SIUE offers export support for regional firms

EDWARDSVILLE — Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is aiding area corporations go after international trade.

Tom Dustman, intercontinental profits director for Sunnen Merchandise Organization, is coordinating and facilitating the second annual Export NOW method that will start off in late August with the initial of 3 virtual teaching periods.

Begun past year, Export NOW sponsored by the Illinois SBDC Global Trade Heart at SIUE can help regional companies increase income by exporting.

Sunnen Products Enterprise in Maplewood, Missouri, is a 98-year-previous spouse and children-owned equipment tool manufacturer that focuses on bore ending, typically identified as honing intercontinental trade is a significant element of its business.

“The production method of honing is a secondary procedure, and there has to be a operate piece that has a hole in it,” Dustman claimed. “When there is a prerequisite for extremely-higher precision, honing is used.

“We like to say we ideal the hole,” he claimed. “We make that hole pretty round and pretty straight, and we impart a surface area texture that enables lubrication to be hooked up to the partitions of the gap.”

Dustman is among the global trade authorities prepared for Export NOW’s three-working day sequence of workshops. The initial session on Aug. 24 is “International Outlook.”

“We consider a strategic glimpse at the earth,” Dustman mentioned. “We do the job with corporations to develop an export business plan for worldwide trade. The system is designed with the aid of men and women like me who have encounter and understanding on the subject.

“For Session 1, I have recruited speakers from my community about the United States, moreover a gentleman from the (United Kingdom),” he said. “We’ll chat about how to find the place wherever you want to export. It’s not generally something like picking out Canada due to the fact it is near and since they speak English.

“There may possibly be other international locations the place the alternatives are a lot increased, but you want to have language abilities or know-how about company activities and customs,” he mentioned. “You also need to have to determine if you are going to sell direct, perform as a result of a distributor or come across other implies as a result of a 3rd party to depict your enterprise.”

Session 2 on Sept. 7 is “Export and Import 101.” The third session on Sept. 21 is “Planning for Good results.”

“In each individual of these classes, we’ll converse about exporting and importing, together with the do’s and don’ts and the factors you want to approach for,” Dustman reported. “In the final session, we will evaluate the business enterprise program for every single of the invited businesses.”

Just about every session, digital training by using Zoom, runs 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The free Export NOW sequence is staying made available to 5 Illinois compact corporations with a $900 for each corporation scholarship protected by Coronavirus Support, Aid, and Financial Security Act funding.

“This isn’t a thing hypothetical – it will assistance you build a promoting tactic,” Dustman stated, “We have presenters from the Modest Business enterprise Administration and the U.S. Industrial Support as well as men and women who will chat about digital payment approaches that exist now as opposed to much more regular approaches like a letter of credit history.

“We have individuals who can help you produce a site in one more state so you can industry your product or your company correctly,” he mentioned. “Our mentors are all practitioners, like myself, who offer with exports just about every working day.”

Dustman reported Sunnen has been exporting for about 85 years, with 45% of its once-a-year income coming from intercontinental product sales.

“Different nations around the world have various standards for protection, and we have to know about people as properly,” he reported. “U.S. compliance with export law is an additional place of regulation and it’s something you need to be regularly mindful of. Intercontinental trade documentation is also important, and you will need to have complete accuracy.

“The United States represents only 5% of the world’s financial state and the other 95% rests outside the house the United States,” he stated. “There is a large amount of exercise out there that people can take benefit of if they want to export.”