, quality and costs. Making them much more competitive in todays global economy.

Britannica’s Definition of free trade:

“Policy in which a government does not discriminate against imports or interfere with exports. A free-trade policy does not necessarily imply that the government abandons all control and taxation of imports and exports, but rather that it refrains from actions specifically designed to hinder international trade, such as tariff barriers, currency restrictions, and import quotas. The theoretical case for free trade is based on Adam Smith’s argument that the division of labour among countries leads to specialization, greater efficiency, and higher aggregate production. The way to foster such a division of labour, Smith believed, is to allow nations to make and sell whatever products can compete successfully in an international market.”

Related Links

Mexico and international free trade agreements

World Bank report – Doing Business in Mexico

The World Bank has an on-line report available entitled “Doing Business in Mexico“. The study was published in December of 2005.

“Cosponsored by COFEMER, USAID, and the World Bank Group, Doing Business in Mexico is the first state-level report of the Doing Business series in Latin America. This report investigates the scope and manner of regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it.

The report covers the following thirteen Mexican cities and four areas of regulation: Starting a business, Registering property, obtaining credit and enforcing a contract.”

“When compared, Mexico City and the 12 other cities differ dramatically on the four indicators the report measures. “

The cities and regulations analyzed include: Aguascalientes, Celaya, Ciudad Juarez, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Veracruz, Merida, San Luis Potosi, Torreon, Mexico City, Tlalnepantla, Puebla, and Queretaro.

Of special note is the following comment. “The report concludes that reform is sorely needed. Much of the opportunity for improvement is in local administrative procedures, which can be changed by a governor or a mayor.”

This is very important. A governor or local mayor can make an important difference on the ease of setting up and doing business in Mexico. Seek out those states and cities with pro-active leadership. Find those areas that are investing heavily in infrastructure or have a dynamic policy focused on foreign investment and economic development.

Related Links

Doing Business in Mexico – World Bank

Doing Business in Mexico (PDF)

Press Release (PDF)

Mexico and international free trade treaties

Mexico has signed 11 international free trade treaties and 2 complimentary economic agreements since 1993.

Mexico is the only country in the world with active free-trade treaties that cover North American and the entire European Community.

These free trade agreements have made Mexico highly competitive in terms of manufacturing for export to world markets, for the importation of raw materials for manufacturing and for the import of consumer goods for sale in Mexico.

The free trade agreements currently in place include:

• TLCAN – Includes Mexico, USA and Canada – Initiated January 1, 1994 (NAFTA in English)

• TLC-G3 – Includes Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela – Initiated January 1, 1995

• TLC Mexico-Costa Rica – Includes Mexico and Costa Rica – Initiated January 1, 1995

• TLC Mexico – Bolivia – Includes Mexico and Bolivia – Initiated January 1, 1995

• TLC Mexico – Nicaragua – Includes Mexico and Nicaragua – Initiated July 1, 1998

• TLC Mexico – Chile – Includes Mexico and Chile – Initiated August 1, 1999

• TLCUEM – Includes Mexico and the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Cypress, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia) – Initiated July 1, 2000.

• TLC Mexico – Israel – Includes Mexico and Israel – Initiated July 1, 2000

• TLC Mexico – TN – Includes Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras – Initiated on March 15, 2001 with El Salvador and Guatemala and June 1, 2001 with Honduras

• TLC Mexico – AELC – Includes Mexico, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland – Initiated July 1, 2001

• TLC Mexico – Uruguay – Includes Mexico and Uruguay – Initiated in July 15, 2004

• AAE Mexico – Japan – Includes Mexico and Japan – Initiated April 1, 2005

In addition there are Complementary Economic Agreements (ACE’s) in place with Brazil and Argentina.

Related Links 

Why you should pay attention to free trade treaties 

Current Resume – Lee Iwan – March 2007

 

Lee Iwan

International Business Development

Sales & Management Executive

Accomplished bilingual and bi-cultural executive with broad based domestic and international experience in business discovery and development; sales, marketing and operations for start-ups, growth and mature organizations.

Results oriented, proven success in new market identification, strategic thinking, negotiations and pragmatic problem solving. Track record of “hands on” leadership increasing communication, sales, efficiency and profitability.

Thrive in dynamic and fluid environments requiring enthusiasm, creativity, communication skills and organization.

Core competencies include:

Relationships and Communication

Team Leadership

Cross Culture Liaison

Innovation and Change Management

Global Focus

Entrepreneurial Focus

Contingency Planning

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

QUIMICA CENTRAL DE MEXICO S.A. de C.V. Leon, Gto., México July 1998 – Present

Business Manager, Strategic Business Discovery & Development May 2005 – Present

Serve as independent executive working directly with CEO and Board of Directors. Fully responsible for the visualization, research, creation, communication, follow-through, analysis, planning and implementation of new business development and corporate strategic diversification projects.

Key Achievements:

• Project Leader, pharmaceutical joint venture (Swiss-México), manufacturing and commercial operations .
• Spearheading strategic alliance negotiations to increase long-term market share and global positioning.
• Ongoing negotiations with India and China for product representations, agencies and toll manufacturing.

Business Manager, International Business March 2000 – May 2005

Served as Business Manager, responsible for global sales and marketing, distribution and logistics, and all corporate international negotiations with clients and suppliers.

Directed export sales and market development, international supplier strategic alliances; leadership of export sales distribution and agency networks; cross-functional team participation; business intelligence; sales and marketing strategy and leadership for the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions; sales implementation and market development; logistics and supply chain management, cross cultural communications, “globalization” of company culture and corporate special projects.

Key Achievements:

• Created and implemented commercial entrance for Asia-Pacific market, first 3 years revenue $ 5 M (US), projected annual sales growth of 200%.
• Initiated and maintained strategic alliances with international suppliers, raw material cost savings of $ 2 M (US) fortified long term strategic positioning.
• Negotiated exclusive agency representations in Mexico for South African and US specialty chemical manufacturers.
• Increased company global competitiveness utilizing the export department to drive corporate cultural changes in strategic planning, production, time to market, supply chain and logistics, sales, marketing and administration.

Export Manager July 1998 – March 2000

Served as Export Manager, responsible for sales, distribution and marketing strategy and management for 20 countries including Latin America, US, Europe and Taiwan.

Key Achievements:

• Created new commission and base price structure for agents and distributors resulting in increased loyalty and increased revenue of 8%.
• Re-engineered department systems to increase revenue and customer loyalty through increased efficiency in communications, administrative processes and product shipping.
• Managed international sales force in Latin America and Asia Pacific regions (18 distributors / agents).
  

NUVIDA S.A. de C.V., León, Guanajuato, México January 1993 – July 1998

Owner–President–Entrepreneur

Served as President for start-up specialty service business, corporate and government clients.

Key Achievements:

• Alliance between private industry, State and Local government to create and maintain 100-acre interactive ecological area – Parque Explora.
• Managed workforce of 45.
• First workforce in the State to receive State Certification (training and operations procedures).

FLOWERS FLOWERS INC., Evanston, IL, USA March 1986 – August 1993 Owner–President-Entrepreneur

Served as President for start-up innovative luxury consumer goods and service business.

Responsibilities included: strategy and planning, management, sales and marketing, purchasing and operations.

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science Agricultural Economics * University of Illinois – Urbana, IL 1980

PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Board Member, State Chemical Industry Export Committee, COFOCE, February 2007 – Present

Weblog: Business South of the Border August 2006 – Present

Weblog: Lee Iwan Accumulated Experience April 2006- Present

Business Development Mission, Chennai, India, February 2007

Chromium Industry Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, February 2006

Commercial Mission, New Delhi, Mumbai India, November 2005

Course: Finance for Non-Financial Managers, 2005

Business Development Mission: Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2004

Board Member, State Leather Industry Consulting Committee, COFOCE, 2000 – Present

ANPIC, Mexican Leather Industry Fair, Leon, Gto., Mexico, 1999 – Present

ISO 9001:2000, Certification Process, 2003 – 2006

Business Development Mission: Geneva, Switzerland & Moscow, Russia, 2004

Business Development Mission: Istanbul, Turkey, 2003

All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE), Shanghai, China 2002 – 2005

Guangzhou Leather Fair, Guangzhou, China, 2002 – 2005

Business Development: Geneva, Switzerland, 2002

Commercial Mission: Mexico – Central America, 2000 – 2002

Asia Pacific Leather Fair, Hong Kong, 1999 – 2005

Linneapelle, Bologna, Italy, 1999 – 2005

Commercial Mission: Mexico – China, 2000 – 2001

Business Development: Amsterdam, Holland, 2000

Business Development: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, 2000

Miami Leather Fair, Miami, FL, USA 1999 –2001

Business Development: Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, 1999

FENAC, Leather Fair, Novo Hamburgo, Brazil, 1999

Course: Mexican International Commerce Legislation, 2001 – 2004

Diploma: Modifications in the Mexican Customs Legislation, 2003

Diploma: International Commerce – Logistics, 2001

Diploma: International Commerce, 2000

Course: The Strategic Salesperson, 1999

Periodico AM, Newspaper Columnist. 1994 – 1996

Society of American Florists, Editorial Board, 1990 – 1992

Chicago-Dempster Merchants Association, Vice President, 1988 – 1990

Lee.iwan@gmail.com