Contact: Choton Basu
262-472-5005
basuc@uww.edu
WHITEWATER — Wisconsin companies hoping to develop their export business may receive help from a partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the state Department of Commerce.
Chancellor Richard Telfer and Commerce Secretary Richard Leinenkugel announced the export development agreement Wednesday at a press conference on campus.
The university’s Global Business Resource Center will collaborate with the state Bureau of Export Development to help Wisconsin businesses that want to gain a share of the fast-growing global marketplace.
“This agreement will allow the Global Business Resource Center to share its expertise with business throughout the state,” Telfer said. “The UW-Whitewater Global Business Resource Center has a long history of providing exceptional service to businesses looking to expand into new markets around the world. We’re pleased that these services will now be available to even more companies.”
He called the partnership a milestone that exemplifies ways in which UW-Whitewater forges partnerships and contributes to the state’s economic development.
Leinenkugel said many small and medium-sized Wisconsin businesses can benefit by learning how they might export products to global customers.
Many emerging markets are recovering from the recession faster than the United States, which may bode well for Wisconsin manufacturing companies interested in exporting, he said.
Choton Basu, director of the Global Business Resource Center, said more and more businesses are seeking assistance with international issues.
For example, the center has conducted market research in China and India to help Wisconsin agricultural companies evaluate potential sales, said Amy Coon, associate director.
The partnership includes provisions for offering resources, training and assistance in developing global markets.
