Driving Force A driving force is an internal and external force that forms the future of a company/industry. The internal force comprises knowledge and competence of the workforce and management. The external force comprises items like competitors, technology and the economy. Willamette Valley Winery (WVV) was founded by Jim Bernau in 1983. When he started Jim only had a vision and a business model. He wanted to create a world class winery using sustainable practices taking advantage of the regions weather, soil and landscape. Since the early beginning Jim has directed his winery to be the nation's first consumer-owned winery and the first to use crowdfunding. (crowdfunding is the practice of raising a small amount of money from large groups giving you an alternative to financing.) WVV is now traded on the NASDAQ. The most significant driving forces for WVV are Changes in the long-term industry growth rate. The US wine industry has seen a steady growth rate over the years. In 2012, the US wine industry was second in the world. Barring any economic or environmental issues, the industry should continue to grow and thrive. The economy has a large effect on the growth rate of the industry. The 2008 …show more content…
Driving these changes has been the reduction in logistical cost, decrease in tariffs, and other changes to international trade barriers. These changes have allowed producers the ability to sell their wines to other regions they might not have been able to reach otherwise. The down side is they now face more competition. Consumers want the ability to choose wines from around the world. This global access has an impact on how wines are produced as well as what types are produced. It also gives a competitive advantage to those that can adapt to these changes. An example would be that smaller wineries could merge forming larger companies to enhance their profitability under this globalization