Concept II Cosmetics takes flight with delegation to South Africa
The Doral, Florida – based company got its start in 1988. Concept II Cosmetics makes finished goods like body mists, body lotion, hand lotion, deodorant, eau de toilette, and parfume. The company also develops products for third-party personal care companies.
Delegation disposition
Enterprise Florida is a non-profit partnership between Florida and local businesses. According to the group’s site “EFI’s mission is to expand and diversify the state’s economy through job creation.”
So last Friday a group of 24 Florida executives joined the group on a trip to South Africa. “There are 16 companies that we will be matchmaking for, and two universities are on the trip to expand ties with South African universities,” Manny Mencia, senior vice president of international trade and development for Enterprise Florida, told Camila Cepero of MiamiTodayNews.com in advance of the trip.
The trip is an opportunity for companies like Concept II Cosmetics to meet face-to-face with prospective clients in country with a “low-entry threshold due to location options, logistics infrastructure, the English language and benign legal processes,” as Cepero reports. And Enterprise Florida believes that what works in South Africa may serve as model for developing business relationships elsewhere in Africa.
Export experience
In 2013 Concept II Cosmetics received a certificate for Export Achievement from the US State Department’s then - Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Robert D. Hormats. This recognition came after the beauty maker had expanded its business to 50 countries, 20 of which relationships were forged over a period of just 18 months, according to a company press release about the honor.
The company is even profiled on the International Trade Administration’s trade.gov site as a sort of case study in successful overseas business. “Following their success in India, Concept II tapped additional [US Commercial Services] programs to expand its brands into a number of new international locations,” according to the site. “This has resulted in Concept II hiring several new employees to handle the increased business, and the company states that international sales are now a significant component of its overall revenue.”
