TDL International
All in the family Husband and wife team expands burgeoning company into travel retail
TDL International’s COO Mike Guerra and wife President, Nathalie Betances
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or COO Mike Guerra and wife President, Nathalie Betances, TDL International has been a labor of love that's grown in leaps and bounds since its initial inception. The company has been a toplevel distributor of beauty products in the Caribbean, with TDL boasting a line-up of brands that includes household names like L’Oréal, Garnier, Revlon, Finesse, and Soft Sheen Carson. With the company's profile expanding exponentially, the couple realized that the time was right for TDL to start moving into other areas - specifically travel retail. "Five years ago, we entered the travel retail arena with confectionery distribution as a way to grow our company," explains Guerra. The business started with Cadbury chocolate and eventually grew its roster to boast such major manufacturers as Mars, Hershey’s, Nestle, Perfetti Van Melle, Ferrero Rocher, Mondelez, and Kraft. TDL's entry into travel retail has been met with great success thus far, says Guerra, with the company filling a niche in the Caribbean by offering a wide range of brands. It's a strategy that allows TDL's customers to place bigger orders without having to deal with a full container of product, as the company buys containers directly from the manufacturer and splits the product into smaller quantities. "TDL is able to advise its customers on what kind of quantities of the various products they should purchase," which, says Guerra, ultimately winds up reducing waste spending while maximizing profit margins. It's a strategy that's paying off considerably, with TDL experiencing an improvement of 10% in sales this year over the same period in 2013. The company's focus on all facets of travel retail in the Caribbean, including airlines, cruise ships, and hotels, has accelerated its growth in the region, although, says Guerra, TDL has effectively ensured that its commitment to
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quality and customer service has remained at peak levels. "TDL prides itself on being service driven," continues Guerra, and the busy executive notes that the goal is for the company to become a one-stop shop for all things confectionery in the Caribbean for its customers. TDL's impressive line-up of confectionery products continues to expand, with the company recently acquiring distribution rights to Swiss chocolate brand Goldkenn which is slated to launch in the fall of 2014. The product marks the first brand carried by TDL that offers liquor chocolate, as Goldkenn offers chocolates containing Jack Daniels, Remy Martin, and Grand Marnier.
AMERICAS DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING OCTOBER 2014
The confectionery business has been so solid for TDL, in fact, that Guerra says the company has no immediate plans to expand into other areas. "For the time being we're going to stay in confectionery," he says. "We have a lot of growth potential there." TDL has come a long way since its early days as distributor of beauty products, with the company's family business atmosphere playing a tremendous role in its success. "We are young, energetic, best friends, and business partners, and people are impressed we have accomplished as much as we have. We work very hard for our customers and love what we do," concludes Guerra.