After working over a semester and a half on our Artal project, we got to travel to Costa Rica, see the Artal Teak forest, and meet some of the Artal team. I had never been to Costa Rica before, and the exotic animals, the lifestyle, and the overall culture was fascinating. The Artal team set up an entire day for us. We saw three different teak wood plantations, some with 6-year-old teak wood and some with 20-year-old teak. They also showed us around their cacao plantation and went into depth about the cacao industry and the process from tree to store. Before this project, I had not the slightest clue what teak was or what it was used for, and now I can tell you everything there is to know about teak. This trip was a highlight of my semester and an experience I will never forget! Through this club, I have developed a love for international consulting, and I’ve been able to develop my leadership and communication skills.
-Sydney Avery
Over the course of this academic year, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be one of the team leaders of the Artal Forest project. The experience I had travelling to Costa Rica to visit the company's teak and cacao plantations in-person was unforgettable. We met Leo and Haynar, who gave us a tour of Artal's farms, we even got to taste some raw cacao. On top of meeting our client, I got to experience new cultures and different foods. We visited some incredible places, such as Playa Avellas in Guanacaste, and got a little bit too much sun! This trio was the highlight of my time with SIBC and a memory I will always cherish.
-Sean Behan
Throughout this semester and last, I have been working as part of the team that represents Artal Forest in SIBC. Artal Forest are a Costa Rican based teak wood distributor. They informed us in October that they are keen to enter the US market as a distributor of teak wood so this became our team’s project. Working as part of this team has proved to be a great test and benefit of my collaboration, team-working, public speaking and business to business communication skills. To deliver this project, our team were required to conduct a market analysis for teak wood in the US to identify how successfully Artal Forest could venture into said market. Additionally, we were required to gain a thorough understanding of the Artal Forest business in order to present their strengths to potential clients in the US. In building this presentation and presenting to the SIBC exec board, I was fortunate enough to be chosen to travel to Costa Rica to meet the Artal Forest team. In Costa Rica, myself and 3 teammates got to experience a rich and diverse culture. We were lucky enough to be exposed to a variety of landscapes that exist in this country. We stayed 2 nights in the city of San Jose and one night in a coastal village outside Tamarindo. The day in Tamarindo was definitely my favourite as we had a lot of free time to check out the beach and the nearby restaurants/day clubs. Visiting two separate Artal Forest plantations was definitely a huge highlight from the trip. We were guided around these plantations by 2 different workers and they were able to answer any questions that we had. Both plantations were extremely impressive. I felt that this experience really made my work on the project feel real, value-added and highly appreciated. I would highly recommend this project (as well as any other in SIBC) to those considering joining SIBC. It was such a fun experience and is an excellent talking point for any future job interview.
-John McSorley
Although we did not get the chance to present to the clients in person, it was an incredible trip. Getting a tour of the sustainable teak and cacao forests and learning about the environmental approach to cultivating this farm was really interesting. I appreciated every moment from the long drives through Costa Rica's various climates, surfing the beach of Tamarindo during down periods, getting to know different members of the team, and watching the red sun set everyday. It was such a great experience!
-Leah Stevens
