Visibility and new business contacts: SFM Latvia’s experience at expos in Germany and Sweden

SFM Latvia is a steelworks company specialising in manufacturing industrial equipment, machinery, as well as products for the energy and military sectors. Its business orientation, providing subcontractor services to foreign companies translates into a need for international visibility and a wide network of contacts. In 2024, the company applied to take part in the national exhibits organised by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) at internationals expos “Hannover Messe 2024” in Germany and “Elmia Subcontractor 2024” in Sweden.

Currently, the main export markets for SFM Latvia are Finland, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Spain, the UK and Norway. The company is proud to be part of the supplier chains of such internationally renowned companies as Hitachi and Siemens. In turn, the special military manufacturing permit (licence) issued to the company by the Ministry of Defence of Latvia has allowed it to participate in the manufacturing of components for military armoured vehicles.

“These are the largest European expos for supplier chains in our industry. Over the years, taking part in them has been an invaluable contribution to our business development, and it has also allowed us to establish a network of loyal customers. These expos bring together participants from all over the world and can open the door for business growth. For example, we met our now biggest customer in Finland at the expo in Germany, while at the expo in Sweden we met out now biggest partner in Norway. Taking part in international expos is a long-term investment for any company looking to expand into foreign markets. It is part of regular work from year to year, to promote your company and raise its visibility for both existing and potential customers,” Nauris Jansons, CEO and co-owner of SFM Latvia explains.