01 Β· The Situation
What brought them to us
A German manufacturer of industrial filtration systems had been trying to enter Chile's mining sector for two years through a regional distributor based in Santiago.
The relationship produced two meetings with mid-tier contractors β neither of which progressed. The internal sponsor had board pressure to either demonstrate traction or exit the market.
Timeline to decision: 90 days.
02 Β· The Challenge
What we walked in to
Distributor had no direct relationships with tier-1 mining operators
No Chile legal entity β all contracts routed through the distributor, creating credibility and margin issues
No local technical presence β buyers required in-country support capacity before approving vendors
No visibility into active procurement cycles or homologation requirements
Board approval at risk without demonstrated traction
Company profile
03 Β· What we did
3 phases. Executed in sequence.
Entry Assessment
Weeks 1β5Diagnosed the distributor relationship as structurally misaligned β not a performance issue but a positioning one. Identified two active procurement cycles at tier-1 operators with relevant product categories. Recommended direct entity model over continued distributor reliance.
Output
Go recommendation with defined entry model, investment parameters, and 12-month roadmap. Internal sponsor used this output to secure board approval.
01
Weeks 1β5
Entry Assessment
Diagnosed the distributor relationship as structurally misaligned β not a performance issue but a positioning one. Identified two active procurement cycles at tier-1 operators with relevant product categories. Recommended direct entity model over continued distributor reliance.
Output
Go recommendation with defined entry model, investment parameters, and 12-month roadmap. Internal sponsor used this output to secure board approval.
02
Weeks 6β14
Legal & Operational Structure
SpA entity incorporated. Tax structure defined. Local technical representative identified and onboarded. Homologation process initiated with two operator groups.
Output
Entity operational. Homologation in process. Technical presence established.
03
Months 4β14
Commercial Activation
Direct outreach to procurement teams at Codelco Chuquicamata division and Anglo American. Technical demonstrations coordinated with local representative. Product added to approved vendor shortlist in Month 11.
Output
Added to approved vendor list at 2 operators. First purchase order issued: Month 14.
04 Β· Results
Before and after
Before engagement
After engagement
2 years, no direct pipeline
Active PO in 14 months
0 tier-1 operator relationships
On approved list: 2 operators
No Chile legal entity
SpA operational: Week 8
Board approval at risk
Expansion to Peru approved
Distributor as only channel
Direct + distributor hybrid model
Facing a similar situation?
The Entry Assessment is where every engagement starts. Two to three sessions. A clear recommendation. A defined next step.
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