Category: International Trade
Top 5 Things to Consider Before Taking Your Business Global
Think you’re ready to start exporting your product? Greg Sandler, Editor and Publisher of ThinkGlobal, answers five key questions on the American Express Business Trends & Insights website.
Get advice on what it takes to go global. Taking your business global requires an understanding of how your product will fit into the marketplace of a country that has a whole different set of rules and cultural norms than you are used to at home. Do your homework and then get going.
World of Concrete 2019 Sets 10-Year Attendance Record
World of Concrete 2019 exceeded expectations across the board and concluded its 44th edition as the largest World of Concrete in over a decade. This signature annual event for the industries drew 60,511 registered professionals and featured more than 1,500 companies (including 259 brand new companies) exhibiting across more than 776,800 net square feet of exhibit space.
Jackie James, Group Director, World of Concrete, said: “This year has been a very successful event–World of Concrete 2019 attendees, both domestic and international, experienced the newest products, technologies and educational offerings. Having our largest event in 10 years proves that the construction sector is strong globally. The education program was well received with a 5% increase in attendance. We want to thank all the exhibitors and attendees who made WOC a must-attend event for 2019, and we look forward to a successful WOC 2020!”
Kevin Archibald, Show Manager, World of Concrete, said: “We are very excited with the results. The positive energy indicates a strong year ahead. This year brought in record breaking attendees, exceptional exhibits, and a very solid rebook rate of just over 538,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space, rebooking 70% of the total 2019 square footage onsite for next year’s show.”
Highlights of the 2019 edition included the Bob Weatherton Award established by World of Concrete to honor his contributions to the concrete industry. The award includes a $2,500 scholarship and was presented at the CIM National Board Meeting at WOC 2019. This year’s recipient of the Weatherton Award was Paige Silva, who attends California State University – Chico.
The 17th Annual SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500® World Championship brought in crowds full of spectators from across the globe. 27 bricklaying teams travel from all over North America and Australia to Las Vegas to compete for the title World’s Best Bricklayer. This year’s winner Mason – Mario Alves – A&M Masonry, Hamilton, Ontario with the help of Tender – Michael Alves took home the coveted title and went home with a 2019 FORD F-250 4×4 truck and $10,000 in cash and prizes.
Concrete Industry Management (CIM) is a business program that has been developed specifically for the concrete industry to provide students with a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Concrete Industry Management. The program gives students entering the concrete work force industry experience early in their careers. CIM held its 14th annual unreserved silent and live auctions at World of Concrete 2019. The silent and live auctions raised gross revenues of $1.2 million, setting a record for funds raised at WOC, and bringing a total of over $10 million to the CIM program in the past 14 years. More information on the CIM Program can be found at www.concretedegree.com.
World of Concrete 2020 will be held February 4-7; Seminars 3-7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
AAPEX Keynote with John King and Karl Rove: How Trade and the Elections Could Impact the Automotive Aftermarket
The AAPEX 2018 automotive aftermarket trade show gets underway in Las Vegas on Oct. 30th with a grand opening keynote session featuring CNN’s John King and Political Strategist Karl Rove.
King, CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor of Inside Politics, and Rove, Political strategist, Fox News contributor, and Wall Street Journal columnist, will take the stage at AAPEX 2018 for the grand opening keynote, “Breakfast with John King and Karl Rove: How Trade and the Elections Could Impact the Aftermarket.”
John King will discuss the upcoming mid-term elections and the impact the various outcomes could have on Washington, D.C.
Karl Rove will address how the global impact of President Donald Trump’s imposed and proposed tariffs will affect the automotive aftermarket and U.S. businesses.
The keynote session will begin with a State of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry presentation by Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association, and Bill Long, president and chief operating office of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). With more than 50 years of combined industry experience, Hanvey and Long will spotlight the trends and technologies that have the greatest impact on the industry today.
Visit the AAPEX Show website for details.
AAPEX Launches Blog to Keep Attendees Ahead of the Curve
AAPEX attendees can now turn to the event’s new blog for insights from industry experts on how the latest vehicle technologies, trends and issues are impacting the global automotive aftermarket. AAPEX represents the $740 billion global automotive aftermarket industry and will take place Tuesday, Oct. 30 through Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.
In the opening AAPEX blogs, Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association, covers “The Top 4 Opportunities That Come with Access to Vehicle Data,” and how the vast majority of motorists have no idea that their personal information is being collected and aggregated by their own vehicles, then sold to the highest bidder.
Bill Long, president and chief operating officer, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), addresses “Why We Are Positive About the Aftermarket … and AAPEX,” with a look at near-term trends, including changes in the distribution model such as e-tailing and omni-channels, and how autonomy – whenever it arrives in force – will mean more miles driven as vehicle usage becomes more available to new categories of motorists.
The AAPEX Blog is designed to keep attendees ahead of the curve year-round as the automotive aftermarket faces near-constant change that presents both opportunities for growth, as well as long-term shifts and threats.
To read the weekly AAPEX Blog, visit the AAPEX website, www.aapexshow.com.
AAPEX 2018 will feature more than 2,500 exhibiting companies displaying the latest products, services and technologies. More than 47,000 targeted buyers are expected to attend and approximately 162,000 automotive aftermarket professionals from 135 countries are projected to be in Las Vegas during AAPEX 2018.
AAPEX is a trade-only event and is not open to the general public.
AAPEX is co-owned by the Auto Care Association and the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information, visit www.aapexshow.com or e-mail: info@aapexshow.com. On social media, follow AAPEX at #AAPEX18.
SHOT Show Celebrated 40th Anniversary in 2018
The 40th Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade ShowSM(SHOT Show®), owned and operated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), celebrated the milestone with more events than ever before. Strong attendance, upbeat buyers and sellers, and a series of packed special events that collectively made up “SHOT Week” resulted in another top-rated SHOT Show.
SHOT Show is the largest trade show of its kind in the world, attracting attendees from more than 100 countries. “From our humble beginnings in St. Louis in 1979, to now being one of the leading trade shows in the world, we’ve come a long way in 40 years,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
The show spanned Jan. 23-26 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. More than 60,000 industry professionals packed the aisles over four days eager to view new, innovative products used for target shooting, hunting, outdoor recreation and law enforcement purposes.
“We had good, reputable media coverage, both print writers and video, and had more time to discuss products with buyers and media,” said JJ Reich of Vista Outdoor. “It was a great show all together, with lots of traffic.”
Smith & Wesson’s Chris Bovat stated, “Everything went smoothly, from set up and arrival of all of our gear, to the actual running of the booth. 2018 was great for us.”
“It was a hugely successful year for us … we’ve done more business at the 2018 show than ever before,” Patty Cueller at Aguila Ammunition reported.
The SHOT Show has grown exponentially since it started in 1979, in St. Louis. That inaugural show attracted 5,600 attendees and had 290 exhibitors covering 51,153 net square feet of exhibit space. Compare that to the 2018 show with an attendance of more than 60,000 and attracting 1,660 exhibiting companies occupying more than 645,000 net square feet of space, completing filling the Sands Expo. Taking the new, two-day Suppliers Showcase into account, more than 2,100 companies exhibited at SHOT Show this year.
NSSF introduced a new, streamlined State of the Industry format that was well received. Big moments at the reception were the presentation of the NSSF Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary outdoor communicator Tom Gresham and NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti sharing a series of priorities that industry will focus on to help protect its future and that of its customers.
There were thousands of products for buyers to see on the show floor, encompassing firearms, ammunition, accessories, optics, knives, gun safes, apparel and law enforcement equipment, among other categories. Nearly 550 new products from 367 companies were on display in the show’s New Product Center, sponsored by U.S. Concealed Carry Association. In addition to the more than 1,660 exhibiting companies on the main show floors, the NEXT 2.0 Pavilion provided 100 first-time vendors from the show’s extensive waiting list with welcome visibility and potential new customers.
The show drew excellent reviews.
“Our company has only been up and running since October, so I don’t think there has ever been an actual brand-launch here at SHOT Show, so that may be a first,” said Phil Davy at VIKTØS.
“All of our expectations were met, and as always we had a great show, doing lots of business. We’re looking forward to next year, for sure,” said Winchester Ammunition’s Nathan Robinson.
SHOT Show’s official opening on Tuesday was preceded by many events.
The kickoff event was the 4th Annual NSSF/HAVA Golf Classic on Sunday in support of Honored American Veterans Afield, which works to aid the healing process of military veterans through hunting and other shooting sports activities. More than $200,000 has been raised in support of this effort since the golf outing began in 2015.
Monday saw some of the SHOT Show’s most popular pre-show events — SHOT Show University, an education forum for retailers; Industry Day at the Range, an opportunity for media and buyers to experience hands-on testing of products; the Executive Management Seminar, providing business information to executives and rising managers; and the expanded two-day Supplier Showcase, featuring more than 460 third-party OEM suppliers of plastics, metals, tools, fabrics and software that were able to reach a crowd of more than 4,000 designers, engineers, purchasing agents and others in the manufacturing sector.
In addition to title sponsors Ram Trucks, U.S. Concealed Carry Association and Daniel Defense, SHOT Show supporters included Aguila Ammunition, Lucas Oil, Freedom Munitions, GunBroker.com, Mossy Oak, Carhartt, SIG Sauer, Smith & Wesson, VIKTØS, Vista Outdoor and Winchester Ammunition.
Preparations have already begun for next year’s 41st SHOT Show, which will return to the Sands Expo on January 22-25, 2019.
More details are available online.
Israel-Florida Innovation Alliance Announces Call for Proposals
StartUp Nation Ventures (“SUNV”) in partnership with the Israel Innovation Authority (“IIA”) recently announced a Call for Proposals through the Israel-Florida Innovation Alliance (“Innovation Alliance”).
The Innovation Alliance was created to support Israeli innovation companies in the discovery and selection of Florida as their destination to establish U.S. headquarters—a gateway for expansion into the U.S., and Latin America markets.
The joint collaboration between SUNV and the IIA establishes a scalable platform to support Israeli companies that have proven the feasibility of their technologies and have a minimal viable product or working prototypes for the U.S and Latin America markets in the following areas:
Financial Technologies (FinTech), Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Entertainment, Cryptocurrency, Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs); and
Tech Innovation related to smart contracts, supply chain, asset verification, certification, identity, health and financial transactions, digital and mobile payments; capital markets & investing, banking & corporate finance, financial platforms, crowdfunding & peer-to-peer lending, and personal financial management.
“This Innovation Alliance was established to catalyze the growth of Israeli tech into US markets by leveraging greater collaboration and synergies between Florida’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem and Israeli innovative companies,” says StartUp Nation Ventures founder and CEO, Vicki Rabenou, MD. “StartUp Nation Ventures, with its partners, is poised to take advantage of the unique utility within Blockchain and application development to expedite go-to-market processes through our platform that provides not only Financial but also professional-Intellectual and human-network capital investments.”
The Israel Innovation Authority may approve a grant of up to 50% of eligible R&D costs of the Israeli companies that are selected by and receive investment from SUNV. These grants support the R&D pilot and validation costs for companies expanding their solution into new markets. Applicable companies should be in a stage following proof of concepts and ready for demonstration, commercialization; or at ready to market.
The partnership between StartUp Nation Ventures and the Israel Innovation Alliance was memorialized in Tel Aviv, Israelin December 2017 as part of Florida Governor Rick Scott’s Business Development Mission to Israel.
“We are committed to supporting Israeli tech innovation companies in selecting Florida as their entry point into the United States and Latin America markets,” adds Peter Antonacci, CEO of Enterprise Florida, Inc., Florida Secretary of Commerce.
More information about the call for proposals is available online.
Southwest Louisiana Offers Economic Development Opportunities
Southwest Louisiana is featured in the 2018 Louisiana Trade Guide as a prime area for foreign direct investment, as well as a great location for exporters.
In Southwest Louisiana you can enjoy a day of sun, sand, and surf on the coast of the “The Cajun Riviera,” or canoe the Ouiska Chitto River. You can hit the track or the casinos for Vegas-style gaming, visit museums with exhibits ranging from fine art to railroad history, and explore a re-created general store. Don’t leave without touring the Lake Charles Charpentier District, the architectural legacy of Michigan lumbermen who chopped down the trees here, then built their own distinct style of houses.
Allen Parish is diverse in culture and plentiful in natural resources and beauty, Allen Parish is where Cajun food and culture meet the timber-rich, piney woods of central Louisiana. Allen Parish is home to four Natural and Scenic Rivers, including the spring-fed Ouiska Chitto, which attracts canoeists and outdoor enthusiasts from all over the South. The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana makes its home in Allen Parish and operates Louisiana’s premier land-based casino resort, Coushatta Casino & Resort and Koasati Pines Golf Course, its 18-hole championship course near Kinder. The gaming and hospitality industries, along with a plywood manufacturing facility, three prison facilities and a natural gas relay facility are the major private sector employers in the parish. Allen Parish has some of the most fertile farmland in the South, producing primarily rice and soybeans. The parish is served by two federal highway systems and extensive rail facilities.
Beauregard Parish is home to such industries as paper and plastics production, chemical production and insurance providers. The area is centered on one of the largest aquifers in the world. The 4,200-acre Beauregard Parish Airport has a 5,495-foot north-south runway. The airport, located just minutes away from major industry, boasts the largest land area in the state and one of the largest in the nation. US Hwy 171 and 190 provide transportation arteries. There are abundant opportunities for Nature lovers with its lakes, wildlife preserve and natural scenic beauty. Just north of the parish is Fort Polk, the state’s largest military installation and home to the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).
Calcasieu Parish’s rich history combined with a modern, diversified economy and numerous recreational opportunities make this area a wonderful place to live and visit. The petrochemical industry is the mainstay economically for the parish, and the past decade has seen the aerospace and gaming industries broaden that base. The Port of Lake Charles is accessible to ocean-going vessels and is only 34 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the closest of any deep-water port in Louisiana. Chennault International Airpark is a major feature for the area with more than 10,000 feet of runway, capable of handling most commercial aircraft. Lake Charles is the home of McNeese State University, a four-year, fully accredited university, as well as Sowela Technical Community College, one of Louisiana’s largest vocational schools. An abundance of streams, rivers and lakes along with museums, art galleries and festivals make the parish a true paradise.
The beautiful natural scenery of Cameron Parish is something not to be missed. The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road, a 180-mile drive through “Louisiana Outback” is a paradise which features beautiful plants and wildflowers and exotic wildlife, such as alligators, rare birds and many other colorful critters, all amidst the marshes and bayous of Southwest Louisiana. Cameron’s plentiful flora and fauna attract over 200,000 visitors each year, from nature lovers looking for native critters like alligators to photographers wanting to catch a breathtaking sunset or nautical scene, to bird watchers eyeing the vast variety of species found here, to beachcombers enjoying the shoreline. Cameron Parish offers a great opportunity for hunting and fishing and is a natural backdrop for industry, especially oil and gas. With its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, it is no wonder that pipeline companies, petroleum companies, marine support vessels, offshore drilling operations and associated businesses top the list of revenue-producing businesses for the parish. For sportsmen, the area is known as “Sportsman’s Paradise” which has easy access to fishing, hunting, and wildlife which makes the region among the best in the world.
People from all over the world visit Jefferson Davis Parish to enjoy and experience rich Cajun and Indian culture. The film industry has long since discovered the unique scenery of Jeff Davis Parish, and has featured the parish in many productions. Four main transportation arteries run through the parish with I-10, US 90 and US 190 east to west, and US 165 to the north and Jeff Davis is strategically located between two major markets. The parish’s economic base includes health care services, shipbuilding, construction, agriculture, and oil field services. The Jennings Airport has a 5,000 foot runway, and the parish has many industrial sites including the Lacassine Industrial Park on I-10.
Learn more about the SWLA Economic Development Alliance.
Earlybird Discount Offered for Annual EXIM Bank Conference
The EXIM Bank’s 2018 Annual Conference is on tap for April 19-20.
The event presents a unique opportunity for American small business exporters to grow their international sales. During the conference, you will learn how to:
- Find new buyers
- Reduce nonpayment risk
- Extend credit terms to customers
- Obtain loans for you and your buyers
- Finance large projects
Other benefits include:
- Hearing the brightest minds in business, economic policy, media, and government discuss their thoughts on the U.S. and world economies and the changing landscape of the global marketplace
- Participating in a variety of sessions on overcoming trade challenges and identifying opportunities
- Networking at a reception and session breaks with more than 1,100 exporters and representatives of financial institutions, foreign trade partners, international buyers, and government officials.
Register by Friday, March 16 and save 15% off the regular registration fee.
The cost to small business participants is $315/person ($370/person after Friday, March 16, 2018). Small business is defined as having 500 or fewer employees. Seminars and meals are included.
To learn more and register, go to: EXIM 2018 Annual Conference.
Luster Products: Leader in African American Hair Care Products Celebrates 6oth Anniversary
Luster Products, Inc. , the leading African-American owned manufacturer of premium personal care products, is celebrating its 6oth anniversary this year. Luster Products’ brands include You Be-Natural, Pink Brand, S-Curl, PCJ, and YOU. The company’s product lines serve men, women, children and the stylist market — worldwide.
Today, Luster Products, Inc. employs more than 400 people worldwide. Luster’s products are sold nationally and internationally through a dynamic sales force and numerous retail outlets. The company’s main facility – corporate offices, plant and warehouse – is situated on 17 acres in Chicago’s Stockyard Industrial Park. An aerosol production plant is located in suburban Blue Island, Illinois. The company also has a branch office in London.
The phenomenal growth and success of Luster Products, Inc. has been attributed to the business savvy and commitment of the company’s founder and first president, the late Fred Luster, Sr., a staff of hardworking, loyal employees, and a family spirit that permeates the entire organization.