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28 WINTER 2024 LEAPING BEYOND LOCAL CONT. "Just because our industry doesn't face significant regulatory or tariff hurdles doesn't mean that other industries won't," Reimer says. "The food industry is a big one, the transportation industry, the construction industry, espe- cially for anything contract-related, could face different hurdles that we don't." Schellenberg says while it makes sense for many Canadian compa- nies to enter the U.S. market, they should do so cautiously. He warns companies against targeting too many markets simultaneously since that has the potential to create multiple headaches. "You can kind of go under the radar when you're small, but when you get a bit bigger you have to start dealing with different state taxes and laws," he says. "Each state can operate quite differently with their tax and regulatory structure. For example, some harmonize their policy to the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement regarding taxation on sales made within the state and some do not. It can get complex if you are a small player wanting to go into multiple markets." Schellenberg's final piece of advice to companies looking to do business in the U.S. or elsewhere is don't feel like you have to go it alone. He says there are a number of government-sponsored supports available to companies looking to expand into new foreign markets. That includes Export Development Canada, which provides a number of free services such as market research that can help determine where a company's product might be a good fit. A number of government-sponsored supports are available to companies looking to expand into new foreign markets. Dave Schellenberg, chief financial officer of Decor Cabinets Ltd. SUBMITTED PHOTOS 28 WINTER 2024 James Reimer, general manager of Morden-based Decor Cabinets Ltd.

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