Irish Firm To Expand U.S. Operations In Westborough
If an international company wants to tap into the United States market, it should take notes from Irish firm TotalMobile, according to John Logan, vice president for business development for Invest Northern Ireland, a quasi-public Irish economic development organization based in Europe.
TotalMobile, an established Irish technology company that specializes in creating software for mobile phone applications, first came to the United States in 2008 with a small sales force in Westborough.
Company officials spent the next three years studying the market and signing some initial contracts.After a few years, company officials felt confident their product could be a hit in the U.S.
Now, the company is ready to expand. In the next three years, TotalMobile plans to hire 100 workers, mostly in Massachusetts, and significantly expand its American operations.
International business advisers say that's the textbook approach to take: Start small, don't over-invest and make sure your product has a customer base.
And for the MetroWest region, it means new jobs and an international business calling Westborough its U.S. home.
The Right Approach
There are many risks international companies face when investing in America, said Logan, with Invest Northern Ireland. The organization aims to build the Irish economy by helping Irish companies invest in the U.S. and vice versa. He was on hand Thursday when officials from TotalMobile joined Lt. Gov. Tim Murray in Westborough to announce the company's expansion.
One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when investing in the U.S., Logan said, is overexposing themselves.
"The opportunities in the U.S. market as a whole are vast, but the risks are real as well," he said.
His advice? Have a strong business plan, a marketing effort, identify and target customers and determine your competition. Those are key to investing in American markets, Logan said. But, don't invest too many resources before you know the market potential.
If Irish companies are going to invest in the United States, Massachusetts is a good place to start, said Patrick Bench, vice president of public affairs for Rasky Baerlein, a Boston-based marketing firm that's advising TotalMobile. He's also the former head of foreign direct investment for the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment.
While Massachusetts is not a very large state compared with others, it does have a number of advantages. The commonwealth is a leader in life sciences, clean technology and advanced manufacturing. Plus, businesses can find relatively cheap areas to set up shop and still have access to those sectors. With lower commercial real estate costs, MetroWest is one of those areas, he said.
For Irish companies in particular, Massachusetts, and specifically Boston, have a strong Irish heritage. State government officials are willing to work with Irish companies and there are already established communication lines between Irish companies and U.S. officials.
"You don't have to go too far before you hear a friendly accent," Logan said.
Those were all part of the reason Colin Reid, CEO of TotalMobile, wanted to expand not only in the U.S., but in Massachusetts.The overriding factor influencing his decision was a strong and talented workforce.
MetroWest, and specifically Westborough, offered the company an opportunity to tap into that talent at a fraction of the cost it would have otherwise taken to open up shop closer to Boston, he said.
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