August 11, 2008

Embracing Technology Spurs International Growth

Transport Designs, the winner of the 2008 Dell/National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Small Business Excellence Award, is a great example of a traditionally "non-tech" business that leverages technology to grow sales and customer loyalty.

A manufacturer of highly customized enclosed trailers and motor homes, founder Steve Mattie relies on technology to communicate with customers across the world, custom designing his product to their specifications.

“When you are trying to sell a five or six-figure product sight unseen to a customer living in Australia, technology is the only means for communication, negotiation and building trust,” said Mattie. “Without embracing IT, our business would still be struggling to grow outside our region of the country much less internationally.”

From restaurants on wheels to transportable fitness centers, Transport Designs’ product options are vast, and so is the company’s vision for how far innovative use of technology can take them. Transport Designs stays up-to-speed on the latest in design software and hardware tools using Dell laptops to share customized digital floor plans and real-time construction progress with customers. Under Mattie’s direction, customers can also download easy-to-use tools to interact with the plans and update the designs themselves.

“Our electronic, fully rendered images are so detailed they can even include human figures, allowing customers to truly visualize the product, no matter how far away they are,” said Mattie. “This, along with the option to personally update their floor plan as if they were physically present at the build site, puts customers’ minds at ease and really sets us apart.”

Learn more about Transport Designs and why they were chosen as this year's winner in this video.

Laura Leites, Assistant Editor, Smallbiztechnology.com

tags: Dell , nfib , Transport Designs | 0 comments