Falcon Technologies International

FTI Celebrates 15 Years in Business!

Falcon Technologies International (FTI) celebrated its 15th anniversary on 12th November 2020. FTI has established in the last 15 years, as world leader in the development & manufacturing of high-quality optical discs for Professional, Medical & Archival applications and continues to be the only producer of DL2P in the world & caters to customers in US, Europe & Japan. FTI has achieved the “best in the industry” benchmarks for manufacturing excellence. FTI has recently diversified into Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) & set up one of the largest Polymer facility in Middle East.

The 15 year celebrations included speeches from Sanjay Gupta (CEO), Jude Alex (Department Manager HR) & Vishal Sharma (Head of Department-Production). Employees who completed 5, 10 and 15 years with FTI were presented the long service loyalty certificates and awards.
On behalf of the FTI Management Team we would like to thank all of our customers and partners worldwide for being with us all these years!

Falcon Technologies International hosts the Global Sales Managers and the Master Distributors on October 21-24

Falcon Technologies International recently hosted its Global Sales Managers and Master Distributors in its home Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. We were delighted to welcome our Global Sales Managers responsible for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and North-America territories together with our European Master Distributors (River Pro Audio – UK & Ireland, Media Range – Northern Continental Europe and Synoptic International – Southern Continental Europe) to discuss the latest developments, opportunities and innovations that make optical media the exciting and progressive industry that it is today. The entire FTI extended a very warm welcome to all the guests, who enjoyed the superb hospitality and fun activities including a Safari in Ras Al Khaimah desert.

Global Sales Managers and Master Distributors Meeting June 2018

FALCON TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL hosts The Global Sales Managers and the Master Distributors on June 25-28

Falcon Technologies International recently hosted its Global Sales Managers and Master Distributors in its home Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

We were delighted to welcome our Global Sales Managers responsible for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and North-America territories together with our European Master Distributors (River Pro Audio – UK & Ireland, Media Range – Northern Continental Europe and Synoptic International – Southern Continental Europe) to discuss the latest developments, opportunities and innovations that make optical media the exciting and progressive industry that it is today.

The entire FTI extended a very warm welcome to all the guests, who enjoyed the superb hospitality and fun activities including a Karting race.

“Meet The Team” – Issue 9

IN A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF A CROSS-SECTION OF DIFFERENT FTI EMPLOYEES. FOR OUR NINTH ISSUE OF “MEET THE TEAM” WE SPEAK TO MS. KIMBERLY HANEY

WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

My name is Kimberly Haney and I live in the metro area of Atlanta, Georgia in the Southeastern Region of the United States of America.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION IN FTI AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED HERE?

I am the Business Development Manager for FTI-US, LLC and I have been with FTI since 2008, with a brief departure for a period of time from 2014-2015.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF YOUR JOB?

I am responsible for Channel sales training, support and business growth within the Channel of resellers. I currently manage 11 VARs within my region.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE A TYPICAL WORKING DAY FOR YOU IN FTI?

Email is the first thing I check in the morning and make responses appropriately. I print out all invoices received from FTI-US for my files. I keep a running forecast from weekly activity reports on my desk and I check those to see if I need to follow-up on any important tasks, then open my contact manager to import any emails over into the notes fields. Phone calls are made, samples sent if required, and then rest of the day is set up for prospecting.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN YOUR JOB, AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THEM?

Finding new business for my reseller channel and generating new business within the channel. Many of our resellers are being absorbed through attrition, so there really isn’t much that can be done to resolve them, with the exception of working together with the contacts at both companies to make forecasting and ordering a seamless transition.

WHO DO YOU WORK MOST CLOSELY IN FTI AND HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE SPIRIT OF TEAMWORK WITHIN THE COMPANY?

Fred Perez, Director of Sales. Fred and I have worked together for over 20 years in the optical media industry. Fred is committed to providing the best support to his team!

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT WORKING FOR FTI?

Representing a quality product to our customers! Our customer base continually lets me know how much they appreciate our level of service and responsiveness. Customers know that they can count on us to deliver the best optical discs with consistent quality. Representing the FTI reputation is the best thing about working for FTI.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF WORK FOR FUN?

I have a 3 year old grandson named Hollis who is my sole source of extracurricular activities. We love to ride trains and go look at the airplanes at a small regional airport. Playing at the park and feeding the ducks has become a regular activity. I am also very active in rescuing cats and kittens for several licensed Rescues in my state of Georgia. I volunteer to bottle feed abandoned kittens that cannot eat on their own, and we have fostered many kitties at the Haney Estate!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?

Boy, that’s a tough one. I love Mexican food, but I’m also a steak and potatoes kind of gal!

WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM?

Dallas Cowboys (American Football, y’all).

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE/SONG?

My favorite movie is Steel Magnolias and my favorite song is Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynrd.

“Meet The Team” – Issue 8

IN A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF A CROSS-SECTION OF DIFFERENT FTI EMPLOYEES. FOR OUR EIGHTH ISSUE OF “MEET THE TEAM” WE SPEAK TO MR. RAJAS NAINAM

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

My Name is Rajas Nainam and I am from Calicut, India.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION IN FTI?

I am the Sales and Business Development Manager for MENA region and have worked at FTI for almost 2 years.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE?

The main function of my role involves developing and growing distribution channels in the MENA region for FTI brands and identify potential clients for the Private Label business. I am also very much involved and responsible for the distribution of the Verbatim brand in Middle Eastern region. In general, I am responsible for selling products and maintaining / improving relationships with the clients.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY AT FTI?

My day in FTI starts by reviewing my sales forecast, looking ahead to see how I am projected to perform during the month or quarter. I then conduct a range of activities to develop business for FTI – these include conducting research to identify new markets, identifying potential clients and the decision makers in the target organisations, sending emails, making cold calls, arranging business meetings with prospective and existing clients, promoting company’s products / services, delivering effective communication of our products to potential clients and – finally – transforming all of these activities into increased business for FTI.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE?

I would say that the toughest part of my job is prospecting – I expect that many salespeople will tell you that this is the biggest challenge of their job, regardless of industry. For example – cold calls can often get ignored and emails can often go unanswered by customers. The MENA market is a very competitive one and major customers are often difficult to persuade to change from their existing major suppliers, and to overcome this challenge I must think outside of the box and try to be different. However, my past experience and the unique FTI product range and services help me to target the right customers with the right offers at the right time. Nevertheless, there is always a sales cycle to go through and I must allow enough time to find prospective clients to turn into real business.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEAM THAT YOU WORK WITH?

In FTI, I work closely with the Product Management team who help in providing the product related information I require to effectively communicate to prospective and existing clients. I also work closely with the Marketing team who assist the sale teams in providing support and materials for brand promotion. Having worked here for almost 2 years I must say FTI is a multicultural organization that prioritizes the contributions of a diverse workforce. Here I can feel the spirit “Alone we can do a little; together we can do a lot.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE FTI?

I love travelling and reading books. My favorite books are “The Alchemist’’ by Paulo Coelho and “Love in the Time of Cholera “by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. As an Indian I love Indian food, however I am also a fan of Chinese and Lebanese cuisine. I like watching football and am a supporter of Barcelona, Spain – I am especially a big fan of Lionel Messi. Finally, also like music and movies, especially Indian movies and songs. My favorite English movie is “The Pursuit of Happyness’’.

“Meet The Team” – Issue 7

IN A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF A CROSS-SECTION OF DIFFERENT FTI EMPLOYEES. FOR OUR SEVENTH ISSUE OF “MEET THE TEAM” WE SPEAK TO MR. RAGHU RAJ KURUP

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

My Name is Raghu Raj Kurup. I am from India, and am currently living in Ras Al Khaimah UAE.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION IN FTI?

I am the Regional Sales Manager for Middle East & Africa region, and have been with FTI since the early days of the company – a total of 11 years and 11 months.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE?

My main responsibility is to build distribution channels for FTI Brands in Middle East & Africa and Private Label Business in South-East Asia. This is a role that includes many different activities and facets, however like many of my colleagues in the customer-facing side of FTI, the ability to communicate is a vital skill for my role.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY AT FTI?

Typically, my day starts with short meetings with the product management and sales support teams on pending orders and shipments. Then, I spend a considerable part of my day communicating with the clients, gathering market information, understanding competitor’s strategy etc., which I then discuss in-depth with the MEA sales team. Furthermore, I devote some of my time to contacting new prospects and promoting FTI products, highlighting the benefits of doing business with FTI. The need to maintain constant contact with new clients is crucial because the sales cycle behind a new client deal takes a minimum of 2 to 3 months, and some cases up to a year.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE?

I think the MEA market volatility is a considerable challenge that I must deal with on a daily basis. The market volatility is related to the fact that end-consumers of our product are not always quality conscious, and the market is therefore influenced by cheaper competitors who produce lower-priced products from Far East Asian Brands. However, with FTI’s unique product range, consistent quality, proximity and customer relations we are able to overcome such challenges and maintain our positive market position.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEAM THAT YOU WORK WITH?

The closest working relationship I have is with the product management team, who regularly update me on production capacity, lead times, new product information etc. Secondly I often interact with the marketing team, who is very active in social media and in supporting sales managers with catalogues, POP materials, banners etc. Overall, I would say that FTI has a very professional team across the board, who work hard to ensure that all processes happen very smoothly.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE FTI?

I like to be physically active and on week days I often play badminton, whilst at the weekends I enjoy cycling – Ras Al Khaimah has some excellent roads and tracks to cycle on and this is one of the benefits of living here. I also enjoy international cuisine, and whilst I would say that food from my home country of India is my favourite, I enjoy sampling cuisines from different countries, especially Lebanese and Iranian food.

“Meet The Team” – Issue 5

IN A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF A CROSS-SECTION OF DIFFERENT FTI EMPLOYEES. FOR OUR FIFTH ISSUE OF “MEET THE TEAM” WE SPEAK TO MR. FRED PEREZ

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

My name is Fred Perez and I am based in San Francisco, California.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION IN FTI?

I am FTI’s Sales Director for North America, and I passed the ten-year mark in this position in November last year.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE?

I am responsible for building the reseller network for FTI products in North America, which is a wide-ranging and varied role encompassing the entire product sales and customer service function for FTI in the North American market. As you might imagine, my role is one which involves a huge amount of contact with our customers so the ability to build and develop great relations with our prospects and existing customers is crucial.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY AT FTI?

Typically, my day revolves around communicating with both existing customers and prospects. In the case of existing customers, much of my efforts are focussed on trying to come up with marketing programs, providing product information, gathering information on sales forecasting and discussing new opportunities. As for new prospects, my focus is on effectively promoting FTI as a company, highlighting the quality of our products and outlining the benefits of doing business with FTI.

Other daily tasks include reviewing our order schedule, answering questions from the channel, product planning and following up with questions from our central manufacturing facility in Ras Al Khaimah.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE?

The main challenge I face is in the signing up of new customers. The sales cycle can take anything between 2 months and 5 years, so needless to say that maintaining good relationships with prospective customers is of paramount importance and I need to remain in continual contact with the prospect over the course of the sales cycles via calling, providing product information and communicating new announcements.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEAM THAT YOU WORK WITH?

I work most closely with the product management team, who I have consistently found excellent in terms of providing the support I need, plus there is great teamwork throughout the entire team – the people are great to work and have a positive outlook to all aspects of our work, which is key to our overall success. I also think that representing a company who manufactures such a high quality products is a strong source of motivation and morale for both me and my colleagues.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE FTI?

I have many interests outside work including travelling, walking, tennis, and spending time around friends and family. I am a big fan of Japanese food and especially love sushi! When is comes to sports, I enjoy watching baseball and the San Francisco Giants are the team that I support. I also enjoy films and music and my favourite films to watch are the Star Wars series, and as for music my favourite songs are “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel and “Moondance” by Van Morrison.

“Meet The Team” – Issue 6

IN A NEW SERIES OF ARTICLES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL ROLES OF A CROSS-SECTION OF DIFFERENT FTI EMPLOYEES. FOR OUR SIXTH ISSUE OF “MEET THE TEAM” WE SPEAK TO MS. RAJWA MAHDI

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

My name Rajwa Mahdi and I am from Shouf in Lebanon.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION IN FTI?

I am FTI Sales Manager for the Middle East region and I have been with FTI for almost 2 years.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE INVOLVE?

My role is to help develop FTI’s presence in Middle East and North Africa, by finding new distributor channels and growing market share for FTI products, including the FalconMedia and Verbatim brands. Ultimately, my main objective is to grow sales for the optical media products that FTI produces and represents.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY AT FTI?

Typically, my day starts at the office in RAK sending emails, developing a list of new potential clients, making calls to existing and potential clients, providing them with information about our products, and organizing meetings with them – in a nutshell, my role is all about effective communication, being proactive and supportive with our existing clients, and researching enough about new prospects to ensure that we can introduce our company and products in a way that meets their needs.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE?

The main challenge I face – probably like most people who are employed in sales roles – is to identify and sign new clients. Development of new clients can take a lot of time, there is always a sales cycle to go through and I have to allow enough time to communicate with the prospective client and fully understand their needs so that I can ensure that the brands, products, and tailored service that we offer represents the right choice for every individual prospect. My experience helps me to direct my effort in ways that can save some time so that I can get to the stage of sending a meaningful proposal a little more quickly, however there is always a discovery process to go through with every client.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE TEAM THAT YOU WORK WITH?

The team I work with at FTI are all great communicators, good communication is essential for our team to ensure we communicate well with each other, and with the many other other departments involved in the background that makes our selling jobs possible – specifically the production, product management, marketing and finance teams who support our work. At the end of the day, I believe that communication is the key to any successful working relationship. Also, one thing I want to highlight is the strong team spirit and positive working environment evident at FTI, which makes it a great place to work.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE FTI?

Outside of work I enjoy walking in the beach, reading Arabic stories from famous writers like Jobran Khalil like the one I’m reading now called “The Prophet”. These days I also go to the gym to keep fit, and I like soccer and am a Fan of FC Barcelona. My favorite food is Lebanese but also like Italian pasta. I enjoy Arabic music from Marwan Khoury, and sometimes Celine Dion.