Business students develop marketing plans for Biddeford-based buoyancy manufacturer
Photo courtesy of DeepWater Buoyancy
The 鶹ý has again partnered with — a Maine-based manufacturer of subsea buoyancy products used in offshore energy, oceanographic research, and other industries — to provide students in its flourishing College of Business with hands-on, global marketing experiences.
Throughout the fall 2024 semester, three groups of students in Adjunct Professor Tove Rasmussen’s Global Marketing class were tasked with .
It was the second year Rasmussen, MBA, partnered with the company to offer the experience.
In October, the class visited the company’s headquarters to tour the facility and learn about its operations from sales manager Dan Cote and sales engineer Jordan Tremblay. The groups also met with sales engineer and 鶹ýalum Mike Nicholas, ’10 (Sport Management).
Applying foundational lessons from business classes, the students created detailed market plans tailored to each country’s individual economic and industrial needs and presented them to DeepWater Buoyancy representatives in December.
- Team Brazil: Isaiah Mojica, Tyler Richards, Jakob Rivers, and Nick Yohn proposed entering Brazil’s booming offshore oil and gas industry by forming partnerships with local companies and establishing local service centers. They recommended positioning DeepWater Buoyancy as a premium provider of subsea solutions for deep-water projects.
- Team Chile: Zach Federico, Jimmy Hulland, and Jayden Thornton highlighted Chile’s diverse marine landscape and recommended a strategy emphasizing competitive pricing, multiple distribution channels, and promotional events. They identified significant opportunities for DeepWater Buoyancy to support Chile’s marine research sector with robust, tailored solutions.
- Team Mexico: Zach Benner, Shea Courtmanche, Tommy McGuire, and Anthony Sciucco focused on Mexico’s needs in sustainable ocean management and climate monitoring. Their export-driven approach prioritized targeting the $185 billion oil and gas market, emphasizing product customization and strong client relationships through personal selling.
The collaboration underscores UNE’s commitment to preparing students for professional success while still in school, said Norm O’Reilly, dean of the College of Business at UNE, noting that the ongoing partnership is an example of the young college’s efforts to cultivate a strong network of industry partnerships.
“By working with an industry leader like DeepWater Buoyancy, students gained valuable real-world experience, applying their academic knowledge to practical challenges and developing skills essential for global business environments,” O’Reilly remarked.