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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Hill October 30, 2017 Idaho Commerce |
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Idaho Trade Mission to Taiwan and Vietnam a Success |
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Trade missions expand business opportunities and build global partnerships for Idaho companies |
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(BOISE) – Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke reported positive initial feedback today from the 19 Idaho companies and organizations that joined him on a trade mission to Taiwan and Vietnam from November 11-18.
“It can be extremely difficult to break into foreign markets, but state-led trade missions are a proven tool to speed up market access,” Speaker Bedke said. “I am honored to have been a part of helping open doors for Idaho companies to expand internationally.”
The mission was coordinated by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Idaho Department of Commerce. Participants represented a variety of industries including potatoes, wheat, beef, cheese, hay, livestock genetics, live cattle, specialty grains, defense equipment, fire safety equipment, erosion control and insulation building materials, aerospace solutions, medical equipment, and communications equipment.
“Idaho continues to set the bar with our commitment and dedication to building strong business relationships in Taiwan and Vietnam,” said Celia Gould, director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. “With both new and experienced exporters joining us for the mission, it was great to see these international partnerships flourish. Speaker Bedke and the entire Idaho delegation represented our state with the pride and professionalism necessary for success. I am confident that this trade mission will have a positive impact for the state in the months and years to follow.”
Taiwan was the third-largest overall foreign market for Idaho goods and services in 2016, with exports up 20 percent from 2015. Idaho took advantage of Vietnam’s strong economic growth by increasing exports to that country by 55 percent from 2015 to 2016.
“Speaker Bedke and our Idaho companies represented the state flawlessly. We were welcomed with open arms in both countries and we were all hard at work making new business connections, strengthening existing relationships and bringing Idaho to the forefront of trade with Taiwan and Vietnam,” Idaho Department of Commerce Director Megan Ronk said.
Company participants had positive insights from the trip:
Lee Burtenshaw, owner, 50X Cattle, Terreton “Trade missions have been great for 50X Cattle. We have already sent shipments to Vietnam, and based on discussions during this last mission we see great potential for future shipments of cattle to the market.”
Ian Weight, chief financial officer, Driscoll TopHay, Pocatello “The mission was full of welcome surprises for us. We participated, intending to make some contacts and learn a little about the potential of these new markets, but what we came back with was so much more. Thanks to the coordination of the ISDA staff, both from the Boise office and from the amazing staff based overseas, we met with over 20 potential clients. As a result of our follow up from these visits, we received requests for quotations within days of returning from the trip. We anticipate the opportunity to ship product to these markets in the very near future. Had we not participated in the trade mission, these opportunities would likely not have been discovered. In addition to these fantastic sales opportunities, we were also able to forge many great relationships with fellow Idaho companies and we look forward to building strong synergies with them in the future.”
Chris Ravsten, warehouse manager/owner, Mountain States Oilseeds, American Falls “Participating in this trade mission demonstrated to our current and prospective customers that we are serious and committed to the market. It says that we are dedicated to building strong business relationships. We know that these relationships are the foundation for future sales. As a direct result of this trade mission, we anticipate that one of our current customers will be increasing their order from two containers per year to 30 containers per year.”
Roger Hancock, chief executive officer, Recall Infolink, Boise “The trade mission was successful thanks to so many – from the Governor’s Office to Speaker Bedke to the team at the Department of Commerce and the Taiwan USA Industrial Cooperation Office. The kickoff meeting with the Taiwan FDA laid a foundation for successful meetings throughout the week. Growing interest in automating the process of recalling product across the supply chain was moved forward through this trade mission. Recall InfoLink will serve businesses in Taiwan in the near future.”
James Neils, chief executive officer, Ventry Solutions, Hauser “The Idaho trade delegation opened doors for us that we could not have unlocked. They did a great job of arranging meetings with these companies, having the resources available that we needed to make the meetings successful, and managing logistics so that we could attend the meetings in the short amount of time we had. The delegation cared about our business success and were able to provide important assistance in understanding the culture, how to approach each company, and more important, were able to give us insight into how we can move forward and work with these companies in the future. Overall the Idaho Trade Mission to Asia was a great success!”
Kevin Crandall, veterinarian, Winstar Genetics, Shelley “Being the first trade mission we have been a part of, we didn’t know what to expect, or how beneficial it would be. All of our expectations were exceeded both in discovering incredible new business opportunities as well as establishing the personal relationships that foster good business and build trust. I think every business interested in expanding to the international markets should seriously consider participating in future trade missions. 100 percent worth the investment in time and money.”
Robert Brown, chief executive officer, WMDTech, Boise “Idaho’s Trade mission to Taiwan helped our company link up with quality potential distributors who know the customers we are trying to reach while also providing necessary assets and support on the ground when I arrived in Taipei.”
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Posted in International, Success Story