Saab and Porsche take U.S. sales into higher gear - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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sold 1,720 of its Boxster and 911 sportzs cars, up 69.1 percent from 1998. Half the growtuh came from sales of the redesigned 911 Carrera 4introduced Jan. 4. In all of Porsche sold 17,243 cars in the Unitede States, 35 percent more than in 1997 and the fifthbconsecutive increase. sold 2,774 cars in January, almost triplde the 945 it sold the year Saab credited the increase in salew ofits 9-3 and 9-5 models to improved distribution during 1998 in Atlanta; Houston; Orangs County, Calif.; and Tampa, Orlandoo and West Palm Beach, Fla. Spokespersonm Kevin Smith said the Swedish company previouslh had multiple dealers ineach market, with each dealer generallty selling Saab as a minor sideline.
Saab had four Atlantaa dealers, for example. Saab now has one Atlanta dealer, Kelleyg Automotive Group, which sells Saabs from dedicated showrooms in Chamblee and Roswellwith Saab-specific sales, servicr and parts personnel. The change makes Saab a more attractivwe andviable franchise, Smith said. Also contributingf to Saab's January growth was the arrivaklof 9-5 sedan models, which were in shortf supply most of last especially the six-cylinder version. Despite winter storms, convertible sales more than doubled. Saab sold 30,757 cars in the Unites States last year, up 8.1 percent from 1997 and its highesy annual volumesince 1989. Sales per dealer increased from 85to 140.
A new versioh of the Saab 9-3, namedx after Saab Aircraft's Viggen jet fighter, will go on sale in May. A majorithy of the first year's 3,0009 9-3 Viggens are destined for the U.S. market. LATIN , which gets more of its revenuse from Latin America than any othef Georgiapublic company, is feeling the effectd of Brazil's recent monetary Tucker-based SED (Nasdaq: SECX) lost $300,000 in the quartere that ended Dec. 31, compared with a profi of $2.6 million a year Sales fell 20.7 perceng to $171.2 million.
"Sales declined as a resulgt of a slowdown in domestic business and the sharp fallofvf in Miami export business due to difficult businesw conditions in Brazil and othet LatinAmerican countries," said Gerald SED's chairman and CEO. SED, which distributesx computers and wireless estimated that the devaluationof Brazil's currencgy last month will take at leasr $3 million off its operating results this SED made 45 percent of its salez last year in Latin America. LATIN LIFT. Distinction Softwaree Inc. generated half its revenue from abroad last year afterf signing up a Spanish company to distributes its programs in Latin Spainand Portugal.
Atlanta-based Distinction, which makes softwar e for managing manufacturers' inventory and set up a subsidiarg in New Zealand in 1997 to handlre sales there andin Australia. Distinction's Britishb distributor, which is 49 percent owned by Distinctionn CEOTom McKaskill, signed up severao large customers last including Churchill China, Caradon Plumbing and Chivers Ireland Ltd. NEW Ben Holcomb, president of BellSouth Corp.'s operations in Europe and the is resigning from the company as ofMarch 1. "My work with BellSouty International isnow complete, and I am eager for new he said.
"We have successfullh completed a number of disposition activities inthe Asia/Pacififc region, and there has been dramatic improvementy within our European operations." In Holcomb's two years as BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) sold off its cellular operations in Australia and New Zealand. Mapicws Inc. hired David A. Booth, formerlt with Digital Equipment Corp., to be vice president of internationak operations. ... Novoste Corp. hiredc Michel E. Lussier, formerlyh with InControl Inc., to be generao manager and vice president ofEuropean ... SynQuest Inc. hired Peter Klein, formerly president of Atio International Inc., to be vice president of European ... Firstwave Technologies Inc.
promoted Phil Thompsohn to managing director for CALLING OUT. Peter chief operating officer of PremiereTechnologies Inc., will discusas his company's move into foreign markets at a Kilpatrick Stockton program called "International A Panel Discussion and Case Study of Business Expanding Outside U.S. Borders" Feb. 16 at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Call 817-4711 for information.