ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFILE: Nuvar
Nuvar Incorporated, located in Holland, Michigan, develops and designs office furniture and healthcare products. Nuvar’s in-house engineering assists its customers with product development and design.
Through a global network of manufacturing suppliers, Nuvar sources component part manufacturing. Nuvar sources from Europe (France, Germany, and Italy), Asia (China, Taiwan, and Malaysia) and North America (Mexico and Canada). Parts are then shipped to their facilities in Michigan, where they are assembled, packaged and shipped to the final customer.
(Nuvar Assembly Plant)
Although Nuvar does not ship to international cutomers, its customers ship around the globe. “We still deal with the repercussions of dealing internationally,” says Scott Kuyper, International Supply Chain Lead at Nuvar. “Different markets may have different requirements for testing, standards, etc. Since we’re involved with product development, we really see this first hand.”
With the breadth of international relationships, Nuvar has learned the importance of being open minded and flexible when it comes to differences in culture strategy and economies of their various global partners.[i]
[i] Scott Kuyper, personal communication, May 21, 2014.