How Go Exporting helped WJ plan their international expansion.
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How Go Exporting helped WJ plan their international expansion.
WJ Group is the largest road marking and surface treatment contractor in the UK and is one of the most prominent material manufacturers in Europe. The company had already begun to expand internationally with a joint venture in Belgium serving the EU and a presence in the USA.
After several years of development and initial success in their home market, WJ was ready to launch sales of road marking materials across Europe. Lacking experience and contacts in these new territories, they turned to Go Exporting—having previously worked with Mike Wilson and knowing his expertise in international expansion.
Go Exporting reviewed the European market, analysed the opportunity for a new entrant, and devised a tailored go-to-market strategy. We were delighted to be chosen to provide the required support.
Founded in 1987, WJ has extensive experience and knowledge within the highways industry, working collaboratively with clients to offer solutions that help them meet their objectives and deliver the highest possible value. They specialise in road markings, road studs, safety surfacing, retexturing, crack and joint sealing, line markings, TASCAR, CCTV, stopped vehicle detection and other ITS solutions. The company is both a contractor and manufacturer and is the leading company in its sector in the UK.
WJ focuses on leading the way in safety, delivery and innovation. Its products are thoroughly researched and developed to meet their exacting requirements.
Innovation at WJ means creativity, new thinking, new ideas and developing new ways to solve complex problems in a changing world. The objective is continual improvement and efficient delivery of products and services, empowerment of people, achievement for clients, care for communities and protection of the environment.
Followed our FastTrack Premium 8-Week Export Strategy Programme.
Held multiple video conferences with our consultant to get to know the business, objectives, products/services, etc.
Focused on planning and analysis of all aspects of export readiness and the market—viability, pricing, competition, etc.—to devise a strategy for success.
Devised a 3-Year Export Strategy with milestones and KPIs to FastTrack export success, including a quarterly action plan to benchmark progress.
From the outset, we knew that exporting was essential for the future growth of our business, but navigating the process initially felt like a bit of a minefield. It quickly became clear that trying to manage this in-house was placing a heavy strain on our team. That’s when we commissioned Go Exporting.
Mike Wilson and the team guided us through the FastTrack program, which provided a clear, logical, step-by-step approach to developing our export strategy. Everything was explained in straightforward, non-technical language, which made the entire process feel manageable and achievable. We especially appreciated the flexibility of the options available and how the program could be adapted to our specific needs.
Throughout the experience, Mike has been incredibly supportive and responsive, always willing to guide us through any challenges and tailor the approach to suit our evolving demands. His expertise and practical advice have been invaluable.
We highly recommend Go Exporting to any business looking to break into international markets with confidence and clarity.
WJ is a major manufacturer of road marking and surface treatment materials but has always concentrated on producing for its own use rather than selling to the open market. The company felt there was an opportunity to compete in the European market but wanted to fully understand the market size, its growth, trends, key competitors, barriers to entry, etc., before making a decision. WJ also did not have experience in material sales and wanted guidance on developing a fully costed strategic plan to enter the market and gain a 10% share within five years.
Go Exporting submitted our proposal to use our experience in the sector to carry out the research and develop the strategic plan.
We were delighted to be selected as the partner consultant for this exciting project.
Go Exporting has developed its own tried and tested process for market analysis and developing entry strategies which includes:
Desk Based Research
Utilising Personal Contacts
Scoring & Comparing Markets
Analysing Barriers to Entry
Compiling a league table of opportunities
Devising a go-to-market strategy
Analysing costs and resources
Formulating a plan with milestones and timetables
Forecasting expected results and returns
Devising a direct marketing plan
Applying the Experience and Expertise from 30+ years in International business
Go Exporting presented WJ with a ready-made strategy for entering the European market with a fully costed five-year plan.
This was backed up by detailed research on 35 countries, analysing market size, pricing, competitors, key customers, barriers to entry, trends, and general economic and political risks.
The information was then turned into a detailed market entry strategy, including sales organisation and personnel requirements.
As a result, WJ had all the information at hand to make its market entry decision. This was taken forward and Go Exporting was commissioned to help implement the plan over a two-year period.
We hope this Case Study has given you a feel for the effectiveness and impact working with Go Exporting can have in expanding your international sales.
Whatever stage you are at on your export journey, Go Exporting helps support you develop and implement a winning strategy to expand into international markets.
Learn what it takes to make your first £1m in export sales from someone who’s been there, learnt the pitfalls, overcome the challenges and has the experience you really have to read.
The Expert Exporter is home to all the advice, both analytical and anecdotal, you need to master exporting, spot an opportunity and learn how to ask the right questions before starting.
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