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The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and Orissa International PTE LTD have compiled a list of the largest upcoming Food and Beverage Trade Shows in Southeast Asia.
View the list here.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2020
Media Contact Name/Phone: Office of Communications (202) 565-3201 Washington, D.C. – President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Kimberly A. Reed addressed mayors from across the country today at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) 88th Winter Meeting, outlining how EXIM can support American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports and empowering businesses in their communities. More than 280 mayors are attending the annual USCM event held in Washington. In her comments, Chairman Reed highlighted how EXIM partners with private-sector commercial lenders and insurance brokers nationwide to deliver financial products and services that can help U.S. companies of all sizes successfully compete around the world. Chairman Reed also updated the mayors on EXIM’s historic seven-year reauthorization, which passed Congress with bipartisan support and was signed into law last month by President Donald J. Trump. This reauthorization provides certainty and stability to American workers and businesses that EXIM is fully open for business, and it gives clear direction to focus on economic and national security challenges from China. “EXIM is focused entirely on the American worker and on finding ways we can support businesses in communities seeking to export their ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ products in an increasingly competitive global marketplace,” said Chairman Reed. “To fulfill this mission, I am committed to reforming EXIM and protecting the American taxpayer as we work to keep America strong. In addition, we also received clear direction from Congress to compete with China, which I take very seriously.” Chairman Reed was joined in the discussion by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Joe Semsar and Atlantic Council Adrienne Arsht Latin American Center Director Jason Marczak. The three-day conference was presided over by USMC President Bryan Barnett, mayor of Rochester Hills, Michigan. With more than 85 percent of Americans living in U.S. metropolitan areas, the USCM is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today. Chairman Reed’s prepared remarks can be accessed here on EXIM’s website. ABOUT EXIM BANK: EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to overseas purchasers of U.S. goods and services. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, approximately 90 percent of the total number of the agency’s authorizations has directly supported small businesses. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt. For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2020 Contact: Theophilus R. Nix, Jr., Esq. 877-397-4353 info@droneworkforcesolutions.com www.droneworkforcesolutions.com www.dwsdroneschool.com Local Business Owner Joins 2020 NSBA Board Leadership Wilmington, Delaware. Theophilus R. Nix, Jr., Esq., of Drone Workforce Solutions, LLC (DWS), and DWS Drone School, in Wilmington, Delaware, was recently elected to serve on the Board of Trustees for the National Small Business Association (NSBA). He was previously elected to its Leadership Council in 2019. NSBA is the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization and operates on a staunchly nonpartisan basis. Attorney Nix, a recognized leader in the small-business community, joins other small-business advocates from across the country as they work to promote the interests of small business to policymakers in Washington, D.C. “As small-business owners, we face many significant challenges,” stated Attorney Nix, “But there is no other place I’d rather be. I look forward to continue working with NSBA as we urge Congress and the administration to ease the small-business burden and support pro-small-business policies.” Theo, an attorney for over 35 years, is currently Founder, President and CEO of Drone Workforce Solutions, LLC, a global staffing and employment company for Drone operators, and DWS Drone School, a training technology school for Drones, Virtual Reality 3D modeling and various application technologies. He is a big proponent of Workforce Development and the need to retrain and employ Americans, and especially our Veterans, at all levels for a new global world. Mr. Nix has worked in the international corporate arena, including for a Fortune 100 company, where he has negotiated mega business deals and will use those international relationships to collaborate with Businesses around the country to employ Americans as drone and virtual reality operators in the field of drone technology and its various applications. Mr. Nix has been active with NSBA for several years and has been an exemplary representative of small business issues in the city of Wilmington. In addition to the leadership role with NSBA, Mr. Nix is active in various local, regional and international organizations and has been an outspoken advocate for small-business issues with his elected officials. Mr. Nix joins a diverse group of small-business leaders on the NSBA 2020 Board, led by long-time advocate Marc Amato of Walco Electric Company in Providence, Rhode Island. “I am proud to work with such an exemplary group of leaders who have made small-business advocacy a top priority,” stated NSBA Chair Marc Amato. “Theophilus R. Nix, Jr., Esq. came to us highly recommended and I look forward to his activism and leadership for years to come.” Please click here to learn more about www.droneworkforcesolutions.com, and www.dwsdroneschool.com. For more on NSBA, please visit www.nsba.biz or follow us at @NSBAAdvocate. Drone Workforce Solutions (DWS) is a global technology and Strategic Business Solutions company that provides solutions to help solve the most pressing challenges faced by corporations, business, organizations and governments, through the use and integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (s/UAS), A/K/A Drones, and its various applications, including Virtual Reality technology. DWS has been recently approved to educate and train veterans through the GI bill. Employing thousands of veterans in this technology is a major mission of the company. By Graziella DiNuzzo Taiwan has now joined the growing list of countries who have fallen in love with Philly’s own Bassetts Ice Cream. “One of their top executives had tasted Bassetts Ice Cream while traveling and had been trying to get it ever since,” says Michael Strange, President, Bassetts Ice Cream, referring to an executive at Hi-Lai Foods, the parent company of Harbour Buffet Restaurants. Harbour Buffet Restaurant, Taiwan’s all-you-can-eat restaurant chain will now include Bassetts Ice Cream on their menu at seven locations starting January 2020. Strange explains that Bassetts has been pursuing Hi-Lai foods since 2011, “thanks in a large part to Pennsylvania’s Authorized Trade Representative in Taiwan, Irene Tsai, we were able to navigate our way through it all finally and find a way to get our ice cream to Taiwan.” Quoted in a recent article in Taiwan’s Savor Life Style Magazine, Tsai says, “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the US state with the most representatives in the world, and has established their presence in Taipei for 15 years. I have had the good fortune of having tasted Bassetts every time I go back to Pennsylvania for meetings.”
In 1861, using a mule-turned churn on his farm in Salem New Jersey, Lewis Dubois Bassett invented what would become America’s oldest ice cream – Bassetts. By 1885, Bassetts Ice Cream was sold at fifth and Market Street in Philadelphia and by 1892 moved to its current location inside Reading Terminal. Ice Cream production was also moved into the basement of the Reading Terminal location. “I am certain that my great, great grandfather would be both amazed and proud that Bassetts Ice Cream is now available on the opposite side of the world,” said Strange. Exporting Ice Cream takes some strategic logistics planning. “When we were first approached by them we needed to make sure that our product would be handled correctly and that we wouldn’t be limiting our brand’s potential growth within the market. About four years ago, we were very close to agreeing on a sale, but could not quite get to the final step. Since then Hi-Lai’s distributor for meats, Mayfull Foods Corporation, added a huge, brand new storage freezer that would make for the perfect environment for our ice cream and the capabilities of delivering to a broad array of clients all while maintaining the cold temperatures needed to maintain the quality of our ice cream door to door. All of that being said, what kept the conversations alive was the superior taste and quality of Bassetts Ice Cream. One of the reasons for our success in Asia is that our ice cream is less sweet than many of our competitors,” says Brian Bebee, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Bassetts. “From our experience it seems it’s something the Asian palate prefers. “ Bassetts manfuctures its Ice cream in Pennsylvania using the highest quality ingredients including fresh butter, non-fat milk, and fresh and dried fruits. Tourists and Philly-area locals traditionally line-up at Bassetts’ only brick and mortar store at Reading Terminal on North 12th Street in Philadelphia. President Barack Obama is said to have enjoyed a cone. With the help of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) international trade specialist, Dale Foote, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of International Business Development, Bassetts began exporting to China in 2008 and on June 7, 2017, opened its first store in South Korea. Today, consumers in South Korea can get their scoop at one of over 31 Bassetts stores, called Bassetts Ice Cream Café. The cafes also serve sandwiches, beverages, coffee and ice cream cakes. Bassetts Ice Cream is planning to export to additional countries “we are in the early stages of conversations with prospects in Malaysia, Chile, Bermuda and the Middle East,” says Strange. It may not be long before everyone on the planet gets to fall in love with America’s oldest ice cream.   "I am happy to share USTDA’s 2019 Annual Report, which highlights a record-setting year for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). In 2019, USTDA reached new heights as our export multiplier grew to $111, meaning that every $1 invested by USTDA delivers $111 in exports. With $6.7 billion in new exports identified, 2019 was a banner year for business. Activities in 2019 included 23 reverse trade missions traveling through 81 cities with almost 2,000 participants from 1,459 companies. USTDA has numerous opportunities in 2020 to build upon our continued success, as noted with the activities below.
Please visit USTDA’s website to find open opportunities for U.S. companies to bid on overseas projects. U.S. companies can work on USTDA-funded opportunities overseas by submitting proposals to our host country grant recipients. These opportunities include feasibility studies, early investment analyses, technical assistance or training. For clarification, the point of contact for submitting any proposals is the USTDA grant recipient identified in the Request for Proposal, not USTDA. There are currently seven overseas projects available for bid in East Africa, Egypt, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nigeria, Brazil and Colombia. U.S. Embassy Democratic Republic of Congo will host a Direct Line webinar for U.S. companies to explore the Congolese market and the new opportunities offered by a U.S. – friendly government on January 22 at 11:00am EST. The webinar is free, open to all U.S. businesses, and will be hosted by U.S. Ambassador to the DRC Michael Hammer. Please register before Jan. 21 if you are planning to participate." WTCGP is a USTDA Making Global Local Partner By Graziella DiNuzzo Ever wonder how the piece of paper you find in between beef patties gets there? Most probably not. At one time, human hands painstakingly placed the paper, one at a time, to separate each patty in an assembly line, until engineer Lawrence Ward had an idea that would revolutionize the meat industry. In 1989, Ward invented the Arc’Tronic Hole Perforator - Packaging Progressions Inc. was born. Dante Pietrinferni was working as a Production Manager at Mechtronics Industries, a machine building company, when Mr. Ward discovered him and offered him a job. It was 1992 and with only six employees, Pacproinc® was designing and manufacturing automatic, high-speed interleavers and stackers, eventually obtaining a patent for their “Inline Foldover” method in 1995. Pietrinferni became President of Packaging Progressions in 2011. “Our machines operate at the highest speeds, we have superior customer service and the most industry expertise. We were first to market and consider ourselves number one in the world,” smiles Pietrinferni. Applications for Pacproinc® began with philly steaks and now include bacon, cheese, cookie dough, puff pastry, empanadas and tortillas, pasta sheets, burger patties, flatbreads and pizza bases, and sliced deli meats. “We are able to take our core technology and adapt it to many products.” Popular brands packaged on Pacproinc® machines include Domino Pizza, Subway, and McDonald’s. “As we grew we were able to develop other packaging solutions within the food industry.” Today, Pacproinc® has expanded its line of hole perforators, interleavers and stackers to include custom and standard conveyors, value-added services, and a full range of interleaving materials. “Our biggest domestic sellers are bacon and burger packaging machines.” Pacproinc® began exporting in the mid nineties, but not without some challenges and lessons learned.
In July 2019, Pacproinc® was acquired by Middleby Corporation, a global leader in the foodservice industry. “The benefit that excites us the most is being able to leverage Middleby’s international assets to help us sell our products all over the world. Our biggest challenge to selling internationally was our lack of service and sales support within a territory. International customers were reluctant to buy from a company that did not have a local presence and provided support from the U.S.” In 2019, Pacproinc® sold their machines into Canada, Malaysia, Peru and the U.K. “We have sold parts, materials and machines to Australia, Thailand, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Canada, Peru, Mexico and the U.K. “ Pietrinferni recalls a meeting organized by WTCGP and the Korean PA Authorized Trade Representative, “We were meeting with a South Korean company, in a Greek restaurant in Germany. The South Koreans seemed angry. By learning some cultural awareness from our WTCGP contact, we understood that was just their communication style.” As the food industry grows to changing consumer demands, Pietrinferni understands that Pacproinc® will need to adapt. “We have a lot of discussion about using paper versus plastic, and are looking for more sustainable methods. Some clients require a heavier wax coating on the paper. We are always working on different formulations.” During a tour of the plant, Mr. Pietrinferni demonstrated a robotic arm that the engineers are looking to integrate with their machines. “We have developed new designs that work with our core technologies and created about 8 to 10 patents over the years.” Today, Packaging Progressions (Pacproinc®) has 65 employees and during the last three years have consistently recorded 15% growth each year. The future looks bright for Packaging Progressions. “We not only provide a safe and sanitary solution to packaging fresh and frozen food, we also have superior 24/7 customer service. No one else can do what we do.” 
Philadelphia, PA….December 10, 2019…The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) will partner with Temple University’s Fox School of Business and the school’s Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) to present its 17th Annual Global Business Conference on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The conference will be held at Alter Hall located at 1801 Liacouras Walk, Philadelphia, PA. For the past 17 years, the WTCGP has produced the Global Business Conference to provide an outlook on global market trends, updates on national trade policies and practical tools to help international businesses increase their global sales. Attendees from the international business community and organizations gather to hear from senior trade officials and corporate leaders who provide up-to-the-minute information and insights. “Through CIBER and our international business programs, we provide opportunities to learn and to build a network,” says Ronald Anderson, dean of the Fox School and the School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management. “The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia is a great partner in that mission. The Global Business Conference will offer our students and faculty an opportunity to discuss the changes taking place in the global markets with industry decision-makers.” Past speakers have included Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Jeffrey Marrazzo, CEO, Spark Therapeutics, Jennifer Morgan, CEO, SAP and many other notable international business leaders and dignitaries. Click here for video of the 2019 GBC. “I serve on the CIBER board and know the enormous impact that CIBER has as a resource for our region’s international businesses. Partnering with CIBER and the Fox School of Business on our Global Business Conference is exciting - we look forward to the participation of Temple University’s international thought leaders, students and alumni,” says Linda Conlin, President, WTCGP. The full schedule of speakers and panelists will be announced in early 2020. About the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia The World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP) is one of over 326 World Trade Centers in 89 countries around the globe. A non-profit and membership-based organization, the WTCGP accelerates global business growth for companies in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey by providing customized, one-on-one trade counseling, market research, educational programs, trade mission support, business networking events, and powerful connections to customers and partners worldwide. Since 2002, the WTCGP has served as a catalyst for regional economic growth and job creation, helping area companies generate over $2B in incremental export sales, supporting over 26,000 jobs. About the CIBER Program The Centers for International Business Education and Research (CIBERs) were created by Congress under the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 to increase and promote the nation’s capacity for international understanding and competitiveness. Administered by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI, Part B of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the CIBER network links the manpower and technological needs of the U.S. business community with the international education, language training, and research capacities of universities across the country. The 15 CIBERs serve as regional and national resources to business people, students, and teachers at all levels. This grant program adheres to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 74-86 and 97-99. About the Fox School of Business The vision of Temple University’s Fox School of Business is to transform student lives, develop leaders, and impact our local and global communities through excellence and innovation in education and research. The Fox School’s research institutes and centers as well as 200+ full-time faculty provide access to market-leading technologies and foster a collaborative and creative learning environment that offers more than curriculum—it offers an experience. Coupled with its leading student services, the Fox School ensures that its graduates are fully prepared to enter the job market. The flexibility and responsiveness of our knowledge-creating research faculty allow the school to address the needs of industry and generate courses and programs in emerging fields. As a leader in business research, the Fox School values interdisciplinary approaches and translational research that influence and impact real-world problems. Our research informs an adaptive curriculum, supports innovation in teaching and prepares students for the ever-changing business environment. Media Contact: Graziella DiNuzzo 609-680-7670 gdinuzzo@wtcphila.org By PRWeb Today, ESI ThoughtLab announced the key findings from its Building a Hyperconnected City program, a year-long global study of 100 cities using technology to improve, connect, and secure all areas of their ecosystem. The study, supported by a coalition of industry leaders, shows how cities can go beyond current smart solutions to become “hyperconnected” hubs generating large economic, social, and environmental benefits by linking key elements of their urban landscape—from transportation to public health and security, from government to business and residents. ESI ThoughtLab’s
economists estimate that, worldwide, cities could collectively enjoy a return on investment of as much as $60 billion if they were to become fully hyperconnected. The findings were officially announced at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, Spain during a keynote speech by Lou Celi, CEO of ESI ThoughtLab. According to estimates by the reporting cities, the average return on investment on smart city initiatives ranges from 3 percent to 4 percent. As cities become more interlinked, their ROI grows. Returns in dollar terms can range from $19.6 million per city for hyperconnected beginners to $83 million per city for hyperconnected leaders. This is on top of sizable social, quality of life, and environmental benefits—such as reductions in crime, congestion, and pollution, as well as improvements in public health and living conditions. Based on the research findings, ESI ThoughtLab recommends that cities striving to become hyperconnected urban centers follow a roadmap that includes these elements already being applied by leaders in our study: - Crafting an evidence-based business case and continuously monitor performance—analyzing ROI systematically with the right metrics. - Calculating the full benefits including social, business, economic, and environmental benefits. - Capitalizing on advanced technologies—particularly various forms of AI—while also bearing in mind the importance of cybersecurity. - Generating more value from data by gathering, integrating, and monetizing it in a responsible way, as well as sharing it with stakeholders as appropriate. - Organizing resources within a largely centralized department and drawing on both internal and external staff to operate hyperconnected city programs. - Using the ecosystem effectively, partnering with business and academic communities, but keeping crucial development and implementation tasks in-house. - Ensuring all citizens are engaged and connected by seeking input from stakeholders and reaching out to disadvantaged populations. A hyperconnected approach generates considerable returns in all areas of a city’s ecosystem. For example, the research revealed that using technology to interlink different areas of public transit programs increases passenger satisfaction 38%, on-time arrival 33%, and transit ridership 29%. Digital public transit payment systems, used by 72% of cities surveyed, are particularly effective, with hyperconnected leaders recognizing a 6.5% ROI. Leaders also report a 4.9% return on real-time public transit apps, 4.8% on open loop payment systems, and 4.6% on mobility-as-a-service apps.  "As the year comes to an end, we take this opportunity to present USI’s Q4 2019-2020 Market Outlook & Forecast, which illustrates the continuation of market trends that were previously reported in our Mid-Year 2019 report. These trends include ongoing rate increases across a number of coverage areas as well as continued reduction in capacity. The market conditions referenced in the corresponding chart, and discussed on the pages that follow, are expected to continue into the first part of 2020—and for some product lines, well into the year."
Find the full update here.  Join us in congratulating our President Linda Conlin as well as WTCGP Board Member Steven Bradley on being named two of the Power 100 by Philadelphia Business Journal!
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