Corridor businesses form new international trade group

Nearly 20 companies have formed a new organization to talk international trade in Eastern Iowa.

The International Traders of Iowa-Eastern Iowa Chapter will hold an introductory reception Feb. 7 at the Clarion Inn in Cedar Rapids. The group will be an affiliate of the Des Moines-based International Traders of Iowa.

The group is seen as a replacement for the International Trade Bureau of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce, which was dissolved several years ago amid shifting priorities.

Ignoring international opportunities increasingly isn't an option for businesses hoping to thrive, the group's founders say. Companies that already engage in international trade often aren't shy about sharing information they've learned, and frequently enjoy the opportunity.

"A lot of the best lessons are learned from experience," said Dee Freeman, the chapter's new president, who deals with international trade issues in customer sales administration at Rockwell Collins.

After the initial meeting focused on building membership, Freeman said the group will have monthly dinner programs with  speakers.

Topics will include new regulation, policies and laws  affecting international trade. The group also will help promote export and import opportunities for its members.

Tim Woods, president of the International Traders of Iowa Des Moines Chapter, and Freeman will speak at the introductory reception, set for 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center, 525 33rd Ave. SW.

It isn't just the big lessons that make a networking group on international trade important, such as how to deal with customs brokers and letters of credit, Freeman said. It's also the nuances.

On a business visit to Thailand, for example, Freeman said she found out one detail she wish she'd known before her arrival. She left her passport in her hotel room for security reasons but soon found out that she couldn't get cash at a bank or business without producing it.

Jim Williams had been chairman of the International Trade Bureau at the chamber during a career that included trade work in food and animal hides.

Williams helped demonstrate what an export emphasis could do during his previous employment at Ohsman & Sons Co. in Cedar Rapids.  The company went into Thailand, expanded its market share in Japan and entered Puerto Rico, Panama and other markets it initially had not seen as worthwhile.

In the process, Williams said, revenues grew from $15 million to more than $50 million annually.

Williams said the group had a U.S. Department of Commerce representative within the chamber, organized two trade shows in Cedar Rapids and often was represented on state trade missions. The organization's involvement helped Priority One, the area's economic development agency, in its relations with international companies it was trying to recruit to the Cedar Rapids area, he said.

"I think the most valuable part of it is networking," Williams noted.

He said networking meetings could produce valuable contacts and advice in a fast-changing trade climate.

The trade group will have no office or paid staff, and consequently will have an inexpensive dues structure.

Canada, Mexico and Japan are the top export destinations for goods bound from Iowa, according to Census Bureau trade statistics.

Iowa's top exports were tractors, soybeans, pork, and corn, the statistics indicated. Manufactured products from the Corridor that were ranked in Iowa's top 25 exports included commercial aircraft parts (Rockwell Collins) and refrigerator-freezers (Whirlpool).

Total exports from the state in 2010 topped $10.88 billion, with agricultural exports alone accounting for more than $7 billion.