Shelf Reliance Prepares to Thrive Internationally by Relying on ATS' Global Access Logistic Portal

PROVO, UT, February 25, 2013 (Press-News.org) When preparing for the unknown, smart companies rely on trusted partners experienced in navigating uncharted waters and weathering whatever storms lie ahead. This shared, plan ahead-and-be prepared philosophy has led Shelf Reliance and Access Technology Solutions (ATS) to join forces to plan and execute Shelf Reliance's international sales expansion initiative.

Shelf Reliance, a fast-growing innovator that markets emergency preparedness and food storage solutions has selected ATS to provide international distribution and logistics solutions for its expansion into key international markets. Phase One markets include Japan, Canada, as well as Puerto Rico and Hawaii, markets where demand is booming for proven ways to prepare for unexpected emergencies that can result from floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes and other unforeseeable results of Earth's changing climate.

"We're really proud to have the chance to work with the Shelf Reliance team to help people around the world prepare for the realities we all face in today's world. We saw firsthand the damage that the 2011 Tohoku earthquake inflicted on our Japanese colleagues and customers, so we are excited to be able to do our part to help others around the globe prepare for the unexpected," said Chris Boyle, ATS' President & CEO and a frequent volunteer for missions that help developing global communities improve at-risk infrastructure. "I've seen how devastating natural disasters can be to both developed and developing nations and look forward to working with Jason's team to make it easier for all of us to prepare for future emergencies."

More governments around the world recognize the growing need to help their people better prepare for increasingly common natural disasters and civil emergencies. Yet hurdles and red tape created by complex, often antiquated government policies and process often create unnecessary delays and prevent innovation solutions from coming to market. For instance, demand for long-shelf life food items in Japan has risen sharply since the Tohoku earthquake. But Japan's customs officials remain highly restrictive about food imports under personal import law, which has hampered efforts by Japanese citizens to stock up on emergency provisions and prepare for future situations where they need to be extremely self-reliant.

"We're really fortunate to have signed on with Chris' team at ATS. They immediately got us into Japan which was a revelation because none of the other major carriers we reached out to could obtain the necessary approvals from Japan's Customs," explained Jason Norton, Shelf Reliance's Executive Vice President. "We quickly learned that going global is not only about what you know, but who you know. In no time, ATS successfully acquired the necessary import permit approvals so Shelf Reliance could get its products into Japan. Sales are already booming and we're projecting revenues from Japan to thrive as word of mouth continues to spread and demands keeps growing."

ATS is also doing the heavy lifting for Shelf Reliance's expansion into Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, having already delivered significantly lower shipping costs and faster speed to market. Demand is growing quickly in these countries for Shelf Reliance's free-standing food storage and rotation systems, its popular Thrive line of freeze-dried & dehydrated food supplies and its emergency supplies, which include first aid and safety kits as well as emergency sheltering products (tents, sleep bags, ponchos, etc.). These product lines are increasingly popular with campers, sportsmen, adventurists and survivalists.

In Canada, ATS has drastically reduced the time it takes for Shelf Reliance's products to reach its distributors. Access Technology Solutions' two high-speed, low-friction induction centers offer a uniquely positioned solution for direct selling companies like Shelf Reliance that are seeing demand surge in Canada. Last year direct sellers saw a whopping 23% sales increase of household goods in Canada while sales of wellness products increased 25%. ATS' New York-based warehouse and distribution hub serves Shelf Reliance's Eastern Canadian distributors and customers while ATS' Washington state-based facility cover territories throughout Western Canada. Not surprisingly, Canada is an increasingly robust sales region for Shelf Reliance, which now is shipping thousands of orders to Canada every month.

Hawaii and Puerto Rico are smaller markets whose predominantly coastal locales help illustrate why global demand for Shelf Reliance's products is surging, especially in markets throughout the Pacific Rim. Whereas residents in most communities around the world are told to prepare to be self-reliance for up to 72 hours in the event a natural disaster hits, island countries often need to prepare for even longer periods of self-sufficiency. First responders and aid workers can often face acute difficulties when attempting to launch rescue and relief missions.

ATS operates proprietary shipping channels into both Hawaii and Puerto Rico and is seeing solid growth there.

About Shelf Reliance
is your premier source for food storage and emergency preparedness planning. Because nothing is more important than the health and safety of your family, we provide only top-of-the-line products. Our line of THRIVE Foods are held to the highest standards. All THRIVE Foods have been developed with everyday menu planning in mind, though they are also the perfect addition to your long-term food storage supply. With their great taste and simple preparation, THRIVE is a trusted source of healthy, delicious meals anytime.

Featuring a patented, front-loading technology that automatically rotates cans on a first-in, first-out basis, the Plenty 72" is among the most popular food rotation systems offered by Shelf Reliance. This food rotation system is easy to adjust for different can sizes and boasts the capacity to hold over 300 soup size cans. With its easy-fit design and unique features, the Plenty 72" makes food storage management a breeze.

Access Technology Solutions (ATS)
Is the leading international sales and logistics partner for the Direct Selling and digital commerce industry, helping some of the markets biggest names expand overseas faster and with less risk and investment. ATS offers companies a simple, low risk way to sell and distribute products profitably into international markets at significantly lower costs and with demonstratively higher levels of client satisfaction.

With the ATS Global Access logistics portal, ATS clients can tap into a world class network of logistics partners that offer both direct shipping from the US and global, in-country warehousing. In addition, ATS provides direct-to-consumer and retail brands with the ATS Distributor Portal, a service that combines native language websites, customer support, order capture and local payment methods. The ATS Goopping division (www.goopping.com) lets international online shoppers purchase products from their favorite US online retailer and get their orders shipped straight to their door.

For more information about how Access help your international sales growth, please contact Randall Decker (rdecker@accessts.com) at 877-811-8108.

Access Technology Solutions is the leading company providing technology solutions for international logistics for U.S. direct sales and eCommerce companies expanding overseas.

Website: http://www.accessts.com