SCOTTS VALLEY, CA - Market Tech, a distribution and sales rep firm founded two years ago by industry veteran Phil Crowley, is finding success with its strategy of being a channel partner for non-U.S. photonics firms trying to do business in the United States. The company doubled its sales in 2004 and expects to grow at least another 50% this year, according to Crowley.
Market Tech is already off to a good start for 2005. At the recent Photonics West conference, the company signed an agreement with Crylas GmbH to act as their sole distributor and agent for North America and signed two regional (West Coast) agent agreements, with EM4 Defense and SIFAM. Other companies that Market Tech represents include Advanced Laser Diode Systems, Lasos, Exalos, Luna, and Thorlabs.
“Our intent going forward is to be a leading channel partner for photonics companies and laser manufacturers,” Crowley said. “We now represent over a dozen companies, most of which are based in Europe or Asia, and we look forward to another successful year.”
The company’s product focus is in lasers and optical instrumentation sold to OEM and end users in the life science, medical, telecom, and research markets.
“From the beginning my vision for Market Tech was to develop a channel partner company that would cater to the needs of offshore companies that wanted to do business in the US,” he said. “There are a number of companies here that do that, in terms of catalog companies and reps, but nothing like the European model. We are trying to be more of a traditional distributor in terms of taking on some of the marketing and helping these companies achieve market penetration.”
Crowley says that Market Tech is actually being approached by more companies than it can represent at this time. The company currently has three reps on the West Coast and another based in Colorado.
“We are trying to carve out our own niche by developing OEM business for the companies we represent,” Crowley said. “I think our success is based on working with OEM customers, which is difficult and challenging but ultimately a good business to be in, if you are successful. And the companies we are working with have the same goals in mind. They want to take their products into OEMs in life sciences, printing, imaging, etc. So what we are hoping to achieve is to provide a channel for companies that are really struggling to find a way to sell into these markets, especially European companies.”
-Kathy Kincade