f itth hne rte . er ad* e n - ed e te main * - tl add0n Soat. . ciy t. te ownf-itS To capitalize on free trade, Canadian companies woûld be wise to develop in the United States, says a Clarkson Gordon/Woods Gordon Task Force on free trade. In the firm's third free trade newsletter, the task force. examines offensive strategies of. Canadian businesses competing successfully south·of the border. "Many Canadian companies that have successfully entered the large U.S. market are targeting a specific area with products and services that fill a specific niche," says . Joe - Buckley, task force director.- "We have found this to be a critical step of the U.S. entry strategy. "How products are distributed and the amount of resources committed to export are just as important. Our research indicates that a quality marketing effort frequently determines the success or failure of Canadian firms in the U.S." The task force estimates that approximately 10,000 of Canada's 40,000 manufacturers are already serving various areas of the U.S. market. As well, export .of services to the U.S. has increased by 56 per cent over the past five years. "Many Canadian businesses have been establishing their defensive strategies for free trade," says Buckley. "Now the time is comibg for the preparation and implementation of an offensive plan. In fact, our task force has found that offence can often pay for the defence. "In general terms, companies should focus this offensve entry stratregy on. major metropolitan areas within the target region. Once you have- your product established, the next step is to branch out tosecoidary regions." The task force has also found that current labor trends in the U.S. will provide opportunities for Canadian business. Local unenployment rates, new job creation, and projected labor force growth are several of the main factors to examine when selecting the target regions. "By 2020 the 'grey market' in the U.S. will increase to 17 per cent from the current 12 per cent level," says Buckley. "The declining U.S. teen market which we call consumers-in-training --spend $30 million a year directly and control another $40 million in household spending. "In the year 2000,, the older baby boomers will account for 40 per cent of the spending power in the U.S. economy. Canadian businesses can enter the picture to supply the goods and services these niche markets will require." Clarkson Gordon /Woods Gordon's Task Force on Free Trade was established by the firm ih 1985. Its mandate is to examine the impact of the free trade agreement on Canadian business and develop strategic plans to suit the individual needs of its clients. Rural women support recycling By the Women's Institute of Ontario Not in my backyard. The women of rural Ontario would like the rest of Ontario to do what they intend to do, that is, recycle as much of their own garbage as possible, re-use packaging and other articles when possible, reduce the need for landfill sites and the expense of waste disposal and to recover energy by processing solid waste. More than 400 women participated in the Educate-Initiate Conference sponsored by the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario (FWIO), recently at Queen's University, Kingston. The theme of the FWIO for 1988-89 is 'Waste Management-Recycling.' As a result of the 1988 conference the FWIO would like to see 100 new recycling projects started throughout Ontario by 1990. The constant use of throwaway products was aptly demonstrated when it was discovered that the panel members, on the Friday night, were using plastic, throw-away water glasses and a plastic jug. After this was commented on, reusable glasses were on hand. Even the bows on the speaker's gifts were recycled. Practical applications were given to members about how they could influence their communities. Maybe women could raise money to buy their community centre a dishwasher instead of using styrofoan cups and paper plates, suggested Pat Slater, deputy reeve of Peel Township in Wellington Counmty. John Hanson, executive director of the Recycling Council of Ontario, told the women there is funding to set up a depot for the collection for recyclable materials. But some municipalities just seem to discourage recycling. When one Women's Institute branch presented a brief to their township asking for something to be done about recycling, they were told nothing could be done unless their taxes were increased drastically. The Ontario Minister of the Environment Jim Bradley told participants that the government enthusiastically promotes municipal- waste management that includes reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery as the primary alternative waste management tools. About 70 municipalities have made use of provincial start-up funding to establish curbside multi-material recycling projects. The seven million tons of garbage that Ontario creates each year should be processed in the municipality that creates the garbage. The women of rural Ontario do not want the garbage of the urban centres dumped in the rural areas. They were pleased to find out that Guelph has set aside a park of 40 acres to commemorate all the trees they saved in the first year of operation of their recycling project. To help get the message of the conference across to all parts of the province, the conference participants took part in a series of workshops that included fundraising, speaking with confidence, program planning, public relations and volunteer management. -dl" AMoGAss CRAFTSMANSHIl INSIDE AND OUT. FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1988, PAGE 21 Capitalize on free trade develop i U.S.: study