Import Export Interview Report
Valerie Cawby
Localized Export Import Interview Report
Log 112- Importing and Exporting
February 18, 2015
Instructor: Robert Olsen
Importing Company- I chose to Interview Teresa Mcewen, who works for IKEA Distribution services, in Spanaway, WA. IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder’s name) Elmtaryd Almhult (the parish/town he grew up in). She is in charge of receiving and planning all of the shipments that are imported to the facility, from all over the world. Her phone number is: 253-847-9532, Ext 2119. Her email address is: Teresa.mcewen@ikea.com, and the companies main website is www.IKEA.com.
Teresa told me that IKEA has been around since 1943, in Almhult, Sweden. The Distribution center she works for has been open since January, 2008. They first began slowly importing only a few containers of furniture and home goods, but currently receive about 300 shipments in per week.
IKEA specializes in furniture products that come un assembled in ‘flat pack’ form. This allows for more product to be shipped in containers, reducing costs for the company and its customers. Most of their imports are wood based furniture items. They house over 15,000 different articles in their warehouse.
Ninety percent of their imports arrive via container ships at the Seattle and Tacoma ports. Some containers will receive down in California and take the rail road up. Teresa told me that they have a few suppliers located in the United States, and these articles travel intermodal to the warehouse. Almost all of their mattresses and upholstery are manufactured and imported from Mexico. The largest countries of origin for IKEAs imports include India, China, Poland and Romania.
Teresa told me that IKEA is opening a store in Las Vegas this coming year, and they expect to continue expansion; although their largest market is in Europe, mostly Germany. She was not very concerned about competition within the importing of furniture and home goods, explaining that
Localized Export Import Interview Report
Log 112- Importing and Exporting
February 18, 2015
Instructor: Robert Olsen
Importing Company- I chose to Interview Teresa Mcewen, who works for IKEA Distribution services, in Spanaway, WA. IKEA is an acronym for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder’s name) Elmtaryd Almhult (the parish/town he grew up in). She is in charge of receiving and planning all of the shipments that are imported to the facility, from all over the world. Her phone number is: 253-847-9532, Ext 2119. Her email address is: Teresa.mcewen@ikea.com, and the companies main website is www.IKEA.com.
Teresa told me that IKEA has been around since 1943, in Almhult, Sweden. The Distribution center she works for has been open since January, 2008. They first began slowly importing only a few containers of furniture and home goods, but currently receive about 300 shipments in per week.
IKEA specializes in furniture products that come un assembled in ‘flat pack’ form. This allows for more product to be shipped in containers, reducing costs for the company and its customers. Most of their imports are wood based furniture items. They house over 15,000 different articles in their warehouse.
Ninety percent of their imports arrive via container ships at the Seattle and Tacoma ports. Some containers will receive down in California and take the rail road up. Teresa told me that they have a few suppliers located in the United States, and these articles travel intermodal to the warehouse. Almost all of their mattresses and upholstery are manufactured and imported from Mexico. The largest countries of origin for IKEAs imports include India, China, Poland and Romania.
Teresa told me that IKEA is opening a store in Las Vegas this coming year, and they expect to continue expansion; although their largest market is in Europe, mostly Germany. She was not very concerned about competition within the importing of furniture and home goods, explaining that