They let me out of Pennsylvania Friday for a trip to Wilmington to cover a Department of Commerce event on the National Export Initiative. I must say it was nice covering people from somewhere else for a change. One gets so accustomed to the same faces, the same messages and the same speeches that the short trip south to the Diamond State, my former home, was a nice break. The conference was held at Delaware Technical and Community College, known locally simply as DelTech, and included panels and breakout sessions all day. These focused on all sorts of opportunities and practicalities of helping businesses, especially small ones, export their products and services thereby creating jobs locally.
I've covered a number of these events since Barack Obama became President and launched the National Export Initiative with a goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015. Progress towards that goal has been proceeding according to plan and events such as these help and encourage businesses to search for and find new markets. The Commerce Department helps find new customers, advises business people on local customs and affords the use of embassies and consulates for meetings. I spoke with two men who both started small businesses after leaving corporate giant DuPont and who are taking advantage of overseas markets. The best thing, for me, at these events is meeting such people and getting their stories. Here they are:
Sky-Trax
AnalTech
I also had a chat with someone from DE MEP which is an agency focused on economic development. Their funds are both state and federal and he told me their budgets keep getting cut every year. The biggest of those came under GW Bush but the current wave of spending cut fever in Washington is hurting their ability to create jobs through economic development. This is crazy in an economic climate where job creation could and should be Job #1.
Delaware Gov. Jack Markell spoke about his state's healthy business climate, something Pennsylvania officials should listen to, and Sen. Chris Coons spoke prior to Commerce Sec. Gary Locke. Only 1% of American businesses export and well over 50% of those exports stay in North America. Increasing exports make companies thrive by creating new markets for goods and services thereby creating new jobs here at home. I recall having akeen interest in international business as an undergraduate marketing major at Penn State and I took every course offered on it at the time. Attending these conferences and speaking with these entrepreneurs takes me back to those days.
The videos of the Governor, Senator and Commerce Secretary are under the fold...
