Robert (“Bob”) Sinner is President of SB&B Foods, the largest grower of “identity preserved (IP), non-GMO food-grade” soybeans in North Dakota. In this episode, Bob tells us how his family’s 5th generation farm identified a need for soybeans in Asia and how he pursued and won that business.
Bob’s father George served as governor of North Dakota from 1985 to 1992. During his tenure, George Sinner resolutely tried to attract Japanese investment into the state, which inspired Bob to help US companies export into Japan to develop relationships and accelerate the creation of new opportunities.
To start, Bob embarked upon a trade mission to Japan, alongside a hired interpreter. Once there, he found mature markets looking for a consistent and reliable supply of soy beans, the agricultural product needed to produce uniform product like tofu and soy milk.
At Rapport International, we encourage our clients to employ interpreters as “cultural conduits” – native-speaking interpreters are valuable sources of in-country information. In that vein, upon his return, Bob enlisted the help of North Dakota State University professor Dr. Sam Chang, originally from Taiwan, who had previous experience working with soybeans.
Together with a visiting Taiwanese trade team, the group conducted sensory testing, a scientific method for evaluating a food's characteristics – taste, texture, odor, and appearance, for example – to determine which product was of the highest quality. After their visit, the Taiwanese group donated the sensory testing equipment to the N. Dakota State University, which is still in use today!
SB&B is now operating in 16 countries, most of them within Asia because of the high per capita consumption of soybeans. Its customers manufacture over 25 different foods – including the Japanese “natto,” a healthy, fermented food that helps with heart and brain functioning.
Bob says their success is due simply to always paying attention to what the customers want and catering to those wants. The best marketing, he adds, is accomplished by:
- Being yourself
- Staying honest
- Treating people like you want to be treated
- Knowing your products
- Understanding local culture
- Building trusted relationships
His biggest, ongoing challenge involves shipping containers. Most containers coming into the US are 40 feet long and carry bulky yet lightweight consumer products into metropolitan areas.
Shipping heavy agricultural products from a rural area to Asia, where they prefer smaller containers, presents a twofold problem. First, containers are parked in US metro areas and require transport to rural areas. Second, the smaller containers Asian buyers want are closer to 20 feet long, half the size of standard containers, because they unload within smaller and tighter spaces. Bob continues to work with US and foreign officials to find solutions.
His best advice to new exporters:
- Understand the market
- Operate under a set of core values that include integrity, honesty, fairness, and trust
- Be patient yet persistent in building trust
- Keep educating yourself
- Reap the rewards!
Listen to the full episode to learn more.
Links
Email: Rsinner@SB-B.com
Website: https://sb-b.com/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bob-sinner-a058322a
Connect with Wendy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendypease/
Music: Fiddle-De-Dee by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
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