South Dakota International Business Institute
International service provider. Founded in 1994.
Joop Bollen, Director
620 SE 15th Avenue
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Telephone: (605) 626-3149
Facsimile: (605) 6263004
E-mail: bollenj@wolf.northern.edu
Website: www.northern.edu/sdibi/sdibi.html
Mission of Organization
Developed as a cooperative effort between the state of South Dakota and Northern State University, the South Dakota International Business Institute (SDIBI) supports the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) in facilitating and enhancing international trade. International trade creates jobs, and creating quality job opportunities for South Dakota is GOED’s mission.
Export Promotion Activities
SDIBI facilitates international trade through free-of-charge consultations. Typical sessions include, but are not limited to, the following topics: licensing requirements, labeling requirements, certification, standards, classification, export documentation, export readiness, country information, international marketing, export finance and other international trade topics. Additionally, SDIBI has software packages available to evaluate a company’s export readiness and to evaluate the quality of prospective freight forwarders, distributors and trading partners.
SDIBI offers educational programs to help businesses acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to successfully compete in the international marketplace. Educational sessions are conducted through the Rural Development Telecommunications Network to assure that the sessions are available in a company’s direct vicinity. Program schedules outlining topics and dates can be obtained by contacting SDIBI.
South Dakota exporters have access to trade finance assistance through SDIBI and the Export-Import Bank of the United States, including Export Credit Insurance and direct loans and guarantees.
SDIBI publishes a free-of-charge international newsletter to keep South Dakota businesses apprised of information pertinent to international business. Additionally, SDIBI maintains a database outlining South Dakota international trade statistics.
Availability of Services
No information provided.
Success Measures
No information provided.
Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology
Private, non-profit economic development organization. Founded in 1984.
David Weiss, Director, Environmental Technology
CIT Tower, Suite 600
2214 Rock Hill Road
Herndon, VA 20170-4200
Telephone: (703) 689-3013
Facsimile: (703) 689-3041
E-mail: david@cit.org
Website: www.cit.org
Mission of Organization
The mission of Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) are:
To increase industry competitiveness by supporting the application of innovative technologies that improve productivity and efficiency;
To mobilize support for technology-based industries to commercialize new products and processes, including organizing assistance for small business and supporting select industry sectors and regional technology efforts;
To promote economic development in Virginia by attracting and retaining technology-based jobs and businesses; and
To enhance and expand the R&D capabilities of Virginia’s colleges and universities, including transferring technological advances to the private sector.
Export Promotion Activities
CIT conducts a variety of workshops and seminars that provide information and training to companies considering entering overseas markets. CIT partners with a number of organizations, including Virginia’s Economic Development Partnership, to conduct and participate in trade missions. CIT brings domestic and overseas organizations and companies together in an effort to promote commercialization of innovative technologies. The CIT website and CIT’s publication Innovations contains additional information.
Environmental Focus
CIT works with companies, government, and non-profit organizations to support the growth and development of companies producing or marketing innovative environmental technologies. The environmental technology industry in Virginia has highlighted environmental exports as one of the top critical issues to expanding the industry’s growth and profitability. CIT makes investments in projects and programs that reduce regulatory, market, financial, social, and technological barriers to commercialization.
Availability of Services
CIT services are available to companies conducting business in Virginia or looking to establish a presence in Virginia.
Success Measures
An annual report, prepared by outside consultants, covers how many jobs were created, how many new companies were established, and how many dollars of competitiveness (costs reduced, sales generated, etc.) were created as a result of CIT investments in companies and partnerships.
Washington State International Trade Division
Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, State Agency.
Stephen R. Odom, Managing Director
2001 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2600
Seattle, WA 98121
Telephone: (206) 464-7143
Facsimile: (206) 464-7222
E-mail: trade@cted.wa.gov
Website: www/wa.gov
Mission of Organization
The Washington State International Trade Division works to expand export markets for the state’s service firms and manufacturers.
Export Promotion Activities
Trade specialists make international business connections through trade shows, trade missions, and buyer and distributor networks. The division provides the following services:
Counseling on technical requirements for doing business in overseas markets;
Assisting overseas businesses with locating Washington products and services for export;
Arranging introductions and appointments for incoming/outgoing business persons;
Arranging programs and agendas for incoming/outgoing trade shows and missions;
Providing market research, trade leads and information for Washington companies; and
A trade library with access to the National Trade Data Bank (NTDB).
Washington State has trade representative offices in Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai, Paris, and Vladivostok.
Events
The Division participates in a variety of trade shows and trade missions, and organizes a variety of seminars. Recent events include a series on doing business in NAFTA countries, a World Bank seminar, an OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation) seminar, and an overview of the current economic situation in Korea.
Publications
The Division publishes an export/import guide and several industry directories in conjunction with industry associations. It also publishes a newsletter regularly.
Environmental Focus
The division’s trade specialists work closely with the Northwest Environmental Business Council, which is the regional industry association. The emerging markets program manager works closely with the U.S. Asia-Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) and has obtained a number of grants to develop and maintain long-term market opportunities for Washington environmental business in Asia.
Availability of Services
Available to all Washington residents.
Success Measures
Measurable results are collected in the following categories: number of business clients, client consulting hours, resultant export sales, participation in trade shows, incoming and outgoing missions, presentations and public speaking engagements, seminars organized, and the number of attendees at the presentations or seminars.
Washington State Department of Ecology
State Agency.
Bob Monn, Information Services Manager
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Telephone: (360) 407-6000
Facsimile: (360) 407-6989
E-mail: bmon461@ecy.wa.gov
Mission of Organization
The Washington Department of Ecology is the state environmental regulatory agency. It is attempting new approaches to ecosystems management that will apply local leadership and citizen action to solve environmental problems instead of transferring them from one medium to another. This new philosophy will reflect the relationship of the state’s water, land, and air resources.
Export Promotion Activities
The Department of Ecology supports environmental exports primarily through educational programming, technology transfer efforts, and technical assistance. Its exports work has focused in Asia and Canada.
Environmental Focus
No information provided.
Availability of Services
No information provided.
Success Measures
No information provided.
Washington State China Relations Council
Non-Profit Agency. 160 members. Founded in 1979.
Joseph J. Borich, Executive Director
2601 Fourth Avenue, Suite 330
Seattle, WA 98121
Telephone: (206) 441-4419
Facsimile: (206) 443-3828
E-mail: wscrc@aol.com
Website: www.eskimo.com/wscrc
Mission of Organization
To ensure that Washington State businesses maintain a competitive edge in Chinese trade, the Washington State China Relations Council (WSCRC) advises member companies in their China business and is committed to encouraging a favorable environment for this state’s growing trade with China.
Export Promotion Activities
WSCRC assists its members with all aspects of doing business with China. It provides custom-tailored information on current political and commercial situations and special programs with numerous Chinese officials and business delegations, American senior government and business leaders, and China trade specialists.
WSCRC also offers language assistance, referrals to translators for more complete language service needs, personal China consultations with Council members, and assistance receiving Chinese business delegations.
Environmental Focus
While not specifically focused on environmental issues, the WSCRC’s array of services are applicable to all members, including environmentally related ones.
Availability of Services
No information provided.
Success Measures
No information provided.
Wisconsin Department of Commerce
Division of International and Export Development, State Agency. Founded in 1982.
Mary Lynn Murtaugh, International Commerce Consultant
c/o Waukesha County Technical College
800 Main Street
Pawaukea, WI 53072
Telephone: (414) 691-5147
Facsimile: (414) 691-5092
E-mail: mmurtagh@waukesha.tec.wi.us
Website: www.badger.state.wi.us/agencies/commerce
Mission of Organization
The Wisconsin Department of Commerce’s Division of International Trade and Export Development seeks to increase employment in the state by helping firms increase their export sales. The Division works with small and medium-sized firms that have been successful in the domestic market and are ready for the challenge of international sales.
Export Promotion Activities
The division provides the following services:
Counseling and technical assistance from outreach staff located around the state and from area specialists with contacts and experience around the world;
A network of overseas offices and representatives that can work for Wisconsin companies in key markets, providing market intelligence, conducting agent/distributor searches, and in some cases directly selling product; and
International trade promotions including catalog shows, direct participation trade shows, trade show grant program, and Governor-led trade missions.
Publications
The division publishes the Wisconsin Exporters Directoryand the Wisconsin International Trade Handbook and Resource Directory.
Environmental Focus
In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce Milwaukee District Office and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Division has created the Wisconsin Environmental Industry Export Forum. The forum is a networking and educational program for export-ready Wisconsin companies. Participants receive reliable information about export opportunities in the big emerging markets for environmental technologies, business connections with fellow exporters, and one-to-one technical export counseling from government providers.
Availability of Services
All services of the Division are available to any Wisconsin manufacturer or service provider seeking to increase its direct export sales. The trade show grant is available only to firms with annual sales less than $25 million.
Success Measures
Success is measured by the amount of increased sales firms report and the number of jobs saved or created by export sales.
Wisconsin Small Business Clean Air Assistance Program
State Agency. Founded in 1992.
Cliff Fleener, Clean Air Specialist
123 W. Washington Ave.
P.O. Box 7970
Madison, WI 53707
Telephone: (608) 264-6153
Facsimile: (608) 267-0436
E-mail: C.Fleener@mail.state.wi.us
Website: badger.state.wi.us/agencies/commerce
Mission of Organization
The Wisconsin Small Business Clean Air Assistance Program represents a joint effort between the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and its Department of Commerce. The mission of the program is to help small businesses understand and comply with the regulations of the Clean Air Act, while remaining economically competitive. Section 507 of the Clean Air Act requires each state to have such a program.
Export Promotion Activities
While not directly involved in supporting exporters, many of the program clients do have export sales. The program works in cooperation with the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce to conduct a survey to determine what the impact of the ISO 14000 international environmental management system is having on Wisconsin business.
In 1996, the program conducted 48 workshops, 35 on-site visits, and answered 696 phone calls requesting assistance. It regularly organizes seminars and outreach efforts that target small business and their compliance concerns.
The program publishes over 30 fact sheets covering issues of interest to small businesses, including consultant listings, plain language summaries of pertinent environmental requirements, and data keeping forms and example sheets. It also publishes the Small Business Clean Air Advisor, a newsletter, and distributes itto over 1,500 copies.
Environmental Focus
If an environmental technology exporter paints, coats, melts, prints, bakes, or incinerates anything at their Wisconsin facility we can provide assistance that will help them comply with applicable air regulations.
Availability of Services
To use the services of the program, a company must have 100 or fewer employees, be independently owned/operated (no franchises), and not be considered a major source of air pollution (a major source emits 10 tons per year or more of any single hazardous air pollutant, 25 tons per year or more of any combination of hazardous air pollutants, or 100 tons per year or more of any combination hazardous air pollutants, or 100 tons per year or more of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide, particular matter, or lead). The program’s staff can also help a business determine if it is a major source of pollution or not.
Success Measures
The Wisconsin Small Business Clean Air Assistance Program measures success based on the number of businesses it reaches during a given year. In 1996, it reached 29,000 businesses through its outreach efforts.
West Virginia Development Office
International Division. State economic development organization.
Leslie Drake, International Trade Representative
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, B-517
Charleston, WV 25305-0311
Telephone: (304) 558-2234
Facsimile: (304) 558-1957
E-mail: drakel@mail.wvnet.edu
Website: www.wvdo.org
Mission of Organization
The Office of World Trade, a division of the West Virginia Development Office, is the official agency for foreign trade development in the state of West Virginia. Its mission is to introduce West Virginia internationally as a source of outstanding, globally competitive products, and a word-class location from which to do business.
Export Promotion Activities
The export professionals of the Office of World Trade plan and coordinate a variety of export development-related activities, as well as provide access to a wealth of information to prospective and seasoned exporters. Export staff have led missions to twenty countries on six continents. The Office of World Trade actively searches for new markets and trade shows where West Virginia products can be showcased.
The Office of World Trade provides assistance, service, and support for small and medium-sized West Virginia businesses interested in exporting their products. It has access to multiple global trade databases that can connect businesses with potential partners worldwide. Office of World Trade staff can guide businesses through the export process by connecting first-time exporters with mentors. It can provide general market research, industry-specific market research, key contact information, trade regulations, and other pertinent information. Export’s programs.
The Office of World Trade has overseas trade offices in Nagoya, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan.
Environmental Focus
None specifically.
Availability of Services
The Office of World Trade provides assistance and support services for any businesses located in West Virginia.
Success Measures
Success is measured through customer satisfaction surveys, export actions, and expanded trade mission schedule.
Wyoming Department of Commerce
Division of Economic and Community Development, State Agency.
Linda Norman, Protocol/Trade Officer
122 West 25th Street
Herschler Bldg.
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Telephone: (307) 777-6199
Facsimile: (307) 777-5840
E-mail: informa@missc.state.wy.us
Website: commerce.state.wy.us/decd/
Mission of Organization
The Division of Economic and Community Development of the Wyoming Department of Commerce serves as a clearing-house for international business information, trade resources, and contacts. It provides businesses with basic export information. The organization works closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center in Denver and the U.S. Small Business Administration staff in Denver. It also serves as a Protocol contact for official visits by representatives of foreign countries.
Export Promotion Activities
The Division plans to hold “International Trade Day” for Wyoming businesses interested in the overseas market later this year. It also co-sponsors events with the Japanese External Trade Organization’s Denver office.
The division’s monthly newsletter, Inside Out, includes information on international events.
Environmental Focus
The Division provides Wyoming environmental firms with news on international trade shows and events.
