Small Business Stories - Roshfrans Motor Oil

Alex Fees: I'm Alex Fees on Small Business Television. We are coming to you from SEMA 2008, that's Specialty Equipment Market Association in Las Vegas. And joining us here now is the Rigo Duran. The Rigo is the President of the Roshfrans Motor Oil Company out of Phoenix. It sounds like originally out of Mexico, correct? Rigo Duran: The Company is based in Mexico City, but we are the master distributors for the USA market. Alex Fees: Okay, Rigo, we go, what is Roshfrans motor oil? Rigo Duran: Roshfrans is a company that was created 55 years ago in Mexico City, and now we are in seven countries in Latin America. We are the number 1. brand in Mexico quality wise, and about second or third place sales wise. Company have about 700 employees in Mexico, and we are very proud to make a motor oil for the Mexico market and Latin American market. Alex Fees: Alright, and you are the President of the company? Rigo Duran: I am here the President of the company in the US. Alex Fees: Right, oh I see? Okay and again you are importing now into America in the southwest part of the country? Rigo Duran: Right, our job is to bring the brands into the US market and introduce them, which we have done and ready. In the last two months, we got first account in Arizona and Phoenix Arizona with Foot City, food brand that is called Food City and Bashas. They have 84 stores plus Basha stores. Alex Fees: What's the name of the store? Rigo Duran: Foot City. Alex Fees: Okay Rigo Duran: Yeah, they cater to Latinos and Mexicans, and they bring food from Mexico and Latin America Alex Fees: Oh, I see! Rigo Duran: These are products which are Mexican made, we have tried them in Latino market for the brand, because they recognize the brand as Roshfrans, which is the number one quality in Mexico in sales. Alex Fees: Okay, and how many stores, 84? Rigo Duran :We are now at present - our products they can find their products in 84 stores in Foot City stores in Arizona Alex Fees: Arizona, you are hoping to branch out in other states as well? Rigo Duran: Luckily we are working hard, that's why we are at SEMA this time to gather information, and also to get to know the right individuals that we wanted to visit with either of direct sales and also as distributors for our country. Alex Fees: Well Rigo it sounds like your product is well known in Mexico, How is it compared to its American counterparts? Rigo Duran: Well, All the brands from American, and also from Europe, they are in Mexico. We compete everyday with them. However, this is a Mexican, 100 % Mexican born company, and we are very established in Mexico for 55 years, obviously, the Mexicans preferred the quality that they so have been important 55 years ago Alex Fees: Right, and it sounds like native Mexican people are very familiar with the product. Rigo Duran: Yeah, in fact, that's one thing that when we came to the US for first time several months ago, we did a lot of surveys to present the product to the Mexican people who have moved in the last 20 years, and they, when they see the brand name, they recognize, the brand right away. Alex Fees:Well Rigo what is this, are you doing business with Nissan? Rigo Duran: Well, we are very proud to present to the world today. Alex Fees: Hold it up there. Rigo Duran : The first packaging that is not traditional packaging like everybody has. We also have the bottle high density polyethylene bottles that everybody packaged motor oil in. But we are proud to present the Rosh pack which is a film pouch, where we packaged one quart of motor oil. Alex Fees: As opposed to a traditional oil canister? Rigo Duran: Right, which the advantages are that this is an ecological, this is re technology, and it's recyclable, we can grind this much much better than a bottle, and it has 70% less plastic to make a film pouch than a bottle. So therefore, they can we take a get of the natural resources. They help now to be more green. Alex Fees: Right, absolutely right. Rigo Duran: Useless natural resources that is oil. So we can also pass the savings to the customer because it is about 20% less money to make this bag rather than a bottle. Alex Fees:Okay. Rigo Duran:So the savings are there. Alex Fees:Alright, again we are talking to Rigo Duran with the Roshfrans Motor Oil Company out of Mexico. Rigo , we go we talk a lot about American entrepreneurs and their efforts to export into other countries. What was it like to trying to import into America? Rigo Duran:Well, I have another company that I started 18 years ago, which is how I got to this, and we are actually an exporter. We export out to 36 countries, packaging machinery and supplies, and actually Roshfrans as a company was one of my first customers in Mexico, that they gave me an opportunity to launch them, in a different name for the product line, and they went from $13 million in sales to $250 million as of today. Although to a part of it, due to my ideas that I brought into the company, and so, yes, we had a company that exports, and it is probably not easy, and laws how to import. So we cannot have that very very learned from being an exporter Alex Fees: Rigo, what about SEMA 2008 here? You say this endeavor is only about seven months old, is that right? Rigo Duran: Yes sir. Alex Fees: What is your experience being here at SEMA 2008, are you finding a receptive audience? Rigo: Yes, I mean, we've talked to a several people from US. My primary thing here in SEMA is to find the companies that will carry the product. That will like to, going to the Latino market first, and then we are going to the Anglo the market with our product. We think it's a high quality product. We think SEMA can bring us the right people to do business with, and that's why we are enjoying the three days here at SEMA. Alex Fees: Have you been here all week? Rigo: Yes, I came here on Monday, and we're leaving on Saturday. Alex Fees: What kind of success have you had at --? Rigo Duran: Well, the first day we had about 45 good leads. Yesterday we had about 40, and hopefully today, leads are going to be same pretty much. We expect to have about may be 200/300 leads that are not very good, their website is out for the show and only takes it to here about 10% of those leads, if we make them into sales, then we will be there Alex Fees: Absolutely. Rigo Duran: One thing that we have in Mexico is they like to talk to the audience, is that we have been chosen by Nissan as their number one supplier for motor oil for Nissan. Nissans are made in Mexico, and has exported to the world, especially to the US. So every Nissan that come to the US has our motor oil inside. Alex Fees: Really? Rigo Duran: We do the labeling for them in a pouch, in our Rosh pack, which they selected because of the advantages that it has over the bottle. So we are proud to be the number one supplier for Nissan in Mexico. Alex Fees: Absolutely. Rigo Duran: That sounds good. Alex Fees: Well Rigo, where can SBTV.com viewers go to get more information about Roshfrans motor oil? Alex Fees: They can always visit our website which is www.roshfransusa.com Roshfrans, again that's R O S H F R A N S USA.com Rigo Duran: USA.com, Yeah. Alex Fees:Alright sir, thank you very much. Good to meet you, I appreciate to be in here. Again, here is Rigo Duran the President of the American branch, is that correct? Rigo Duran: Yes. Alex Fees: Of Roshfrans Motor Oil. I am Alex Fees on Small Business Television. We are coming to you from SEMA 2008, Specialty Equipment Market Association in Las Vegas.