The present paper offers information on SureCrete Design Products, an American manufacturer of decorative products, specializing on concrete production. The paper offers an overview of the company, an account of Chile as a possible market for the products manufactured by SureConcerte. The paper investigates political and legal system of Chile, the type of its government and legal system as well as political and legal conditions for the market expansion of SureConcrete.
Numerous American manufacturers of various products and services choose to search for new potential markets overseas. It concerns not only large corporations but new developing ones as well. The main reasons for the expansion of the market and intensification of international sales are domestic difficulties American manufacturers face nowadays and high demand for American products in other countries of the world.
As the official web site of SureCrete Design Products Inc. suggest, the company manufactures concrete products, such as stemped concrete, vertical concrete coatings, concrete stamping tools, etc. The company, “was born out of necessity in the late 90’s” (SureCrete Design Products, 2008, para. 1). It is owned by Steve Thomas who has started SureCrete as “a decorative concrete installation company in the Tampa Bay & Orlando area” (SureCrete Design Products, 2008, para. 1).
The mission statement of the company suggests that its primary aims include the delivery of “premier decorative concrete products”, introduction of innovative technologies combined with constant research, and sharing of responsibility in regard to the customers and the employees (SureCrete Design Products, 2008, para. 4).
The company has made a choice to focus on international sales and the current active markets selling SureCrete’s products operate in France, China, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Cyprus, etc (SureCrete Design Products, 2008). Chile may be considered a potential market for SureCrete as so far there are no distributors of this company in the country and Chile has been “34th largest export destination and 36th largest import contributor” (Grassley, 2003, p. 5).
Considering political system of Chile, it is necessary to mention that have been observed considerable positive changes in Chilean political environment during the last decades since the recession in 1982. Democratic political system was reinstated in 1990 and the consequence of this major change was “an annual growth rate of 5.8%” as compared with 2.4% typical of Pinochet’s regime.
Though there is an opinion that reintroduction of democracy fostered the growth of corruption on the political sphere of Chile, Rehrens (2004) state that Chile is the twentieth country in the world that has the lowest level of corruption (para. 1). As far as legal system of Chile is concerned, it is independent, and Dakolias (1999) characterizes it as the one that has strong reputation in comparison with other legal systems in Latin America (p. 28). The head of the legal system is the Supreme Court of Chile with subordinate local courts. In 2005, a reform of the legal system was conducted that brought innovations to the criminal justice that are similar to the U.S. legal system.
Chilean government is greatly concerned with the development of the country’s economy. This explains the introduction of economic reforms conducted by Patricio Aylwin in 1990s. However, the main role performed by the Chilean government in relation to the economy of the country is mainly limited to regulation. At the same time, there are also government-owned companies, such as Codelco, “a copper-mining giant” of Chile (Stiller, 2000, p. 136).
According to International Monetary Fund & Financial Action Task Force (2005), Chile has “legal system that functions adequately” and the system can be characterized by the mechanisms of processing and investigation that are sufficient to meet the established and commonly recognized international standards (p. 5).
Legal system of the country can be considered a perfect field for disputes. On the one hand, Inc Icon Group International (2008) states that the Constitution of Chile provides perfect opportunity for the functioning of “a strong executive, a bicameral legislature, and a separate judiciary” (p. 219). Besides, according to the Chilean Constitution, judicial system is independent and the considerable reduction of the “military-era appointees” in the legal system is evident (Inc Icon Group, 2008, p. 219).
However, the legal system of Chile, especially the one that operated during the years of Aylwin government inspired intense criticism of the public as well as of the government and the opposition. In the case of government, the main message of the it’s disapproval was aimed at the passivity of courts in relation to the violation of human rights during the years of Pinochet government (Gloppen, Gargarella, & Skaar, 2004, p. 75). In the case of opposition, “inefficient and corrupt behavior” became the core of the critics (Gloppen, Gargarella, & Skaar, 2004, p. 75). Though nowadays significant changes in judicial have occurred, it is far from being absolutely impartial and effective, contemporary situation in the country is promising in terms of further improvement of the legal system.
Current situation in the sphere of politics and legislation suggests that Chile is a promising potential market for American manufacturers, SureCrete Design Products Inc. included. Decentralization of the former state-owned companies and firms, Government’s participation limited to the regulation, and economic orientation on free trade, foreign investments, and foreign trade, along with “the highest nominal GPA per capita in Latin America”, Chile is a perfect potential market (McCarthy & Carillet, 2009, p. 45).
Though legal system in Chile is not as impartial and effective as in developed countries, the current reorganization and reforms in the legal sphere are promising. All these factors considered, it is possible to state that Chile is and will remain a potential market for American manufacturers, such as SureCrete Design Products Inc.
Reference List
Dakolias, M. (1999). Court Performance around the World: A Comparative Perspective. USA: World Bank Publications.
Gloppen, S., Gargarella, R., & Skaar, E. (2004). Democratization and the Judiciary: The Accountability Function of Courts in New Democracies. NY: Routlegde.
Grassley, J. (2003). United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act : joint report together with additional views (to accompany S. 1416) (including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office). USA: DIANE Publishing.
Inc Icon Group International. (2008). Judiciary: Webster’s Quotations, Facts, and Phrases. USA: ICON Group International.
International Monetary Fund & Financial Action Task Force. (2005). Chile: Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes: FAFT Recommendations for Anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. USA: International Monetary Fund.
McCarthy, C., & Carillet, J-B. (2009). Chile and Easter Island. USA: Lonely Planet.
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Rehrens, A. (2004). The Underside of Chilean Democracy. ReVista. Web.
Stiller, D. (2000). Wounding the West: Montana, Mining, and the Environment. USA: University of Nebraska Press.
SureCrete Design Products, Inc. (2008). Official Website. Web.