GoTreads Gains Traction in Australia

Pinto, Inc. is a Rural Kansas manufacturer of GoTreads®, a patented automotive / trucking tool designed to provide quick tire traction for any vehicle.  In February 2023, Mr. Arne Pinto, Owner of Pinto, Inc., dba GoTreads, reached out to the U.S. Commercial Service in Wichita. Mr. Pinto detailed how their longtime Australian distributor had been acquired in a buyout by another Australian company. The Australian company presented GoTreads with an entirely new distributor agreement which they required be signed before distributing GoTreads line of tire traction devices.

Working with CS Wichita and CS Australia, the team first established that the new distributor had a good reputation in the market. In addition, Mr. Pinto also requested CS Wichita’s assistance in identifying local trade attorneys that could help GoTreads in reviewing the distribution agreement provided by the Australian company to best protect GoTreads business interests. However, the area trade attorney quoted fees that were not affordable for the small, family-owned company.  CS Wichita reached out to an area business leader, also in the automotive sector, but whose products do not compete with GoTreads. The former Mid-America District Export Council member was highly experienced in export distributor agreements and leant his time and experience counseling GoTreads on the distribution agreement presented them by the Australian company and suggested changes to protect GoTreads interests.

In May 2023, Mr. Pinto notified CS Wichita that the new Australian company had accepted the changes to the now finalized distributor agreement, and an order from the company valued at $320,000 was forthcoming to supply retailers across Australia, with purchase orders projected at around $500,000 this year.

“For years our U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist, AJ Anderson, has provided invaluable guidance with our international business opportunities. Recently we had the opportunity to do business with a new distributor in Australia and with the help from Mr. Anderson, his contact in Australia (Mr. Duncan Archibald), and Mr. Aidan Dunleavy (referred to me by Mr. Anderson) we confidently signed a contract to do business with this new distributor. This new business from Australia will be a tremendous financial gain for our little company. We will be sending hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of U.S. made products to that country this year.  Thank you, Mr. Anderson, for guiding us through this process.” - Arne Pinto, President