Hello and welcome to the 2nd edition of the Wisconsin Go Global Newsletter! Our 1st edition was well received and we will continue to make improvements per your feedback. As mentioned previously, if your company has had success in international markets during these challenging times, we would love to feature your story in a future edition of the Go Global Newsletter.
Having worked in Export Development for several different organizations in Illinois, Wisconsin and at the national level, I can tell you that the network of Wisconsin trade resources at the local, state and federal level are, collectively, the best in the country (or pretty darn close). Not only do the resources cover the entire state geographically, but they also compliment one another in the breadth and depth of services provided. Once a company engages with one of the Wisconsin trade resources, they are quickly introduced to the other trade resources, including at the federal level, as needed.
The one area where, in my opinion, we all need to do a better job is in the creation and promotion of an “Export Culture,” a concept introduced by the Brooking Institute. In countries where a strong Export Culture exists, as you can imagine, companies are constantly looking for opportunities in international markets to increase sales and market share, but also to develop mutually beneficial partnerships.
The primary reason that the Export Culture is weak in the US is because we continue to be the largest economy in the world (for the time being) and companies didn’t have to rely on international markets for growth. However, as we know, many more opportunities for growth are present in international markets today than ever before. The problem is that although you and I know this is true, most companies do not (or don’t care to know). Therefore, to build a strong Export Culture in Wisconsin, we need our local, state and federal leaders, the media, company executives, our chambers of commerce… everyone, to help to spread the word. Please do your part to help to grow the Wisconsin economy via exports!
