North Carolina’s internationally based trade representatives recently traveled to communities stretching from Boone to Wilmington to meet individually with nearly 70 businesses that want to grow their revenue through exporting.
“These businesses, many of them too small to have in-house international sales experts, signed up for one-on-one appointments with our trade representatives working in Mexico, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East,” said John Loyack, vice president of global business services at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC).
The EDPNC brought all the state’s international trade representatives to North Carolina in early April for the 2019 Go Global Road Show, a four-day road trip providing companies free consultations on exporting and the best markets for their North Carolina-made products. Exporting helps individual businesses increase revenue while supporting the state’s economy. The export of goods and services from North Carolina helps sustain more than 400,000 jobs here.
Businesses participating in the road show ranged from manufacturers of harps, hammocks and hand sanitizers to suppliers of boat scaffolds, biotech products, surgical masks and water-rescue paddleboards.
“We had very productive meetings at this year’s annual road show,” Loyack said. “And we’re now following up with these companies to offer continuing support ― everything from export education seminars and market-entry strategies, to international trade show assistance and connections to vetted international distributors.”
All told, 68 businesses met with EDPNC international trade representatives in 170 meetings held during the road show, which traveled to Wilmington, Cornelius, Boone and Morrisville. Twenty companies also sat down with a representative of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, which offers export credit insurance that helps protect exporters from the risk of nonpayment by a foreign buyer.
“Each year, dozens of businesses that have never or rarely exported participate in our annual road show, and then continue to tap EDPNC support throughout the year to increase their international sales,” Loyack said.
In 2018, the EDPNC assisted 592 businesses in 94 counties with exporting, and those businesses reported $958 million in international sales during the year.
“The EDPNC is a gateway to a highly collaborative and effective network of state and federal resources that help North Carolina businesses increase foreign sales,” Loyack said.
If your business would like to tap into a powerful network of free export support services, contact Mike Hubbard, EDPNC director of international trade, at mike.hubbard@edpnc.com or 919-447-7757.