Global Delaware is bringing back its team of international trade representatives to meet with local companies and explore opportunities for expanding their businesses abroad.

Reps from Canada, Germany, Israel, Mexico and South Korea will present an overview of export opportunities in their respective countries and be available for one-on-one meetings on Wednesday, September 7 at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce.

Delaware’s trade reps work in-country to perform market research and analysis, develop product strategies for market entry, identify distributors and potential customers, and provide in-country logistical, translational and related support services on behalf of Delaware companies.

“Last year’s event gave a lot of local businesspeople real food for thought,” says Beth Pomper, Global Delaware’s Export Advisor. “They learned which products and services are in greatest demand in the represented markets, and what they can do to kick-start their export programs. As a result, many more signed up for trade missions and followed up on other exporting opportunities.”

The reps know the certification processes, regulations, and business laws in their home countries, Pomper notes, and can provide Delaware companies with the tools and resources to successfully sell their goods and services in the global marketplace. Plus, they have key connections Delaware businesses need to get appointments with people who are in a position to purchase their products and services.

“Our reps have been critical to the success of the State’s numerous trade missions over the past year, arranging strategic one-on-one in-country meetings and assisting with logistics,” Pomper explains.
Nanotechnology solutions company ANP Technologies is currently working with Delaware’s German trade reps to prepare for an upcoming trade mission to Germany. ANP will be traveling to multiple cities to meet with pharmaceutical and bioscience companies to generate new business, explore manufacturing opportunities, and discuss licensing prospects for their own and other companies’ products currently in the pipeline.
“We could never have put a trip like this together on our own,” says Greg Witham, ANP’s manager of Business Development and Contracts. “Not only have Alex Bothmann and his team done an outstanding job with logistics, they have been amazing at working with us to identify companies that would be the best match for our very specific industry. They have made it a point to learn our business, get us in front of the right people in Germany, and plan every detail of our trip so we can just focus on our science and getting the deals done.”

“Many of our Delaware businesses hope to connect with large foreign companies, and finding the right person can be like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially when you don’t speak the language,” Pomper notes. “We’ve worked with several companies that had been trying to penetrate a market for years and have now secured purchase orders working with Global Delaware and our in-country trade reps.”

Support at home and abroad

Global Delaware’s strategic export initiative focuses on offering tactical and practical services to increase exports and ultimately create jobs. Over the past year, Global Delaware has led trade missions to Mexico, Canada and South Korea, generating over $10 million in projected sales for the next 18 months. New missions to Germany and Canada are planned for this fall. In addition, 32 Delaware businesses have received financial assistance in the form of STEP grants to expand their exports this year.

“We are here to help Delaware businesses find and grow markets internationally,” explains Global Delaware Director Andrea Tinianow. “The world is changing fast, and we want Delaware businesses to be positioned for success in the global economy.”

The following reps will be available to talk about overseas opportunities:

Ludovic Ortuno, Canada
Based in the Montreal, Canada region, Ludovic has extensive experience launching new products in Canada. He is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

Alexander Bothmann, Germany
Alexander advises large international corporations as well as SMEs with cross-border business development. He is fluent in German and English.

Seth Vogelman, Israel
Covering the Middle East, Seth helps clients expand operations in the region, providing representation, networking, planning and trade development.

Miguel de Regil, Mexico
With more than four decades of international trade experience, Miguel brings extensive knowledge of consumer and industrial markets throughout Latin America.

Ken Yang, South Korea
As a trade expert with expertise in business development, Ken provides market research, marketing and investment advisory services for private and public businesses.

Registration for the event opens at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 7. at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, 12 Penns Way, New Castle, DE. Delaware trade reps will provide brief country overviews starting at 9:00 a.m., followed by one-on-one meetings throughout the morning.

Businesses unable to make this event are encouraged to contact Emma Pautler at global@delaware.gov to arrange an alternative meeting time.

To register for this event and sign up for one-on-one meetings, click this link and fill out the short form. Global Delaware and The Delaware Department of State would like to thank Fulton Bank for sponsoring this event.

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