Washington winery puts SCGP to good use

AgExporter, June, 2002 by Elizabeth Mello

Stimson Lane, Ltd., with vineyards sprawling across much of the Columbia Valley, is the largest wine producer in the state of Washington. The company began using the Supplier Credit Guarantee Program (SCGP) two years ago, when one of its managers was alerted to the program's potential benefits.

Since then, Stimson Lane, Ltd. has made substantial use of the program; the company has found the SCGP to be helpful in expanding sales to areas that pose a financial risk.

"It's export insurance," said Willi Bickmore, manager for Stimson Lane. "From a credit standpoint, it's an excellent collection tool. Importers have a greater incentive to pay when the government is following up if they don't."

So far, Stimson Lane, Ltd. has used supplier credit guarantees to ship precious Chardonnays and Merlots to far-flung destinations like Barbados, Israel, Mexico, China, South Korea and Taiwan. And they are looking for more places to use the program.

The winery finds the SCGP easy to use and the documents easily accessible from the Web site. "It's a good program," Bickmore said. "We'll continue to use it."

The author is a marketing specialist with FAS' Horticultural and Tropical Products Division. Tel.: (202) 720.9903; Fax: (202) 690-3346; E-mail: Elizabeth.Mello@fas.usda.gov; Web site: www.gas.usda.gov/htp/