SMOOTH SAILING - WORLD TRADE CENTER UTAH

WORLD TRADE CENTER UTAH MINIMIZES THE PAIN POINTS OF INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION

By Julia Breinholt-Pappas, WTC Utah Marketing Communications Director, and Charlotte Serage, WTC Utah Inside Sales and Special Projects Manager

Going global with your business means navigating language barriers, logistical issues and regulatory controls. These things can be daunting and complex, even for large companies. But global expansion also offers immense opportunities — if you are ready to put in the work to capture them.

Utah businesses willing to endure short-term growing pains will set themselves up for longterm gain. Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers reside outside of the U.S. Your best customers may be half a world away, waiting to discover you.

To ensure no Utah business has to embark on their international journey alone, World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah) expanded its services and introduced a new team in 2021 dedicated to helping Utah businesses grow globally. The Global Business Services team (GBS), helps large and small companies in industries as diverse as outdoor recreation, beauty and cosmetics, composite manufacturing, medical devices, education, and agriculture.

Staheli West, based in Cedar City, manufactures hay steamers that produce higher-quality hay bales. When domestic sales shrunk in 2020, Staheli West worked with WTC Utah to help with international sales.

“Data for the alfalfa industry is difficult to find, and WTC Utah has found more useful information than we thought possible,” said Spencer Douglas, Staheli West global sales manager.

With the support of multiple grants, today international sales represent $4 million of the company’s revenue. Now, they’re focused on new international markets for continued growth.

WTC Utah has invested in a highly data-driven market research process, enabling it to assess a company’s capabilities abroad. The organization can help Utah companies identify market potential, industry trends, and political risks in the desired export and investment markets. After selecting a target market, WTC Utah’s GBS team uses its extensive network to connect businesses to suppliers, distributors, and other key international actors. Once the company is ready to put its feet on the ground, it can join WTC Utah on a trade mission, trade show, or a private business trip to connect with new opportunities.

Reading Horizons, an English-learning software company based in Kaysville, has experienced rapid sales growth in the U.S. for three decades, but needed to find buyers outside the country to scale their success. Reading Horizons joined WTC Utah as a member, which allowed them to take full advantage of WTC Utah’s international networks and in-house research capabilities. The GBS team acted as Reading Horizon’s outsourced sales team. Using existing connections and an understanding of the education market in various countries, the GBS team brought new customers from Pakistan and Canada to Reading Horizons.

By leading Utah’s international business development, WTC Utah elevates Utah’s global status, promotes prosperity, and enhances economic resilience. Building on long-standing services such as educational events and grant administration, in the last year alone the GBS team has directly assisted more than 100 Utah companies in creating a cumulative $3.6 million in sales.

WTC Utah also acts as a critical crossroads between Utah’s manufacturing industry and the global market. A notable player in this space is ACT Aerospace, a small, rural Utah company that engineers and manufactures aerospace components. ACT Aerospace took an important step in its internationalization process by joining a Governor-led trade mission to Tokyo, Japan, in September 2019.

On this trip, WTC Utah’s services team arranged for ACT to meet with senior leaders from Mitsubishi’s aerospace division. Through this connection, ACT negotiated multiple contracts with Mitsubishi. ACT and WTC Utah continue to work closely together through targeted market research and on-site visits to generate international opportunities.

Utah companies ready to go global can visit WTCUtah.com to learn about upcoming trade shows and trade missions, apply for grant funding, and gain a partner dedicated to your international success.