Off and Running in Spain

When Franck Faucher joined the Simpson Strong-Tie sales force in France in 2003, he started working on the Iberian peninsula, which had never before been exposed to our products. As a well-trained marathon runner, he took up the challenge as if he were preparing for a race.

Franck had a well-prepared base: before gaining a foothold in Spain, he identified the key players and made contacts within the "AITIM" (the Spanish official organization for wood structures). As an active AITIM member, he regularly publishes articles in their magazine.

He established a high standard: as there were no clear standards regarding building regulations in Spain, Spanish builders were looking for direction, and are pushing hard for the Eurocode 5 and other building regulations to be adopted. Franck inspired confidence when he explained that Simpson was the first European manufacturer with an accredited test lab, which carries out tests for the CE Mark we are known for.

Franck had a clear view of the playing field: he spends a lot of time in stores and on building sites to get information from the users of our products. If there is a problem on a building site, he never hesitates to jump in his car or on an airplane to see what is wrong. His customers know that they can rely on him.

He relied on our equipment. Franck collects information from his Spanish customers. As a result, our research and development team can design new products which fit their requirements. Our capacity to manufacture high quality non-standard products represents an additional advantage for Spanish dealers.

He developed strong relationships with his partners. When Franck is not driving throughout Spain, "¡Hola! ¡Buenos dias!" rings out in the Sainte Gemme offices. According to Spanish customers, it is easier to reach Franck at SST in France than the competing connector manufacturer in Spain!