Time is running and I am doing my last week at Aspen. It has been a great assignment, where I’ve learned a lot and have had a lot of fun. My assignment was to take Aspen’s alkylate fuel into Croatia, a market that does not have any alkylate fuel today.
I do not speak Croatian and I’ve never done this before, at the same time people in Croatia doesn’t know what alkylate petrol is. So it has been a challenge, a very fun one. During this period I, of course, hade the opportunity to go to Croatia. Which also was a first time for me. It was a great experience and Croatia is a great country.
I have interviewed potential end-users, potential dealers and potential distributors. I have read Croatian law, interviewed customs, the national fire inspection and the tax authority. Therefore I’ve learned a lot about Croatia and a lot about things I never thought I would. For example you easily realise that importing/exporting fuel is very hard due to customs and duties, and on top of that it is extremely flammable, which make it a hassle to get into a new market.
It has all been a great experience, and I don’t think the opportunity to get experience from getting a product into a totally new market comes that often. So I am very happy I took that challenge on. Due to all the legal issues and licenses needed for our Croatian partners, I have not been able to sell anything yet. I have only had 3 months to work on it and we know from other markets that the legal process can take a lot of time. What I have been able to create is end-users in Croatia that want our product, dealers that wants to sell it and potential partners that are ready to go through the long and tough process of getting the licenses needed to start importing and selling our product in Croatia.
Take a trip to Croatia, it is a beautiful country! Aspen is a great company with a great product! Buy some Aspen fuel and hopefully in not too long time you can also buy it in Croatia!
Take care everyone!
/Pontus Christerson