Utah is open for international business.
That's the message World Trade Center Utah is emphasizing.
The nonprofit organization assists Utah companies with making a profit in global markets and claims to be a first-stop support organization.
With headquarters in Salt Lake City, the World Trade Center got its start in Utah in 2006 and has since aided more than 1,000 companies in their journeys to go global. The organization's name and its Sept. 11, 2006, opening date, are symbolic of its goal, says Elizabeth Goryunova, executive vice president and chief operating officer of WTC Utah.
"Our goal is to establish peace for trade," says Goryunova, a native of Russia.
With its various connections across the world, WTC Utah is particularly adept at helping Utah business owners network with countries. In April alone, the center coordinated visits with ambassadors from Denmark and Guatemala.
Lew W. Cramer, WTC Utah's president and CEO, is the perfect example of expertise available to Utah businesses. He has served as the director general of the U.S and Foreign Commercial Service. His government service in the Reagan and Georg H.W. Bush administrations included assistant secretary of Commerce for international trade; deputy assistant secretary of Commerce for science and electronics; and White House Fellow with the U.S. Trade Representative.
It's not by chance that Cramer was motivated to establish WTC Utah. Goryunova says Utah is one of the best states in the nation to start a global business.
"The people in Utah are all inventive. The ingenuity on the part of the people makes the state what it is now," she says. "Missionaries come back with a second language and appreciation for another culture. In addition to pioneer heritage and young people exposed to foreign cultures during their mission years, our early education offers extensive and diverse language programs; many schools in Utah teach Chinese and Arabic languages in addition to Spanish."
Too many times, businesses think they are too small to enter international trade, Goryunova says. Truth is, 85 percent of Utah exports were from companies with under 500 employees.
For those businesses that have contemplated international trade but have been hesitant, Goryunova suggests looking first into the Canadian market.
"If you're scared, go to Canada," she suggests. "They are very similar to the U.S, speak English and are very close."
In fact, Canada will be the focus of the York Region Business Delegation that is planning to visit Salt Lake City June 21-23.
-- Deanne Winterton
Biz correspondent
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