Advantage Kentucky Alliance (AKA) has announced a new partnership with World Trade Center Kentucky (WTC-KY).
This partnership brings together experts in manufacturing consulting and training services with international and domestic trade professionals providing customized trade advocacy, practical education seminars, multi-sector trade missions, and networking events that will help Kentucky businesses become export proficient.
Scott Broughton
“We have several active clients that are currently exporting but do not have internal resources to help with that. Bringing together our resources with World Trade Center Kentucky will allow manufacturers in Kentucky to become more proficient at exporting products and services to the global marketplace,” said Scott Broughton, Center Director at Advantage Kentucky Alliance.
“Providing current and relevant education to accelerate trade and enhance international economic opportunities is the core of our mission,” said Sherry Mulkins, Interim Executive Director at World Trade Center Kentucky. “As we continue to focus on providing quality programming, we realized our need to partner with an organization like Advantage Kentucky Alliance that can bring specialized training to assist Kentucky enterprises to develop a highly qualified and globally competitive workforce.”
Kentucky-made products are in high demand globally with $33 billion of goods and services exported last year, which is up 4 percent from 2018. This increase makes the partnership between AKA and WTC-KY vital to Kentucky’s exporting success.
Increased exporting strengthens Kentucky’s economy and creates more high-paying jobs in the commonwealth. International trade allows Kentucky companies to grow and expand sales to a broader, more diverse customer base. It reduces the financial risk to the economy by spreading costs across multiple markets and widening revenue streams beyond the domestic market.
To help grow international trade opportunities in the Bluegrass, AKA and WTC-KY will partner to identify potential new markets and connect Kentucky manufacturers with international distributors and buyers to increase profitability and efficiently manage international transactions.
Navigating global commerce can be complex. AKA and WTC-KY will work jointly to deliver exporting/ importing assistance through trade advisory and consulting services to manufacturers across the state. AKA and WTC-KY will combine their resources and expertise with one common goal — to develop a highly qualified and globally competitive workforce.
With 95 percent of global consumers outside of the U.S. leveraging these resources and choice training programs will make businesses more proficient at exporting and give them a competitive advantage in the international marketplace.
Advantage Kentucky Alliance is the official representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, MEP National in Kentucky supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). AKA’s purpose is to help manufacturers become more globally competitive so they can retain and create additional industry and jobs within Kentucky.
The World Trade Center Kentucky organizes international trade education programs covering topics ranging from international sales contracts to market entry strategies. As trade advisers, they provide customized on-site trade support and customized research. WTC-KY conducts trade missions, which allow Kentucky businesses to explore a market through site visits, business matchmaking and introductions to government officials.
From Advantage Kentucky Alliance
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