ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 21, 1997 TAG: 9702210056
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: MARK CLOTHIER STAFF WRITER
Radford University on Thursday opened an international trade center offering resources to help small businesses navigate the global economy
The International Trade Center of Western Virginia, housed in the university's Business Assistance Center, provides planning assistance, seminars, marketing, loan packaging assistance, specialized training workshops and counseling services.
The center's initial two years are funded with $175,000 each from the U.S. Department of Education and the university.
Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, who spoke at the opening ceremony, said unlike America as a whole, Southwest Virginia has a positive export trade balance.
He said between 1987 and 1993, the 9th Congressional District's exports grew 197 percent, Virginia's grew 159 percent, and America's grew 90 percent.
Most of Southwest Virginia's export businesses are small-and medium-size companies; about 60 percent have fewer than 100 employees, Boucher said.
Boucher said the center will be Virginia's second permanent site for trade-related information. The other is in Norfolk.
"For small- and medium-size businesses, expanding into foreign markets can be a daunting task," Boucher said. "Radford University will remove the mystery and provide a step-by-step guide and continuing assistance as Southwest Virginia companies seek to expand their foreign markets or enter those markets for the first time."
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