Overview
The article “Japan embraces the grow-op” was published on The Toronto Star on March 31st, 2014 by Rick Westhead. The article primarily focuses on Japan’s idea of enhancing domestic agriculture since they faced a decrease of farm ownership after the 2011 tsunami had left unsafe radiation levels in the crops and soil. The inefficient farmland eventually led Japan to produce grown vegetables through the use of hydroponics. This is an indoor facility that grows vegetables without the use of soil but instead, mineral solutions in water. Spread Co. is one of Japan’s largest hydroponics company which had sold 1,000 heads of lettuce per day in its first year of production in 2008. In 2013, the company had internationally sold 7.3 million lettuce heads and generated sales of $8.8 million. Overall, Japan currently has about 150 hydroponic plant factories, which is currently the largest amount in the world, and as stated in the article “hydroponics are not just Japan’s future…they are the world’s future.”
The article “Japan embraces the grow-op” was published on The Toronto Star on March 31st, 2014 by Rick Westhead. The article primarily focuses on Japan’s idea of enhancing domestic agriculture since they faced a decrease of farm ownership after the 2011 tsunami had left unsafe radiation levels in the crops and soil. The inefficient farmland eventually led Japan to produce grown vegetables through the use of hydroponics. This is an indoor facility that grows vegetables without the use of soil but instead, mineral solutions in water. Spread Co. is one of Japan’s largest hydroponics company which had sold 1,000 heads of lettuce per day in its first year of production in 2008. In 2013, the company had internationally sold 7.3 million lettuce heads and generated sales of $8.8 million. Overall, Japan currently has about 150 hydroponic plant factories, which is currently the largest amount in the world, and as stated in the article “hydroponics are not just Japan’s future…they are the world’s future.”
Business Strand
Spread Co. is one of the many international businesses that export their hydroponic products to various countries around the world. Nevertheless, Spread Co.’s distribution of factory made vegetables precisely relates to the marketing challenges, approaches and distribution strand of international business. This is due to the fact that Spread Co. ultimately satisfies a physical need for many individuals around the world and can be seen as an opportunity for the way the world will begin to plant their agriculture. After going through market research and determining that domestic agriculture is lacking, Spread Co. found a way to solve this problem and provide a type of necessity. Ultimately, Spread Co. has prospered and generated a great deal of revenue. All in all, this proves that with international business and exporting of products, it is essential that every product either satisfies a customers need or want in order for the customer to be interested and willing to purchase the product.
Spread Co. is one of the many international businesses that export their hydroponic products to various countries around the world. Nevertheless, Spread Co.’s distribution of factory made vegetables precisely relates to the marketing challenges, approaches and distribution strand of international business. This is due to the fact that Spread Co. ultimately satisfies a physical need for many individuals around the world and can be seen as an opportunity for the way the world will begin to plant their agriculture. After going through market research and determining that domestic agriculture is lacking, Spread Co. found a way to solve this problem and provide a type of necessity. Ultimately, Spread Co. has prospered and generated a great deal of revenue. All in all, this proves that with international business and exporting of products, it is essential that every product either satisfies a customers need or want in order for the customer to be interested and willing to purchase the product.
Opinion
In my opinion, I believe that Spread Co. is a good investment and will unquestionably continue to be successful due to the fact that it does not solve a customer’s want, but a necessity, which is the first steps in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, I also think that this company needs more branding and international marketing in order to become a world leader in agriculture distribution as it does provide a need which every customer can purchase and consume. Also, through better distribution, since agriculture has an expiry date, offering the product to more countries can generate a larger sum of revenue. Accordingly, if the company does begin to market their product and their way of production more, it can lead to a new style and form of farming in areas which aren’t suitable for farms. All in all, this company can also solve the food shortage issue that is bound to occur due to the rapid population growth that is happening right now.
In my opinion, I believe that Spread Co. is a good investment and will unquestionably continue to be successful due to the fact that it does not solve a customer’s want, but a necessity, which is the first steps in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, I also think that this company needs more branding and international marketing in order to become a world leader in agriculture distribution as it does provide a need which every customer can purchase and consume. Also, through better distribution, since agriculture has an expiry date, offering the product to more countries can generate a larger sum of revenue. Accordingly, if the company does begin to market their product and their way of production more, it can lead to a new style and form of farming in areas which aren’t suitable for farms. All in all, this company can also solve the food shortage issue that is bound to occur due to the rapid population growth that is happening right now.
Westhead, Rick . "Japan embraces the grow-op | Toronto Star." thestar.com. The Toronto Star , 31 Mar. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014. <http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/31/japan_embraces_the_growop.html#>