A. George Hebel III took Bonal
Technologies Inc. global long before globalization was in vogue.
It was 1985, and Bonal Technologies was a
brand-new company when a Taiwan sales
organization contacted Hebel about representing Bonal’s technology, Meta-Lax Stress
Relief, a product that relieves stress on metal
structures using vibrations.
Sales weren’t strong locally, so he agreed,
establishingaprogramforforeignsalesagents.
That move turned out to be key for growing
the company, which now sells in 49 countries.
Hebel got his start working with his father
in his dad’s machine shop and worked with
him for 15 years before they patented the
stress relief system and established the company. At first, they used the technology to
provide customers with metal stress relief,
which makes parts last three times longer,
but they later moved to marketing and selling
the system itself. Technology-savvy, early
adopting companies and aggressive foreign
sales agencies began buying the product at a
rate of about one machine per month; today,
the company averages nine sales a month.
Hebel continues to expand the technology,
and over the last five years, Bonal has
designed two derivatives, Pulse Puddle Arc
Welding for better welding and Black Magic
for smaller parts. The company is also developing distinct strategies for marketing and
selling the products, which it hopes will help
it gain wider distribution. There are 100,000
machine shops in the U.S; Bonal has tapped
less than 1 percent of the market, leaving it
tremendous potential for growth.
HOW TO REACH: Bonal Technologies Inc., www.bonal.com or
(248) 582-0900