LOC International

8 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 11 locks. We have a specialist within our team who is going to tag along with our local rep to go into detail on that product line. That’s how we work; each of the main product lines has somebody within our team that has ten to fifteen-plus years of experience within the hospitality space with that particular product line,” he elaborates LOC International’s employee specialists all train with the company’s many suppliers and manufacturers. “We are very blessed to have these direct relationships,” says Beaudet. “For example, on the door lock side or the TV side, we work directly with the person that is in charge of the hospitality market within these different manufacturers, and our sales reps have direct access to them. They’ll be able to go on a sales call with them and they’ll be able to take training on the new product line. As soon as a supplier or manufacturer comes out with something new, they want to make sure that we have the tools in order to sell these products. Then, every year, we take three days around December for our yearly sales kickoff. We have all of our people come together and the different suppliers or manufacturers will come to us and give us product knowledge on what’s new, what’s dedicated to our market, etc.” Another way in which LOC International stays abreast of what’s new and needed is by working closely with many different hotel associations. The company is a member of the Hotel Association of Canada, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association, the British Columbia Hotel Association, the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association, the Association hôtellerie du Québec, the Association hôtelière de la région de Québec, the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick, and the Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador Association. “We get a lot of data from those associations,” Beaudet notes. “They will also tell us what their members are looking for, or if they’re having a shortage on this or that.” 35 years of innovation LOC International’s reputation as an innovator is well-known and much appreciated. “People don’t what could happen if they don’t do it.” Sales and education go hand-in-hand Educating its customer base is a big part of LOC International’s business. Its account managers, working within set territories across Canada, maintain a portfolio of numerous products, some of which are quite complicated, according to Beaudet. “For example, these smart locks are a trade in themselves,” he suggests. “All of the technology on the television side could be complex, as well. So, we have specialists within each of our product categories. “let’s say we have a rep in Vancouver, and a property is looking to upgrade its smart door