Atlas Electrica
Case 1: Atlas Eléctrica
Atlas Eléctrica (Atlas) was founded in a small shack in 1961 and, by 1976, grew to be the first listed company to issue shares on Costa Rica’s stock exchange, the BolsaNacional de Valores (BNV). The founders of the company knew that this new listing opportunity would allow them to fund and help sustain Atlas’s growth potential. This still holds true today. Market capitalization of Atlas at the end of September 2005 was US$ 17.2 million down 11.8% from US$ 19.5 million as of 30 September 2004. Atlas Eléctrica S.A. is the holding company of a manufacturing enterprise basedin Costa Rica with sales subsidiaries in Central America and the Dominican Republic.Atlas currently produces household refrigerators and stoves under its own brandnames of Atlas and Cetron. The company also manufactures on behalf of other privatebrands, such as Sunbeam and Nedoca, and previously manufactured under thebrand names White Westinghouse, Kelvinator, Frigidaire and Blue Point.Atlas’s sales in Central America, Mexico, United States, Jamaica, Puerto Rico andother Caribbean islands will yield estimated combined total annual revenue for fiscalyear 2006 of US$ 100 million. Atlas is the main player in the Central Americanregion with over 50% market share, competing head to head with products from Asiaand the Americas. Recently, Atlas had several product models that were certifiedaccording to US and Canadian standards. This has opened up export market potentialfor Atlas, on which it hopes to capitalize in the next few years, especially in lightof recently concluded free trade agreements in the region. Export market expansionis part of the company’s strategic growth plan and already accounts for the bulk of thecompany’s 28.5% sales increase in 2005, compared to the previous year.
The main attributes that have allowed the company to succeed have been: * Years nurturing a brand image based on quality and excellent post-consumer service; and * Creating value-products
Atlas Eléctrica (Atlas) was founded in a small shack in 1961 and, by 1976, grew to be the first listed company to issue shares on Costa Rica’s stock exchange, the BolsaNacional de Valores (BNV). The founders of the company knew that this new listing opportunity would allow them to fund and help sustain Atlas’s growth potential. This still holds true today. Market capitalization of Atlas at the end of September 2005 was US$ 17.2 million down 11.8% from US$ 19.5 million as of 30 September 2004. Atlas Eléctrica S.A. is the holding company of a manufacturing enterprise basedin Costa Rica with sales subsidiaries in Central America and the Dominican Republic.Atlas currently produces household refrigerators and stoves under its own brandnames of Atlas and Cetron. The company also manufactures on behalf of other privatebrands, such as Sunbeam and Nedoca, and previously manufactured under thebrand names White Westinghouse, Kelvinator, Frigidaire and Blue Point.Atlas’s sales in Central America, Mexico, United States, Jamaica, Puerto Rico andother Caribbean islands will yield estimated combined total annual revenue for fiscalyear 2006 of US$ 100 million. Atlas is the main player in the Central Americanregion with over 50% market share, competing head to head with products from Asiaand the Americas. Recently, Atlas had several product models that were certifiedaccording to US and Canadian standards. This has opened up export market potentialfor Atlas, on which it hopes to capitalize in the next few years, especially in lightof recently concluded free trade agreements in the region. Export market expansionis part of the company’s strategic growth plan and already accounts for the bulk of thecompany’s 28.5% sales increase in 2005, compared to the previous year.
The main attributes that have allowed the company to succeed have been: * Years nurturing a brand image based on quality and excellent post-consumer service; and * Creating value-products