The Michigan State University’s International Business Center was presented with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service by the United States Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. This award is awarded to any national entity of highest recognition for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.
Ross said that the International Business Center has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion. And that the Awards Committee was impressed with its case studies, which demonstrated measurable increases in its clients’ exports. Ross further iterated that the MSU’s International Business Center’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs. Located in the Broad College of Business, MSU’s International Business Center is a provider of export services for small and medium-sized U.S. businesses, including export counseling, strategic planning, customized market research, and training on a wide range of exporting and international business issues respectively.
Tomas Hult exclaimed that the exporting is crucial to the success of U.S. businesses, especially those in Michigan, which are integral to global supply chains. Byington Endowed Chair, Director of the International Business Center and professor of marketing, also stated that Everyday growth of clients’ businesses has been observed, due in large part to exporting. This growth has enabled the companies to add jobs and support their local communities as they expand their bottom line.
U.S. exports were the highest on record with U.S. services at $821.1 billion and U.S. exports of goods reaching $1.7 trillion, in 2018, demonstrating how American private enterprise can not only survive, but thrive, in the international market at the given time.
Kendra Kuo said that exporting can be a significant challenge for small and mid-sized businesses, but there are great resources in the community that can help companies tap into foreign markets, who is also the Director of the U.S. Commercial Service in Grand Rapids. He further states that MSU’s International Business Center’s innovative team of faculty, staff, and students, help businesses to compete globally. The U.S. Commercial Service frequently partners with MSU to offer trade education solutions. As a Spartan, he prides himself in MSU’s consistent success in helping Michigan companies to increase their export sales, and he believes that their success exemplifies the spirit of the Department of Commerce’s E Award. Located within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, Forty-eight American companies are nominated for “E” Awards through the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service office network. Record years of successive export growth and an applicant’s demonstration of an innovative international marketing plan lead to an increase in exports and is a significant factor in selecting the overall winners.
