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By now, you've heard a lot about Windows Server 2003 and the advantages it might hold for your Active Directory (AD) infrastructure. If you've looked at the product documentation, you've probably discovered that the Windows 2000–to–Windows 2003 domain controller (DC) upgrade process is straightforward. But you might not realize that before you can upgrade to a Windows 2003 AD infrastructure, you need to use the Adprep utility to prepare your Win2K AD forest schema and structure.
The Adprep process appears to be straightforward. The utility has two options: Forestprep, which you run once for the forest, and Domainprep, which you run once in each domain. Although executing the process doesn't take long, you need to make sure that you fully understand the utility's prerequisites and prepare for its effects because Adprep has a permanent impact on the entire forest.
Adprep Prerequisites
As with any major system change, you should review the Microsoft Knowledge Base for any information related to Adprep that didn't make it into the product documentation. For example, the Microsoft article "Hotfixes to Install on Windows 2000 Domain Controllers Before Running Adprep /Forestprep" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=331161) details which service pack level and hotfixes you should have in place before you run the utility. Essentially, you should have at least Win2K Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed on your DCs. If you have a lot of DCs or a large AD database (the article doesn't define large), you should install SP3 because it contains a fix that makes indexing for new attributes an operation that has little impact on a DC's performance. Because SP4 is the current service pack, this requirement shouldn't present a problem.
Even though the schema upgrade is a well-understood process with few failures, it's also irreversible. After you execute Forestprep and its changes have replicated to your forest, performing an authoritative restore of your entire AD infrastructure is the only way to back out. Before you run a large schema upgrade, make sure your AD infrastructure is healthy. You should have system-state backups of at least two DCs in each domain, and you should have tested the backup restores. If you have a large AD database (C:\%systemroot%\ntds\ntds.dit), you should have backups of every DC; a restore from tape is faster than replicating and rebuilding the database. The Microsoft article "How to Upgrade Windows 2000 Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2003" (http:// support.microsoft.com/?kbid=325379) provides up-to-date details about upgrading your Win2K DCs to Windows 2003 and discusses auditing your domains for down-level clients and making sure your DCs are at the correct software level. If you run or intend to run Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server in your forest, check out the article's discussion about how Forestprep redefines three non–Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments (RFC)–compliant attributes: houseIdentifier, secretary, and labeledURI. If you've already run the Win2K InetOrPerson Kit, you shouldn't have a problem. If you haven't and you run Forestprep, you might mangle the attributes. Therefore, before you run Adprep, run a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Data Interchange Format (LDIF) file that fixes the Exchange schema problems. See "How to Upgrade Windows 2000 Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2003" for details.
Another little-known consideration of the DC upgrade is that it disables the Distributed Link Tracking Server service, a service that pairs with the Distributed Link Tracking Client service to track links (e.g., shortcuts) as files move on a computer or among computers. Microsoft recommends that you disable the service on DCs (do so now; you don't have to wait until you install Windows 2003) to reduce replication overhead and delete the Distributed Link Tracking tables in AD to reduce database size. See the Microsoft article "Distributed Link Tracking on Windows-Based Domain Controllers" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=312403) for details.
Forestprep Execution and Console Output
To run Forestprep, log on to the forest's schema master console with an account that's a member of both the Enterprise Admins and Schema Admins groups. By default, the schema master is the first DC in the forest. You can identify the schema operations master by running the Netdom Query FSMO command (from the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit).
Although you could separate adprep.exe and its required files, prestaging the entire \i386 folder to a temporary folder on the schema master and all infrastructure masters is easier and lets you locally execute the Forestprep and Domainprep commands. The Forestprep command is simple:
adprep /forestprep
After giving you a warning about the need to upgrade all your DCs to at least Win2K SP2, Forestprep gives you the following prompt to make sure you've installed Win2K SP2 or later:
\[User Action\]
If all your existing Win2K DCs meet this requirement, type C and press Enter to continue. Otherwise, type any other key and press Enter to quit.
After you type C to confirm that you want to run Forestprep, then press Enter, the utility will start upgrading the schema, working its way from version 14 to version 30. Figure 1 shows a portion of this upgrade.
Before you can take the next step and run Domainprep in a domain, the schema changes must replicate to at least the infrastructure operations master in that domain. I recommend that you let the Forestprep schema updates replicate throughout the entire forest before you move on to Domainprep.
Forestprep Under the Covers
Even though the Forestprep operation is a significant schema upgrade, it doesn't add or remove any attributes in the partial attribute set. The partial attribute set is a subset of all the AD attributes in the Global Catalog (GC). In Win2K, changing which attributes are marked for the GC will cause a resynchronization of the GC on every DC in the forest. In a forest that contains large domains, such an operation on a DC can take days. If you have an application such as Exchange 2000 that depends heavily on the GC, the impact on your users will be even greater. The Forestprep operation doesn't affect the GC, however.
Forestprep performs two major functions. First, it runs schupgr.exe, the Win2K schema upgrade utility. Schupgr executes sequentially against the C:\%system-root%\system23\schxx.ldf files, in which xx changes from 14 to 30. These files contain the changes Forestprep makes to AD, so if you want to identify the AD updates, look in these files. If for some reason you must restart Forestprep, the process will continue from the most recent successful schxx.ldf file update. Second, Forestprep changes ACLs in the configuration partition. In Win2K and Windows NT 4.0, the Everyone group includes the Guests group (i.e., anonymous logons). Windows 2003 has tightened this definition; the Everyone group now contains Authenticated Users but not Guests. For DCs to read information in other domains, you need to adjust some ACLs on existing objects by adding Read rights for the Enterprise Domain Controllers group.
Adprep maintains detailed logs of all its activities in C:\%systemroot%\system32\debug\adprep\logs\YYYYmmDDhhMMss\adprep.log, where YYYYmmDDhhMMss represents the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second when you ran Adprep. This naming convention ensures that each Adprep execution gets its own unique folder, which also contains detailed logs of the execution of each LDIF file. These logs describe the execution's success on the schema master.
But how do you know when these changes have replicated throughout your forest? After Forestprep has successfully finished, it creates a Windows 2003 Update container in CN=ForestUpdates,CN=Configuration,DC=rootdomain,DC=company, DC=com, where rootdomain and company are the names of your root domain and company. An easy way to track the schema updates throughout the forest is to connect to the bridgehead servers of your major sites with ADSI Edit to determine when Forestprep creates this container.
Another way to determine that Forestprep replication has reached a particular DC is by checking the value of the ObjectVersion attribute on that DC. You can use ldp.exe (in the Win2K Support Tools) on the DC whose version you want to check. To do so, launch Ldp and select Connection, Connect; enter the target DC in the Connect dialog box; and click OK. Next, bind to the DC with a valid account and password. Select Browse, Search, and the schema container (CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=yourdomain,DC=xyz, where yourdomain and xyz are your domain's name and extension—e.g., com, org, net). Enter the LDAP query (objectversion=*) in the Filter text field and select Subtree on the Scope tab to search the schema container for the value of ObjectVersion beyond the base distinguished name (DN) and throughout the subtree. Your output should look something like
ldap_search_s(ld,"CN=Schema, CN=Configuration, DC=domain1,DC=deuby,DC=net", 2, "(objectversion=*)", attrList, 0, &msg) Result <0>: (null) Matched DNs: Getting 1 entries: \>> Dn: CN=Schema, CN=Configuration, DC=domain1,DC=deuby, DC=net 1> objectVersion: 30;
Controlling Forestprep
Chapter 12, "Upgrading Windows 2000 Domains to Windows Server 2003 Domains," of Designing and Deploying Directory and Security Services (Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit; http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver 2003/techinfo/reskit/deploykit.mspx) recommends that you keep the schema master online during the upgrade. But is this recommendation a good practice? Engineers and systems administrators are conservative by nature; they might not feel comfortable executing a low-risk but extremely high-impact (if it causes schema corruption) operation without having any control over its spread or having a backout plan. If your Forestprep process fails, you won't find any easy backout plans. The best you can hope for is that replication still works so that you can perform an authoritative restore of your schema partition or execute a forest recovery. You can download a forest recovery document from the Microsoft Web site (http://download.microsoft.com/download/win2000srv/utility/1.001/nt5/en-us/forestrecovery.exe).
Microsoft recognizes this problem. The Windows 2003 Help files recommend that you disconnect the schema operations master from the network before you run Forestprep. However, the Microsoft article "Windows Server 2003 Help Files Contain Incorrect Information About How to Update a Windows 2000 Domain" (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=821076) says that the Help file recommendation is incorrect. Why is disconnecting the schema master incorrect? On the surface, disconnecting the schema master from the rest of the network makes perfect sense. If you do so and the schema becomes corrupted during the schema-upgrade process, the corruption won't replicate throughout the forest. But Microsoft development tests of Forestprep on a Win2K SP3 schema master discovered that when the isolated master is rebooted, it doesn't reassume the schema master role if it doesn't have another DC with which to replicate. Therefore, if you take a second DC off the public network, you must alter DNS records to get the two machines to communicate correctly. If you haven't restored all the records to their original state (incidentally eliminating communication between the two machines) when you bring the systems back online, the altered DNS records will replicate throughout the domain. This method isn't worth the trouble because a simpler method exists: You can effectively control the replication of Forestprep and Domainprep changes by isolating the schema master to its own site and controlling replication between that site and the rest of the forest sites.
You can take this quarantine concept a step further by isolating an existing site (usually the site on which the schema master typically resides) both from the schema master site and the rest of the forest. Although having a schema master site is a great idea, you can perform only so much AD testing on one isolated DC. You need to test the Forestprep changes on your crucial AD-aware applications such as Exchange 2000 before you can certify that the upgrade is good. Only then can you release the schema upgrade to replicate throughout the forest.
Let's take a look at the quarantine process. Let's call the schema master site the stage 1 quarantine site and the other site the stage 2 quarantine site.
The Forestprep Quarantine Process
The first step in creating the stage 1 quarantine site is to create the site link and site, as Figure 2 shows. The site link should connect the stage 1 quarantine site and the stage 2 quarantine site with an interval of 15 minutes and a cost of 1. You might want to use a naming convention that includes both the physical location and schema so that the site's purpose is obvious. For example, if your company's schema master and several other DCs reside in Muleshoe, Texas, and the AD site is named Muleshoe, you can name both the stage 1 quarantine site and its site link Muleshoe-Schema. The stage 2 site can keep its original name.
Move the schema master into the stage 1 quarantine site by launching the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) AD Sites and Services snap-in, drilling down into the schema master's current site, right-clicking the schema master's computer object, and selecting Move. Select the stage 1 quarantine site as the object's destination and click OK. You don't have to assign subnet information to this site because you'll use the site only for replication purposes (not for client logon). Therefore, you don't need to add subnet information or change the IP settings on the schema master. At this point, your actions will have had little impact on production operations.
Move all domain PDC and Relative Identifier (RID) operations masters from the stage 2 quarantine site to another site. This action ensures that the quarantine doesn't affect these crucial infrastructure roles.
Isolate your stage 2 quarantine site from the rest of the forest. To pause replication, identify all site links and manual connection objects (COs) between the stage 2 quarantine site and the rest of the forest. Then, for each site link you've identified, use the AD Sites and Services snap-in to edit the properties of the site link. Follow these steps:
- In the left pane, select Sites, Inter-Site Transports, IP.
- In the right pane, right-click the identified site link and select Properties.
- Click Change Schedule.
- Select Replication Not Available and observe that all blocks in the replication schedule table change from blue to white.
- Assuming today is the implementation day, select the blocks on the schedule for 12:00 a.m. today up to the time when the replication quarantine will become active.
- Select Replication Available and observe that all time blocks for today (before the replication quarantine) change from white to blue, as Figure 3, page 60, shows. If you don't select at least some time for replication to occur, AD will ignore the schedule and replicate anyway.
- Click OK twice.
You also need to pause replication on each manual CO that pulls replication from your stage 2 quarantine site; otherwise, the changes will leak out through the COs. If you haven't kept a record of the manual COs, the only way to pause replication is by examining the NTDS settings of every DC in the forest (except for the quarantined DCs) for incoming COs from the quarantine sites. To pause replication on a CO, launch the AD Sites and Services snap-in. In the left pane, select Sites (the remote site that has the manual CO), Servers (the server that owns the manual CO), then NTDS Objects. In the right pane, right-click the CO and select Properties. Pause replication on the object by following steps 3 through 7 of the technique I described earlier.
Pause replication between the stage 1 quarantine site and the stage 2 quarantine site by using the technique of manipulating the replication schedule that I described earlier. You won't have to deal with any manual COs. You've now established the two-stage quarantine of your schema master.
The quarantine will prevent the rest of the forest from seeing any changes made to AD inside the quarantine. Without this prevention, problems can arise. For example, if you don't direct Help desk AD-related operations to a DC outside the quarantine, users might not see the results of the Help desk's changes for many hours.
You're now ready to run Forestprep as I described earlier. After you run the utility, check adprep.log for any errors. Run Dcdiag (in the Win2K Support Tools) and check the event logs for any unusual error messages.
If you have to back out of the upgrade for any reason, take the corrupt schema master offline for good and use Ntdsutl to seize the schema master role to another DC. Seizing simply designates the new master and doesn't attempt to transfer the existing master's configuration to the new master. (If the corrupted master is still online when you attempt to seize the role, Ntdsutl will automatically transfer—rather than seize—the corrupt schema out of your quarantine.) Then, rebuild the former schema master from scratch, not from backups. This master is no longer the schema master, so restoring it from backup would create two schema masters in the same forest.
When you're satisfied with the Forestprep results, release the stage 1 quarantine by enabling replication along the stage 1 quarantine site–to–stage 2 quarantine site link. After giving the schema changes time to replicate through the stage 2 quarantine site, make sure that all your AD-aware applications are working satisfactorily. Backing out at this point is painful but less painful than having to recover the entire forest. Make every effort to solve your application incompatibility rather than back out. If you must back out, route replication around your stage 2 quarantine site, seize the schema master to an offsite DC, and rebuild the DCs in the site. You can perform a restore from tape of all DCs except for the schema master.
If you're satisfied with your testing results, you can open the schema changes to the rest of the forest. You can use the ReplMon tool (in the Win2K Support Tools) to force replication from the stage 2 quarantine site to each remote site with which it has site links. Follow these steps:
- Right-click Monitored Servers and add a DC in the remote site as a Monitored Server.
- In the left pane, select Monitored Servers, the target remote site, then the target DC in the remote site.
- Open the schema replication-naming context under the DC's name.
- Right-click any replication partner inside the stage 2 quarantine site, select Synchronize with this replication partner, and monitor the resulting replication.
- Reset the site link and manual CO replication schedules to normal to remove the quarantine.
After the Forestprep changes have replicated, you can start the Domainprep
process. Compared to Forestprep, Domainprep is disarmingly simple. Log on to the infrastructure master of each domain and execute the command
adprep /domainprep
After Domainprep executes, the console output will display the message: ADPREP successfully updated the domain-wide information. At this point, check adprep.log for any errors, run Dddiag, and check the event logs for any unusual error messages.
Microsoft has identified one quirk of Domainprep: It changes some container-inheritable access control entries (ACEs) in the \%systemroot%\SYSVOL folder, which triggers the File Replication Service (FRS) to perform a full synchronization of its content. This synchronization isn't a problem for most domains, but it will have an impact if your SYSVOL is large (i.e., contains a lot of Group Policy Objects—GPOs—large logon scripts, or roaming profiles). Microsoft will supply a fix in Windows 2003 SP1 that will remove this operation from the standard Domainprep, and you'll have to supply a special switch to run the operation.
When Domainprep has successfully finished, it will create a Windows 2003 Update container in CN=DomainUpdates,CN=System,DC=rootdomain,DC=company,DC=com. Note that this container is different from the container that Forestprep creates. Like Forestprep, however, Domainprep creates an Operations container with subcontainers that identify Domainprep operations. You can track the Domainprep updates through the domain by monitoring the existence of these containers.
Domainprep Under the Covers
Domainprep makes changes to AD's logical structure and increases security (adds ACEs) on several objects. It also implements a more efficient way of managing Security Descriptors (SDs—the AD structure that contains ACLs) than Win2K does by moving unique descriptors from objects to a table and replacing the descriptors in each object with a link to the table. This process shrinks the database and makes operations such as granting an administrative group Write access to an organizational unit (OU) much faster, without growing the database the way Win2K does. The space you gain will be white space—free space internal to the database—which the database will use if objects are added to AD. You won't see the actual ntds.dit file size decrease, however, until you use Ntdsutil to perform an offline defragmentation.
Because the changes Domainprep makes are internal to AD, if you test a DC that Domainprep has updated against your AD-aware applications, you probably won't have to quarantine the Domainprep operation. If you choose to quarantine the operation, erect a quarantine based on the scope of the domain in which you're running Adprep rather than the entire forest.
Adprep Best Practices
I recommend that you start your update on a Friday night. Doing so will allow enough time for you to set up the two-stage quarantine on Friday night, for Forestprep to replicate throughout the forest overnight Friday, and for Domainprep to replicate in each domain on Saturday. If you have international offices that work on Sundays, you have only until about midnight on Saturday to finish your maintenance.
I also recommend that you tightly control the membership of the Schema Admins group by putting it in the Restricted Groups section of the default domain GPO. This step will ensure that any unauthorized membership changes will be removed (and logged, if you have auditing enabled) within 5 minutes. When you have to become a member of this group, use Group Policy to add yourself to the group.
At every step in which you reconfigure systems, COs, and sites, verify that replication is working correctly. Allow enough time for this process in your procedure; start the nondisruptive steps such as site creation and system moves well ahead of the formal implementation time.
If any operations master roles are on DCs in the stage 2 quarantine site, transfer them before the upgrade. This action lessens the impact any backout will have on the domain's operations.
You can also use Repadmin (in the Win2K Support Tools) to disable replication. (Although this method is easier to execute than the two-stage quarantine, you're probably better off creating and managing the quarantine because it provides more thorough testing.) The following Repadmin command on a DC will disable outbound replication:
repadmin /options <DC> +disable_outbound_repl
To enable replication again, change +disable to -disable.
A Simple but Necessary Process
Adprep is the deceptively simple process you must go through before you can upgrade your Win2K DCs to Windows 2003. Don't underestimate the resources involved, especially in a large company that has change-control boards and a lot of DCs. Do some serious advance planning to ensure that your first step toward upgrading to Windows 2003 is a smooth one.


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HK Shares snap six sessions of gains, losing 1.7%
Hong Kong's benchmark index snapped a six consecutive session gaining streak to end lower Monday, amid strong profit-taking pressure, with Chinese property developers and lenders leading the decline.
The Hang Seng Index fell 341.26 points, or 1.7%, to 20,160.41, ending a 7.8% gain across six sessions, with investors showing disappointment with the weakness of China's equities market after the week-long Lunar New Year holidays there.
Local shares were also dragged by concerns about U.S. economic growth after gross domestic product numbers there came in below expectations.
Exporters fell in Hong Kong as U.S. growth slowed and ahead of the first European Union summit of 2012 dealing with the debt crisis.
Li & Fung fell 4.9 percent to HK$17.50. Cosco Pacific Ltd., China's largest shipping line, fell 3.4 percent to HK$10.84. Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., an operator of retail chains and ports that gets 53 percent of its revenue in Europe, fell 1.4 percent to HK$72.50.
New World Development fell 3.6 percent to HK$8.31. Sino Land Co. dropped 1.2 percent to HK$12.94. Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd., Hong Kong's top developer, lost 2.3 percent to HK$107.20.
China Resources Land Ltd., a state-owned developer, tumbled 3.1 percent to HK$13.66. Shimao Property Holdings Ltd., a developer which earns all of its revenue on the mainland, plunged 6.7 percent to HK$7.98.
Zijin Mining Group Co., China's biggest gold producer by market value, posted its biggest decline in eight weeks after a fatal copper smelting accident led to a facility being shut down. The stock fell 4.2 percent to HK$3.43.
Chinese Resources Land fell 3.1% at HK$13.66, adding to a 2% decline Friday after a five-session gain of 11.6%, on anticipation of softening property prices. Rival China Overseas Land fell 3.1% to HK$14.52.
Developer Country Garden dropped 11.3% to HK$3.22, after brokerage Citigroup Monday downgraded the stock to Sell from Neutral and lowered its target price to HK$3.02 from HK$3.31.
Bank of Communications fell 3.8% to HK$6.10, after a 9.7% rally over the previous six sessions, because of profit-taking pressure. Bank of China ended 2.7% lower at HK$3.28.
The city's benchmark index traded between 20,144.95 and 20,518.00 during the session, with market volume totalling HK$66.52 billion, up from HK$58.51 billion Friday.
Other Market analysis articles
- Beijing's struggle to keep arable land away from the developers
- The iron-ore deposit that grows with every headline
- The end of scientific development, return to property speculation
- CNOOC looks to unconventional oil and gas to increase production
- Hang Seng Index climbs 1.3%, strong start to year
- China's Shanghai Index kicks on signs of easier monetary policy
- Guangdong inks 10% GDP growth
- Hang Seng Index hits three months high
- China stock index broaches 2,300 level
- China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group closer to offer for uranium company
- China's steel output up 8.9% in 2011
- Shanghai's GDP grows 8.2% in 2011, strong retail sales
- Guangxi is now China's largest coal importer
- Hong Kong stocks climb 1.6%, highest close since Sept. 1
- Hang Seng Index unchanged in light Fri trading

subset: commoncrawl


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Phone number: (08) 8357....
Fax number: (08) 8373....
URL: http://www.ezappia.com.au
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- A 0.0 km Luce Business Solutions
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text:
Performance Details
Event 5000 Meter Run
Mark 16:53.20
Meet Dew It On The Trails
Place 10th
Race/Results Page Complete Results
Round Finals
Team Hewitt-Trussville HS
Native Country USA
Season XC 2010
Level HS
Meet Date Oct 9, 2010
Date Added Aug 16, 2012
Grade 2012
Timing FAT
Personal Best? No
Season Best? No
Venue Point Mallard, Decatur, AL, USA
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text:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- For the 33rd year, A Country Christmas is back in Nashville through January 1st. Every year, the Gaylord Opryland Resort brings you dazzling, over the top holiday experiences, and a sleigh-full of fun for the whole family.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year here at Gaylord Opryland Resort," said Jenny Barker, PR Director for the resort. "This has become a tradition for families throughout the southeast, to come every year and experience our 2.3 million holiday lights, to see all the beautiful decorations in our nine acres of indoor gardens, and to really experience all that we have to offer here. We have about a million visitors who will come through our doors between mid November and New Years."
One million people—but not a one without something to do. Families can tailor their experiences based on what works best for you.
Photo Gallery
The Grand Ole Opry House hosts "Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas the Musical," and the event lawn has ice skating, snow tubing, and a snowball toss. The ICE! attraction this year features Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and ice slides that will cause kids and adults alike to drop their jaws.
The Delta Atrium has a day or night Christmas riverboat cruise, and come hungry, because the resort has 16 restaurants, and the chefs have a spread ready for YOU!
But the most popular, and perhaps the most awe-inspiring aspect of A Country Christmas are the lights that are put up around the resort starting in July!
Have a very Country Christmas!


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If you are a current BSCAI member, please login. If you are a guest, you must create an account to make a Marketplace purchase.
Click here to create a guest account.
The BSCAI/ISSA Building Service Contractor Benchmarking Study was initiated by the Building Service Contractors Association International (BSCAI) and ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and conducted by independent, third-party professionals at Maximum Performance Group. The purpose of the study was to gather information and identify trends about building service contractor (BSC) firms in the commercial cleaning industry.
The 2017 Contracting Success is all wrapped into one. This conference bundle includes all sessions that were recording at BSCAI's Contracting Success Conference in Las Vegas!
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This book gives you the tools to conduct your own market research projects. Or, if you prefer, it provides you with clear guidance on how to hire outside experts to perform research.
BSCAI's Guide to Personnel Management covers recruitment, pre-employment screening, hiring, training programs, personnel management, performance appraisals, discipline and discharge and much more.
With all the concerns in today's cleaning environment regarding cross-contamination, infection control and bloodborne pathogens, if you clean hospitals or plan to, you cannot afford to miss this book.
Only Examines Material Safety Data Sheets, quaternary /phenolic/carbolic acid/alcide compounds, ultraviolet light, topical and hygroscopic antistats, sterilizer validation...
This video takes you through several unsafe work situations to be aware of that could cause an injury to the back. It explains how the spine is put together and how it works.
This video takes you through several unsafe work situations to be aware of that could cause an injury to the back. It explains how the spine is put together and how it works.
You'll learn how to select the right bank and banker...and what you should do before applying for a loan to greatly improve your odds of receiving the loan...
This two-part video features Hot Water Extraction; Shampooing; and """"""""Spin-Pad"""""""" Bonnet Cleaning.


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MANHATTAN, Kansas has a total of 6 Assisted Living Facilities and Senior Living Communities near you. See complete list of the best MANHATTAN assisted living communities below:
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last year2 Dec 2016, 8:51am GMT+0000stewenvihen344 started the conversation The advantages Appointing A Offender Law firm.
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National League -- Suspended Florida Marlins C Benito Santiago for four games and fined him an undisclosed amount for charging the mound and inciting a bench-clearing brawl in a game against the San Francisco Giants on April 17.
Boston Red Sox -- Sent P Ricky Trlicek to Double-A New Britain. Recalled P Ken Ryan from Single-A Sarasota.
Chicago White Sox -- Recalled 2B Steve Sax from Double-A Birmingham, activated him from the 15-day DL and requested waivers on him for the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.Houston Astros -- Sent 1B Roberto Petagine to Triple-A Tucson. Recalled P John Hudek from Tucson.


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|VRIESEA 'Empress Michiko'
|Shiigi, D.
cv. of 'Royal Hawaiian' X 'Pahoa Beauty' - (Other cvs. = 'Haaheo' & 'Misao') - Shiigi said, "Medium large plant to 30" across and 28" tall - very similar to the other cultivars but with salmon-pink coloration".
|Seed Parent: 'Royal Hawaiian'
|Pollen Parent: 'Pahoa Beauty'
|Registration Documents 1998


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The spectacular jazz pianist Dick Durham returns to The Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday November 18, 2017 at 7:00 p.m to celebrate his 75th birthday with the music he loves in a jazz jam featuring a multitude of friends. Admission is $20 if purchased in advance and $23 at the door. Information and advance ticket sales are available at the Mainstay's website http://www.mainstayrockhall.org. Reservations to pay at the door can be made by calling 410-639-9133.
For his 75th birthday, pianist extraordinaire Dick Durham has pulled out all the stops and assembled a group of musicians including 3 Navy band masters and, in a cameo appearance, Mainstay Founder, Tom McHugh. The musicians will join Durham on stage in various configurations for an evening of exquisite instrumental jazz, full of the beauty of the American Song Book and full of surprises. This will be a varied evening of jazz, from solos to large ensemble numbers, all played with virtuosity, emotion and humor.
Many of Dick Durham's friends and associates from the jazz world, from the Eastern Shore and beyond will join him on stage. In a note to the Mainstay staff, Durham said that joining him would be "James Herron on drums, a noted voice actor who has won a Cannes Film Festival Award and awards for his portrayal of Sam Elliot. James Fowler, on bass is an exquisite Navy band musician. Blake Cramer, a frequent bandmate, is a retired Navy band musician who studied with Gary Burton at Berklee School of Music. Dick Glass on flugelhorn also is retired from the Navy band. John Harris on trombone is a Washington College graduate, the owner of Chesapeake Light Craft, an Annapolis boat building company and a fine musician. Bob Offerman on electric bass frequently plays with me. He is a retired IBM executive who played for many years in New York and resides in Queen Anne's County. Billy McHenry is a jazz drummer who performs regularly at 49 West in Annapolis and other venues. John Starr on flute is a Washington College graduate who performs in Annapolis regularly and has played with me for 35 years. Aiden Pratt is a terrific up and coming drummer who is a senior at Kent County High School. Tom McHugh, on harmonica, is known to many as the founder of The Mainstay."
John Wilson in the New York Times once proclaimed that Dick Durham has "A style approaching that of a quartet." He is a brilliant jazz pianist who is also a wonderful arranger and composer and holds a strong belief that melody, harmony, and rhythm are essential components of jazz. Among his early influences were Oscar Peterson, Errol Garner, Teddy Wilson and Monte Alexander but his style is uniquely his own. He has performed in concert with Count Basie, Stanley Turentine and Grover Washington.
His compositions have earned him two separate Maryland Governor's Citations for excellence in the performing arts in 2003 and 2005. Ballads from his original musicals (adaptations of 'She Stoops to Conquer' and 'Celluloid') reflect on the joy and pathos of life. In May 2010, his musical "Celluloid" with Earl Lewin was produced in New York City at the 45th St. Theater.
Durham lives in Church Hill, MD and holds a BA in English and an M.A. in music.
Note the 7:00 p.m. start time. For the darker, cooler fall and winter months, The Mainstay is experimenting with an earlier start time for their Saturday concerts.
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall's old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
The Mainstay sells advance tickets online through Instant Seats. Information and advance ticket sales are available on the Mainstay's website http://www.mainstayrockhall.org. Follow the Buy Tickets link to buy tickets at the advance price. If you would rather pay at the door, you can make a reservation by calling 410-639-9133 and pay by cash or check at the door.
Upcoming Mainstay performances include:
November 20 Joe Holt welcomes Steve Abshire
November 27 Joe Holt welcomes Jeff Davis and Ray Anthony
December 2 Philip Dutton and The Alligators
December 4 Joe Holt welcomes Geoff Gallante
December 9 Chris Owen and The Knockdown
December 11 Joe Holt welcomes John Schratwieser and Melissa McGlynn
December 17 Harp & Soul
December 18 Joe Holt welcomes Sylvia Frazier


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When Interior Secretary Ken Salazar came to South Florida for the annual Everglades Coalition Conference last week he brought a terrific gift along: A plan for a large national wildlife refuge north of Lake Okeechobee to preserve the ecologically diverse Florida prairie and livelihoods of the area's ranchers.
The refuge would extend through the Kissimmee River Valley down to Lake Okeechobee in parts of Polk, Osceola, Indian River, Okeechobee and Highlands counties. It will expand the scope and approach of Everglades restoration by protecting the Glades' original headwaters from Orlando's encroaching suburbs.
It's a bold plan that has vision -- but no money or congressional support yet. And that will be the biggest challenge, Mr. Salazar acknowledged. But he told the Everglades gathering that he's optimistic because, ``The Everglades are probably one of the most important ecosystems we have in the United States.''
The vast ecosystem is also the major drinking-water source for urban South Florida, so additional efforts -- like the refuge plan -- to enhance the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, a joint state-federal project of ambitious proportions, are welcome.
What's different in the refuge plan is that the federal government, in addition to purchasing about 50,000 acres from willing sellers, will work with Florida ranchers to buy their development rights -- usually in the form of easements -- on another 100,000 acres. The ranchers stay in business, but by owning the development rights the federal government will prevent future sprawl oozing toward the Everglades. Florida's new agricultural commissioner, Adam Putnam, praised the plan during the conference.
To read the complete editorial, visit www.miamiherald.com.


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Malaysia slip to all-time low of 175th in Fifa rankings
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia slipped one spot to an all-time low of 175th in the latest Fifa rankings issued on Thursday.
This comes despite the fact that the national team has not played a match since losing to North Korea in two Asian Cup qualifiers in Buriram, Thailand last November.
Malaysia had been at No 174 for the last two months, which matched the country's previous low first reached in April and May 2016.
Among Asean nations, Malaysia rank eighth with only Laos, Brunei and Timor Leste lower.
The national team's dismal standing comes on the back of a 10-match winless run since beating Cambodia 3-2 at the 2016 AFF Cup.
The run saw Portuguese Nelo Vingada quit his job as national coach following the defeats to North Korea, just six months after being hired to replace Ong Kim Swee.
Vingada left after failing to win any of the seven matches he was in charge.
Vingada's assistant Tan Cheng Hoe has since been named the new national coach and his first competitive match will be an Asian Cup qualifier against Lebanon in Beirut on Mar 27.
In the Fifa rankings, Malaysia are level on 99 points with Caribbean nations St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines as Kuwait rose 15 spots to 174th.
The latest drop comes against the backdrop of Malaysia's achievement at the AFC Under-23 Championship in China where the team coached by Kim Swee has reached the quarter-finals.


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Did you make your way to a Dunkin' Donuts Friday for your National Doughnut Day free doughnut? Today we're talking about even more treats from Dunkin' Doughnuts.
They have unveiled two new chicken sandwiches in their lineup of bakery sandwiches. You can choose between the Barbeque Chicken and Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwiches. These sadwiches are made with a tender, juicy, lightly breaded chicken breast topped with cheddar cheese, barbecue or ranch sauce and served on a French roll.
Today is National Iced Tea Day, so celebrate by pairing one of the new Dunkin' Donuts sandwiches with their iced tea. It's refreshing for a hot Summer day and made-to-order, sweetened or unsweetened and with or without a lemon.
The Giveaway:
One Southern Savers readers will win $150 worth of DD gift cards and (2) 24 oz Cold Beverage Sippers.
To Enter:
Leave a comment below telling me which of the two sandwiches you want to try out for yourself.
The winner of this giveaway will be chosen and be posted to the Giveaway Winners Page Monday, 6/17.
This giveaway is sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts but all opinions are 100% my own.


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Henry Bolton was elected leader of UKIP on Friday September 29th, 2017. He was elected with 29.9% of the vote receiving 3,874 total votes. Henry was a former Police Officer, Army Officer and UN Governor. He was also awarded an OBE in 2013 for services to International Security and Stabilisation. He is an internationally recognised leader in border management, national security and foreign affairs and the UKIP candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent during the 2016 elections.
As your leader Henry's main priorities are:
Professionalise its structures; better select, train and prepare its candidates and staff; improve its planning; improve its financial management; improve internal communication and boost its membership.
Involve all levels of the party in developing policy.
Not be constrained by a left, centre, right agenda. The party must pursue the most effective policies, regardless of where those policies lie on the traditional left-right, spectrum.
Establish unity of purpose and vision in the world beyond Brexit.
Avoid discrimination and extremism.
Continue to have the courage to debate difficult issues that others fear to address, but do so constructively, working with communities and businesses to define solutions for their problems.
Remain firmly rooted to it's patriotic belief in Britain.


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As I write this post I'm really missing Algonquin Park. We just got back and everything's washed and put away. The pictures have been posted and shared. The list of items to restock has been created. And we're back to reality.
But I return with a great camping hack if you like to cook pancakes when you're roughing it.
I used to freeze pancake batter in a large ziplock bag. I'd freeze it flat so that it saved space (by being easy to stack) in the cooler. Then one year, it became contaminated when the meatloaf leaked in the cooler. Caleb was pretty cranky that year because he's the pancake monster, and nothing beats pancakes as far as he's concerned!
So, I decided I needed to be smarter with storing the batter while still making it very easy to bring with us. Not bringing it was certainly not an option. Just ask Caleb!
We had just finished a pot of coffee one morning, shortly before our camping trip. I got an idea for reusing the carton. It was an easy-pour carton, and I washed it out.
I mixed up the batter and used a small funnel (it took some time, because we like thick pancakes, so the batter was pretty thick too). I poured it into the carton and put the cap on.
Then, I wrote "PANCAKES" on the upper edge of the carton. We buy this cream all the time and I didn't want there to be any confusion when we opened the cooler looking for cream!
The great thing about freezing your food is that you're not in as much of a rush to eat things before they go bad (although, it's still smart to eat highly perishable items first, of course!). Plus, you want to make sure it's thawed so you can pour it. And, let me tell you: it was a beautiful thing.
Watch the magic:
Isn't that just awesome? No mess! No extra clean-up! Just pour and cook! Wipe the griddle when it's cooled and cleanup is complete.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your feedback! Would you try this? Have you already tried this?
|Prep Time
|5 minutes
|Cook Time
|15 minutes
- Whisk all ingredients until well blended, with minimal lumps. Pour into a clean cream or milk carton. Label and freeze.


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F F Heath Jr. 12-30-1926 to 12-05-2008
About the blog:
Please feel free to share your memories with us about Fenno/Dad. Send your stories/memories to firstname.lastname@example.com and we will gladly post your letter, unless you indicate otherwise.
Thank you. Your letters bring us joy.
~Carol, Sarah, Lucy, Peggy, and Terry Heath
Saturday, January 31, 2009
From Dwight Townsend: Tues., Dec. 02, 2008 to Carol Heath.
I have just been forwarded an e-mail from Linus Travers commenting on the awful news about Fenno. He was a great part of my Yale experience: a non pariel musician and leader who was admired by all. Being a Whiff was an honor, but nothing could compare to being a part of the glee club doing one of his magnificent arrangements. I can still feel the frisson, as if it was yesterday, singing "Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight". My heart goes out to both of you. with much affection and warm memories. Froggy firstname.lastname@example.com
Posted by Fenno Follansbee. Heath Jr. at 5:07 PM
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The 10 Biggest Latin America Market Entry Blunders
Over the last 25 years, Americas Market Intelligence senior consultants have led more than 2,000 client engagements in Latin America. Along the way, we have witnessed many a blunder when it comes to entering markets in Latin America. To help companies learn from the mistakes we've observed while conducting market research, competitive intelligence and analyzing Latin American risk, we created a top 10 list of market entry mistakes. As Latin America returns to growth in 2017, we hope these market entry tips will prove useful.
#1: Entering the Market at the Top of the Cycle
Most companies enter new markets around the world once they show a 3+ year positive track record. Latin America is inherently cyclical because its citizens and companies squirrel away half their savings outside the region, leaving them chronically short of capital and reliant on international loans, repayable in dollars, which they service through the export of volatilely priced commodities. The average boom cycle in Latin America lasts 4-7 years. Waiting halfway through the cycle before investing cuts your returns in half. When a LatAm country enters a down-cycle, voters tend to eschew populism and embrace fiscally prudent policies, signaling to investors to start buying assets.
The benefits of early cycle entry are many:
a) Assets are cheaper and their owners more malleable to ceding control, financial and managerial, an absolute necessity to any successful acquisition.
b) Managerial talent is cheaper and available. Experienced, multi-lingual managers and engineers in Latin America are scarce and salaries quickly climb later in the business cycle.
c) Clients, partners, and vendors are all more attentive, flexible, and interested when you arrive in a downtime versus a boom period.
d) Negotiating optimal investment terms with the host government will prove much easier in an economic tough spot than when you have to cue to meet with mid-tier bureaucrats in a growing economy.
#2: Starting in Brazil or Mexico Because They Are the Biggest Markets
Most companies first enter Latin America through its largest markets, Mexico or Brazil. That may make sense for some products or services whose demand is only yet developed in Latin America's largest, most advanced economies. But Latin America's largest countries are costly and complicated pilot markets for a regional entry strategy.
Brazil is attractive because your competition there may be weak or inefficient…but Brazil is also Latin America's most complicated, bureaucratic business environment with onerous local regulations, a myriad of taxes to report, costly labor regulations and social taxes, a high cost of capital, an expensive real-estate environment, poor infrastructure, crippling traffic and a conflictive legal environment. All together, these impediments are often referred to as the custo brasileiro. Most foreign entries take three times longer to reach positive returns in Brazil versus any other Latin American market.
Mexico is far easier to enter as a market than Brazil, but as a result, the competition is a lot fiercer. Furthermore, local competitors, who after 25 years of NAFTA free trade, are consolidated and lean, too often operate in direct violation of Mexican labor and tax laws, giving them a leg up over multinationals that tend to be held to a higher standard. In spite of boasting a modern entrepreneurial class, Mexico's political class remains stuck in an age of bloated corruption. While most foreign firms refuse to play, Mexican firms may be more comfortable navigating the corrupted contractual arrangements of government procurement and permitting.
The smarter move may to be cut your teeth in a mid-size or even small Latin American market, such as Colombia, Peru, Panama, or Guatemala or even Argentina where the learning curve is less costly, competition remains weak but red tape is not too onerous.
On the million dollar question of where to start your Latin American entrée, we coach our clients by applying an opportunity benchmark study, tailored to their needs.
#3: Feeling Obliged to Joint-Venture or Buy a Local Company
There are very few places left in Latin America where there is a regulatory obligation to enter the market via a joint-venture (J/V). Most governments have given up on protecting strategic industries from foreign investors. So why do companies continue to subject themselves to the pain and hardship of a J/V when entering LatAm markets?
The truth is that some Latin American companies, originally targeted as acquisition targets somehow convince their suitors to structure the deal as a J/V, normally to keep the founding family employed at the new firm—big mistake.
We'll show you how
Purchasing a controlling interest in a company provides a jump start on capturing market share, but in Latin America, it comes with huge legal costs and regulatory obligations, particularly those embedded in labor laws. Seniority is protected in most jurisdictions, such that laying off an employee of 20 years can cost 1-4 years in severance pay. Even after calculating for the hard costs of acquisition, there are the softer costs of restructuring and integration as the buyer tries to impose its own corporate culture over its acquisition.
There are many companies in Latin America worth buying but in a lot of product categories, the multinational brand entering the market already enjoys cache and name recognition. Scaling up operations can be done by outsourcing local manufacturing and relying on 3rd parties to execute sales execution, neither of which requires purchasing a company. Going alone may be the simplest path, but does require excellent local support from professional firms as well as layers of support from the head or regional office
Americas Market Intelligence provides market and reputational due diligence services to help our clients measure the feasibility of an acquisition.
#4: Awarding Market Exclusivity to a Single Distributor or Agent
Most Latin American markets are highly centralized, with anywhere from 60-90% of wholesale activity centered in the capital city. However, three countries are not structured as such: Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. In those markets, it is almost impossible to find any rep, agent, wholesaler or distributor with true national coverage and reach—though they might insist otherwise when you meet them at a trade show.
If you are serious about achieving market penetration in these markets, then you should consider contracting multiple resellers in the market, divided by region, or sales channel or client category. Where exclusivity is provided, be within the boundaries of a country, region or otherwise, it should be tied to minimal sales goals. No product can afford to wait three years to finally determine that the local distributor was poorly chosen. Nothing inspires performance like competition. If you have multiple resellers in a market and they are aware of one another's performance, then your likelihood of success is high. If you are at the mercy of one distributor, your probability of under-performance is worrisomely high. Latin American markets represent 10% of the world's GDP and roughly the same portion of population. You should expect the region to capture no less an amount of your company's global sales.
AMI divides the process of finding, evaluating and selecting the best reseller partner in each market into six phases.
#5 Neglecting to Visit the Market on a Regular Basis
Many global consumer brands in niche products neglect Latin America because they lack the international management bandwidth to properly oversee their sales efforts in the region. International sales managers who are focused on North America, Europe, China and elsewhere are almost relieved when a Brazilian or Mexican distributor shows up offering to rep their product. After a flurry of visits to the market during the due diligence and start-up phases, Latin American markets are often ignored, particularly when left in the hands of sophisticated local distributors.
National distributors—particularly in Brazil and Argentina—are adept at defending their autonomy and at discouraging visits from headquarters. Ignore their charms and visit the market regularly. Local stocking distributors are known to switch branding labels to their own, sell outside their boundaries, price the product in violation of global guidelines, bribe customs officials to import shipments—all manner of activities that jeopardize the integrity of your brand. Perform regular market audits, including mystery shopping of your product or service in each major Latin American market. Be sure to build penalties into your distribution agreements against those actions that threaten your brand.
#6 Sending One of Your Own to be Country Manager
Exercising control over your subsidiary or sales office in an emerging market is a sensible instinct to employ, but the country manager is the wrong instrument of that control. In Latin America, like most emerging markets, the country manager is the tip of your marketing, PR and government relations spear. He or she should be local or someone who has lived in the local market for years, speaks not only the local language but is sensitive to local customs and enjoys personal relationships with powerful local players in business and government.
The country manager is your top sales person, your brand spokesperson, your government relations manager, an inspiration to employees and your number-one problem solver. All of those roles rely more on local knowledge than corporate legacy. It takes far less time to indoctrinate a local hire as to your corporate culture than it takes for one of your own company veterans to learn the customs and develop contacts in a local market.
The ideal vessel of corporate control in your Latin American subsidiary is the CFO, traditionally the 2nd strongest C-suite position in Latin corporate culture. Not only does the CFO oversee budgets but he or she also leads strategic planning, and often compliance issues as well. The CFO is the most logical interlocutor with headquarters on the most sensitive issues that can undermine your overseas operations.
#7 Refusing to Extend Credit to LAC Importers, Customers and Suppliers
American and Canadian firms are notoriously conservative when it comes to issuing credit to customers overseas, particularly in emerging markets like Latin America where the costs and bother of collecting debt are onerous. European firms are somehow less encumbered by the practice. Even when sourcing from emerging markets, multinationals make the mistake of setting painful payment terms of 60-90 days to their underfinanced vendors.
Credit is costly and scarce in Latin America, in spite of all the recent strides made in the region's banking systems. Local brands and European suppliers understand that Latin American distributors and importers simply cannot finance enough inventory to serve their potential demand. Holding back credit limits the ability of your product to penetrate the market. Failing to extend credit for the sale of your service may effectively price you out of the market in a region where consumers and businesses live pay period to pay period. Case in point is Telmex, the Mexican telecom giant, who with 15 million landline customers back in 2000 began selling computer+modem+ISP service packages for $60 USD per month over a five-year period, realizing a profit margin twice that of traditional computer value-added resellers. Within six months, Telmex became the largest computer reseller in Mexico. They took no sales away from competitors. Instead, they created a new market of buyers who previously had no access to credit and thus could not purchase a large ticket item like a computer.
Use our strategic scoping
Credit is always paired with risk but in Latin America, the rewards of extending credit, when priced as high as the market will bear, far outweigh its risks. Credit policy should not be left to the CFO alone to decide. In Latin America, it is as much a sales and marketing decision as it is a financial risk decision. When considering the option of extending credit, invest in both the reputational due diligence of your customer as well as understanding the market price that your credit can earn your company through market research.
#8 Not Selling through E-Commerce Channels in Latin America
E-commerce is a well-oiled machine in the American market. The same cannot be said in Latin America, especially cross-border product e-commerce. Merchants in the US, Europe and Asia frequently receive requests, if not orders from Latin American customers. Many dread such enquiries because the fulfillment of a single purchase export to Latin America is a logistical nightmare. In one mystery shopping exercise AMI carried out, single product shipments to some two dozen markets around the world—including emerging markets in EMEA and APAC—revealed that logistics hurdles were greatest when trying to penetrate Latin American markets, including delivery delays, lost product, and bribery demands from customs officials.
Beyond logistics is the challenge of payments. Only a portion of Latin American-issued credit cards are set up for cross border purchases. Local banks often reject international ecommerce purchase for fear of fraud. Foreign merchants often don't accept any local credit cards from Latin American markets because their ecommerce platform lacks a local payment gateway relationship. AMI recently published a whitepaper on this very issue.
E-commerce is not easy but will grow to become an important channel in Latin America. There are 1/6th the number of brick and mortar retail square meters per capita in Latin America compared to the US. For people living outside the largest 1-2 cities in a Latin American country, product choice is limited and niche products are simply unavailable. E-commerce will be the channel that serves those people as well as the growing middle class who lacks the time to battle epic traffic levels in order to buy what they seek in a physical store. E-commerce fulfillment is growing more sophisticated, reliable and cheaper in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. Other domestic markets will soon follow. Cross-border ecommerce will take longer to improve but already innovative solutions are allowing consumers and small business to source product overseas via e-commerce in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Central America.
#9 Choosing to Ignore Latin America's Massive Grey Markets
The 800-pound gorilla in the room for product managers trying to build a marketing strategy in Latin America is the influence of the grey market, defined as a channel through which legitimately manufactured products are illegally imported (evading tariffs) and illegally sold to customers (evading VATs). In every major Latin American city, there are multiple grey markets. Some look like large street fairs, others are housed in physical stores – all rely on cash to transact. In some product categories, the grey market might represent 60+ % of national sales—the Peruvian athletic shoe market, for instance.
Often dismissed by multinationals, grey markets can be surprisingly sophisticated, offering and delivering money back guarantees for a limited warranty period, even extending credit to well-known customers.
Another form of grey market sells pirated products, most notably intellectual property goods like software, music and films, but also rip-offs of luxury brands. As a former LAC General Manager for Levis Straus once quipped at a regional conference, "Latin America may not yet be a world-class market but one can certainly realize world-class losses there".
We'll show you the opportunities
Any serious analysis of a market's potential along with competitive threats must include the relevant grey markets.
#10 Exiting Markets in Tough Times
Latin American importers, reps and distributors frequently complain that when the going gets tough, the Americans pack up shop and abandon the market. Leaving a market sends a traumatic signal to customers and suppliers. Unless you are certain of leaving a market for good, it is far wiser to trim down to a minimum, maintain some brand presence and continue to service existing customers as cost effectively as possible.
Abandoned customers do not forget and may not come back when you decide you want to reopen a market. Additionally, the cost of market entry and exit is such that once in, it is cheaper to maintain a holding pattern than pull up stakes. Last but not least, keeping a skeleton staff employed will provide the necessary platform upon which to grow quickly when conditions return.
Contact Americas Market Intelligence to obtain strategic insights into the political, economic and cultural landscape in Latin America that will drive your business decisions successfully in areas such as healthcare, logistics, payment, consumer initiatives, natural resources, industrial, automotive and more.