For the past four years, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), along with the
U.S. Commercial Service, and local MEP and export assistance centers,
has been working with U.S. manufacturers to increase their exports. So
far, MEP has completed 28 ExporTech projects in 18 states with a total
of 230 companies participating.
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©corepics/courtesy Shutterstock |
Now, MEP has begun to offer other versions of their training program,
including condensed and industry- and market-specific models. MEP has
also begun to sponsor ExporTechs in target countries so attendees have
access to local resources. One is planned for Ireland during the spring
of 2011.
“All of these different models really have helped us to provide more
specific, tailored research for each of the participating companies,”
says Kari Reidy, MEP ExporTech program manager.
Wilco Machine & Fab, an Oklahoma-based energy industry equipment
manufacturer, is one successful graduate of ExporTech. After taking the
export market training program offered by NIST MEP, Wilco expanded their
export business from 8 percent of revenues in 2008 to 51 percent by
mid-2009.
Speaking at the 2010 MEP National Conference, Commerce Secretary Gary
Locke said that less than 1 percent of U.S. companies are engaged in
export, and of the U.S. companies that do export, 58 percent export to
only one country.
“Just one additional country, and we will substantially increase the
goods that we sell,” Locke said. “And again, the more that we sell, the
more we make, the more revenues for the companies and ultimately more
employment for the people of America.”
ExporTech’s three days of intensive training typically are spread
over three months and draw six to eight senior-level executives from
various manufacturing companies. The first day of training is dedicated
to a discussion of what makes a successful exporter and identifying the
challenges facing the attending companies. Day two delves more deeply
into the mechanics of exporting, including financing and logistics. By
day three, the participating companies have developed a growth plan,
which they present to a panel of experts for feedback.
“ExporTech provided the opportunity to learn how international
business works, from infrastructure to shipping, legal to logistics,
strategy and country knowledge,” says Conrad Karbowniczak, vice
president of sales and marketing at D.W. Haber & Son, a
fourth-generation family owned company from New York City that
manufacturers hollowware (serving vessels, e.g.) for the hotel and
banquet industry.
Before attending ExporTech, D.W. Haber & Son’s business only
realized 2 to 3 percent of sales from exports. After ExporTech, the
company decided to take the economic downturn as an opportunity to
reinvest in their business. While their sales were down in 2009, they
did markedly better than their competition. They also found themselves
much better positioned to capitalize on the recovery by doubling their
exports. “Without the class, it would have taken me an incredibly long
time to learn and find all the critical information. In the process, it
gave me an opportunity to take a more detailed look into the business
and develop a plan for moving forward,” says Karbowniczak.
To learn more about ExporTech and find contact information for MEP affiliates in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, go to http://www.nist.gov/mep. MEP also offers an accelerated 2-day version of the course for companies that need a quick lesson in exporting.
Media Contact: Mark Esser, mark.esser@nist.gov, 301-975-8735
