| Kogod case competition examines moneymaking prospects for mangoes BY MIKE UNGER Despite its crisp, juicy, refreshing characteristics, the mango lags far behind such staples as the orange and the apple in the stratosphere of American consumers’ favorite fresh fruits. That being the case, does it make smart business sense to open a mango-producing operation far from the shores of the United States in hopes of successfully growing then shipping the greenish, orangish small melon-sized fruits into this country? Simply put, yes. After studying the particulars of the case, running all the numbers and examining all the angles, a team of Kogod School of Business undergraduates arrived at that conclusion and successfully argued its reasoning before a panel of judges Saturday during the culmination of the school’s annual case competition. The winning team, Tom Barry, Burton Chalwell, Rand Najjar, Arly Tuysuzian, and Anwar Gorham, felt the proposition would be potentially lucrative. “They gave a simple explanation of how to solve the case, which is what I think the judges were looking for,” said Jacqueline Myers, an MBA candidate who chaired the case competition committee. Every year, teams of Kogod graduate students and undergraduates tackle a hypothetical business situation, deciding what course of action would result in the brightest financial future. Last year’s case centered around a start-up venture manufacturing potato chips in Russia. This year, the 112 students on 23 teams considered mangoes in Madagascar. “It’s a fantastic experience from a variety of dimensions,” said Kogod professor Stevan Holmberg, the case competition committee’s faculty advisor. “It’s a very real-world case, in a global setting. Students have to consider the issues around a global business. It’s a case that will really test all of the things that they’re learning in the Kogod School of Business in a very practical sense. There are marketing dimensions to it, financial and accounting procedures, supply chain management, international business, legal issues, also cultural issues and country environmental ethics and regulatory government kind of issues as well. All of those are layered on top of a global context.” The 28-page case was released a minute before the calendar turned to Feb. 8. Seventeen hours later, students filled a Mary Graydon Center conference room to pepper a panel of five real-life experts with questions. Scott Lusk, a part-time MBA student, wanted to know the primary market for dried fruit. “The first thing I think of are people in Colorado who make their own trail mix or mothers who want their kids to be quiet but don’t want to give them chocolate,” he said. David Rosenthal, a sales executive for Red River Foods, a leading supplier of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to major manufacturers like Kraft and General Mills, said that the snacks are primarily impulse purchases made by people drawn to the packaging. William Watson, executive director of the National Mango Board, is charged with increasing awareness of the fruit in the United States. “I grew up in East Texas,” Watson said with a twang that proved it. “I can guarantee you that there are a lot of people there who don’t know how to eat a mango, but if they tried it they’d like it.” Yet there were so many more issues for the students to consider aside from the delectable taste of their product. When considering opening a business overseas, entrepreneurs must account for regulations, governmental instability, bribery, and weather that may differ from conditions in the United States. “This is a risky environment,” Glenn Rogers, sector policy economist for USAID, told the students. “Horticultural products, shipping, I would focus on changes that could come down the line from the status quo.” Thinking in those broad terms was just one of many benefits to the students who participated. “It’s just a great way to improve your presentation skills and analytical skills and to interact with the entire Kogod community, alumni, and faculty, and to meet business leaders,” Myers said. |
