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Market Development Cooperator Program
PROJECT PROFILE: Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (DUSBDC, 2014 award)
U.S. Ambassador to Chile Michael Hammer and U.S. Commercial Service Chile staff meet with with U.S. companies that DUSBDC brought to ConExpo Latin America in Santiago in October 2015. image: DUSBDC
Capitalizing on Free Trade Agreements and Trade Association Relationship
The Duquesne University SBDC, partnering with Smaller Manufacturing Councils, received an MDCP financial assistance award in 2014 to help US firms sell their construction products to the burgeoning economies of Mexico, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
MDCP Award/DUSBDC Match: $300,000/$601,772
Markets Targeted: Mexico, Chile, Peru, Colombia
U.S. Industry Promoted: Construction equipment and other construction products
Period: 2014-2017
Key ITA Collaborators:
- Kit Rudd, Industry & Analysis, Office of Transportation & Machinery
- Steven Murray, GM Commercial Service Pittsburgh
- Mary Lathrop, GM Commercial Service, Santiago
Project Description:
- Recruit U.S. firms for trade shows.
- Do web portal and social media outreach.
- Translate promotional information.
- Help firms get financing for export sales and trade missions.
Project Milestone Report (Part B)
Projected Exports Generated by 2018: $107,000,000
Exports Generated by 2018.12.31: $77,669,389
Exports Per Dollar of Award: $259
Known as the Pacific Alliance, these four countries all have Free Trade Agreements with the United States. They are the fastest growing nations of Latin America. Their expanding infrastructure needs are a key opportunity for U.S. firms with high-quality, technology-driven construction products.
Trade shows like ConExpo are a major venue for construction firms to showcase and market their products. ConExpo has been a show hosted in Las Vegas for decades. ConExpo Latin America 2015 was the first such show in the region. DUSBDC partnered with show organizer the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). The partnership gave DUSBDC much more exposure to construction firms than it would have had otherwise.
Different Markets Help Firms Manage Demand Fluctuations
The exhibiting firms received numerous leads. DUSBDC's outreach and participation in ConExpo Latin America was a springboard for one of the U.S. firms to set up its own sales office in Santiago. Other participants were enthusiastic about the opporutnities they learned about at the show.
An official from another U.S. company observed that having international clients, particularly in more than one market abroad, allows their firm to have a more constant demand. When one market is down demand in another may be high. So, more markets can actually help firms to manage fluctions in demand.
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Duquesne University Small Business Development Center (DUSBC) offers no-cost, confidential consulting services and training workshops for small businesses and those who are thinking of starting a business in southwestern Pennsylvania. DUSBDC's main office is located at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. It is one of several SBDC's chartered by the Small Business Administration that serve businesses in Pennsylvania.
DUSBDC contacts: Mary McKinney, Brent Rondon
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