Should you be exporting?

There is a great deal of free help available if the answer is yes.

“The manufacturing landscape in America is changing,” said Mary Lynn Landgraf, Senior International Trade Specialist with the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA). “Otexa offers programs and strategies to help businesses in this industry stay competitive. We compile data, design strategies, evaluate trade agreements and offer individual counseling and assistance, trade missions and other one-on-one services.”

During her “Government Contracting” session on Thursday at IFAI Expo, Landgraf provided an overview of some recent additions to their programs: a Made in USA supplier database (a free federal registry for product information), and a partnership with MADE: In America (MIA, headquartered in Washington, D.C., which is creating coalitions and alliances across the country to revitalize American small businesses. OTEXA is partnering with MIA on the 2016 “All American House,” and encourages manufacturers to donate products for the exhibition. For information, contact James De Lorbe (MIA chairman).

Landgraf provided an extensive list of online resources available to small businesses during her presentation to encourage attendees to investigate exporting. “The rest of the world loves American products—their quality and reliability. You are the ambassadors of commerce,” she said. There is a growing middle class overseas, and only 15 percent of U.S. manufacturers export their products.