"All of us tend to know our companies so well that we think we know it all," admits Mike Ellsworth, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coval Technologies. "Engaging with a third party forces you to look at your company from the outside and ask the hard questions."
With its headquarters (HQ) in Singapore and a specialised line of high-performance coatings, Coval had ambitious plans for regional expansion. However, the company lacked clarity on how to prioritise markets, engage the right distributors, and manage performance across borders. Instead of relying on assumptions, Ellsworth decided to participate in "The Workshop" presented by EDB — a tailored programme designed to help businesses navigate market expansion in Southeast Asia (SEA).
At first, Ellsworth was sceptical. However, the interactive session focused on revenue growth in Asia-Pacific led by Asia Market Entry CEO Steve Dawson completely changed Coval's approach to regional expansion.
"We weren't sure what to expect from another advisory session," he recalls.