Commerce Facilitates Trade Missions to Help Montana Companies Cultivate Economic Stability, Expand Global Reach
The Montana Department of Commerce strives to help local businesses thrive by connecting them with global opportunities. One of the ways Commerce accomplishes this is by facilitating trade missions, allowing companies to establish international partnerships and participate in global trade shows. Throughout the past year, Commerce’s Export MT team has arranged missions to Brazil, India, Norway/Sweden, Germany/Italy and Australia/New Zealand.
Rebecca Bruno, international trade officer at Commerce, said, “These missions connect Montana companies with international business partners to grow their business or product across the globe, generating more money and more jobs for the state of Montana.”
During the most recent international trade mission, Bruno accompanied businesses to Australia, New Zealand and Abu Dhabi. Over three weeks, Bruno traveled 26,000 miles across four countries and three continents, working to create meaningful connections and expand the reach of 12 Montana companies. She even utilized her layover in Cairo, Egypt to meet with industry leaders and plan future collaborations.
The trade mission began in Sydney, Australia, then moved to Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, where six businesses engaged in multiple days of high-level meetings with prospective buyers and distributors. Prior to the trip, Commerce helped business owners prepare for their meetings, which were scheduled in advance with partners that aligned with each company’s goals and visions, ensuring successful and meaningful interactions.
During this time, some companies were unexpectedly invited to attend a mining trade show, which offered additional visibility and opportunities for mining-related companies to connect with key players in one of Australia’s strongest industries.
From Australia, the group traveled to Auckland, New Zealand, where they continued meeting with potential partners and explored new opportunities for business growth. According to preliminary results, the efforts of the mission brought in $1 million in new exports.
The mission was especially impactful for Social Optics, a small company led by Carolyn Long out of Bozeman. The company has developed interactive learning software for boosting the confidence of neurodivergent children in the classroom through training in social interaction. Because of the mission, Social Optics is now in final contract discussions with a multi-clinic pediatric therapy group in Brisbane, Australia. The company also met with universities to discuss potential research collaborations. These milestones helped Social Optics establish a foundation in international sales, and Commerce will continue to work with Long to help her navigate the global market.
The mission concluded in Abu Dhabi at the ADIPEC Exhibition and Conference, one of the largest oil and gas trade shows in the energy industry. Montana’s Pavilion at ADIPEC showcased six companies and drew significant attention from global buyers. Early estimates suggest this event alone could generate $21.1 million in new export sales for the participating businesses.
Much of the success companies found during this trade mission was made possible by the State Trade Expansion Program, a federal grant from the Small Business Administration that is distributed by Commerce. STEP helps offset costs of international business marketing by reimbursing up to 50% of many associated costs and providing up to $2,000 for international travel expenses. STEP also offers additional resources such as market research, website mobilization, foreign language translation and credit insurance. For Montana businesses, this support reduces the financial risks of entering new markets and ensures they are fully prepared to compete on the global stage.
By utilizing programs such as this to facilitate connections, reduce barriers and provide financial support, Commerce empowers Montana companies to expand their reach and grow their revenue while making an impact worldwide.
For more information about how international trade can benefit your business or how to apply for STEP assistance, visit commerce.mt.gov.
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