W. James McNerney, Jr., chairman, president, and CEO of the Boeing Company, will address Illinois small businesses November 10 in Chicago about expanding their sales in foreign markets and creating U.S. jobs as part of the half-day interactive seminar “Exports Live! Real Deals, Real Profits.” The event is part of an eight-city seminar series organized by six federal agencies. The meetings will share strategies and partnerships used by local small and medium-size businesses that already have discovered how to increase profitability through exporting.

McNerney has served as a member of Boeing’s board since 2001 and oversees the strategic direction of the Chicago-based $60.9 billion aerospace company. Previously he was chairman of the board and CEO of 3M, and before that he held executive positions at General Electric Company, including president and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines. Before joining GE, McNerney worked at Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Co., Inc.

The seminar will feature presentations and Q & A sessions by successful small-business exporters that have benefited from government export services and solutions. Representatives of the government organizations that provided these services also will be on the program and available later in the day to offer one-on-one sessions to business operators.

The Chicago seminar will be followed by similar sessions in Los Angeles (November 16), Seattle (November 17), and Detroit (December 11). Leading the meetings will be the heads of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade Representative.

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Pennsylvania companies interested in selling their goods and services overseas can network with trade representatives to find opportunities overseas during a series of meetings that will be held across the state during “Pennsylvania International Week” next month, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced October 23.

The meetings, which will take place November 9–18, will include nine of Pennsylvania’s 24 authorized trade representatives from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

“Exports from Pennsylvania firms play an increasingly important role in the state’s economy,” said Rendell. “We help Pennsylvania companies evaluate export readiness, research new markets, locate qualified buyers, and find funding to start or expand in international markets. Pennsylvania International Week helps us introduce small- and medium-sized companies to new markets and potential clients, without the time and expense of travel.”

The Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Regional Export Network is hosting the week. The network is a group of international business development organizations located throughout the state that serve as local points of contact and assistance for Pennsylvania exporters.

The work of the Regional Export Network has been a key force for Pennsylvania’s more than 12,000 exporters, who shipped $34.4 billion worth of goods in 2008, an increase of nearly 18% over 2007, and well above the national 11.8% increase among all U.S. states.

The meeting schedule for Pennsylvania International Week includes the following:

November 9
Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania,
1122 Oak Street, Pittston Township
Contact: Michael Horvath, Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, (570) 655-5581

November 10
Keystone College
612 Main Street, Towanda
Contact: Cynthia Krise, Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission, (570) 265-9103

November 11
The Red Fern Banquet and Conference Center
421 Old Kersey Road, Kersey
Contact: Christine Perneski, North-Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission, (814) 773-3162

November 12
Regional Enterprise Tower Conference Center (23rd Floor)
425 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh
Contact: Rena Liu-Belshe, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, (412) 391-5590

November 13 (morning)
The Casino at Lakemont Park
300 Lakemont Park Boulevard, Altoona
Contact: Tina Taylor, Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, (814) 949-6517

November 13 (afternoon)
Celebration Hall
2280 Commercial Boulevard, State College
Contact: Noelle Long, SEDA - Council of Governments, (570) 524-4491

November 16
Rauch Business Center, Lehigh University
641 Taylor Street, Bethlehem
Contact: Cora Landis, Lehigh University SBDC, Lehigh Export Network, (610) 758-4350

November 17
HACC Gettysburg Campus
731 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg
Contact: Tina Weyant, World Trade Center of Central PA, (717) 843-1090

November 18
Plymouth Country Club
888 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Meeting
Contact: Dino Ramos, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, (215) 586-4246

The Bureau of Industry and Security’s (BIS) Transportation and Related Equipment Technical Advisory Committee (TRANSTAC) has announced it will meet on November 5, 2009, at 9:30 a.m. in the Herbert C. Hoover Building, Room 6087B, 14th Street between Pennsylvania & Constitution Avenues, NW., Washington, DC. TRANSTAC advises the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Export Administration with respect to technical questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to transportation and related equipment or technology.

The meeting agenda includes the following:

• Welcome and introductions;
• Review status of working groups;
• Proposals from the public; and
• Closing comments.

The open session will be accessible via teleconference to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. To join the conference, submit inquiries to Yvette Springer at yspringer@bis.doc.gov no later than October 29, 2009. The meeting will be open to the public, and a limited number of seats will be available. Reservations are not accepted. To the extent time permits, members of the public may present oral statements to the committee. Written statements may be submitted at any time before or after the meeting, but the committee suggests that presenters forward the public presentation materials to Yvette Springer.

For further information, contact: Yvette Springer; phone: (202) 482-2813.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) will host a half-day Energy for Manufacturing Roundtable on October 20, 2009. The event is intended for members of the manufacturing industry and energy suppliers to the manufacturing industry. Participants will learn about and discuss the consequences that energy consumption and workforce education have on competitiveness, how energy efficiency models can strengthen competition and innovation, and how energy consumption patterns are spurring greater implementation of industrial energy-efficient technologies. U.S. leadership in industrial energy efficiency technologies being deployed worldwide will be highlighted.

Commerce is inviting applications from manufacturers, energy suppliers, and trade associations representing either the manufacturing industry or energy suppliers to the manufacturing industry to participate in the roundtable. To be considered for participation, applicants should provide information regarding their qualifications to participate in the event and to make a valuable contribution based on their experiences regarding the topics to be discussed. As space for the event is limited to 50 persons representing the private sector, Commerce wishes to ensure broad coverage of industry sectors. Applicants will be notified of their selection to participate by October 16, 2009. To apply to participate in the roundtable, e-mail to energyformanufacturing@mail.doc.gov by October 15, 2009.

In a notice (PDF) published in the Federal Register on September 30, the African Development Foundation announced it will hold a partially closed meeting of its board of directors on Tuesday, October 13. The meeting will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the African Development Foundation, Conference Room, 1400 I Street, NW., Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005.

Due to security requirements and limited seating, all individuals wishing to attend the open session of the meeting must notify Michele M. Rivard at (202) 673-3916 or mrivard@usadf.gov by 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 8.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has announced that U.S. Representative Michael E. McMahon (D-N.Y.) will address New York-area businesses about expanding their sales in foreign markets and creating U.S. jobs on October 5 at the New York stop of the “Exports Live! Real Deals, Real Profits” seminar series.

Other speakers will include New York Governor David A. Paterson, Stuart D. Aronson of GE Capital - Sponsor Finance, and Karen G. Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration as detailed in yesterday’s story.

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“Exports Live!” Seminar Series Will Highlight Small Businesses Thriving During Tough Economy

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s (Commerce) International Trade Administration (ITA) is organizing a U.S.-Iraq Business and Investment Conference, to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 20 and 21, 2009.

The goals of the conference are to:

• Promote current investment and business opportunities in Iraq.
• Provide matchmaking opportunities for U.S. and Iraqi firms.
• Address challenges to doing business in Iraq.
• Provide opportunities for U.S. firms to meet with Iraqi ministers and other senior government officials.
• Hold bilateral meetings with U.S. and Iraqi government officials to address commercial policy.

The conference will cover twelve sectors: agriculture, banking/finance, defense, electricity, health, education, housing/construction, industry, oil/gas, telecommunications, tourism and transportation.

The Iraqi delegation will include several Iraqi ministers and other senior officials, many provincial government officials, and representatives from over 100 private-sector firms.

The conference will facilitate business-to-business meetings between U.S. companies and their private-sector counterparts in Iraq, as well as improve U.S. industries’ understanding of the commercial opportunities in Iraq. The conference is also designed to facilitate commercial dialogue between the GOI and the U.S. private sector.

The opening day of the event will include a plenary session at which senior U.S. and Iraqi government officials will address participants. In the afternoon, industry sector breakout sessions will take place, as well as matchmaking meetings between U.S. and Iraqi firms. On October 21^st, panels will address how to do business in Iraq, and the U.S. business experience. In addition, sector breakout sessions will be held. The afternoon session will allow for overviews of the Provinces, a regulatory and legal overview, and matchmaking between firms.

Interested parties will be able to register online for the investment conference at the ITA Web site. A registration fee of $200 will be charged to cover meal expenses. Registrations received after October 12, 2009, will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has announced that U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a former small business owner, will address New England businesses about expanding their sales in foreign markets and creating U.S. jobs on October 6 during the Boston stop of the “Exports Live! Real Deals, Real Profits” seminar series.

Shaheen serves on the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Her presentation will be part of the half-day interactive seminar, which will review strategies and partnerships used by local small and medium-size businesses that already have discovered how to increase profitability through exporting.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and enormous opportunities await them if they tap the export services provided by federal, state, and local trade organizations to widen their reach in the global marketplace,” said Shaheen. “I look forward to talking with many local companies at this seminar about how to realize these opportunities and help our economy grow.”

The seminars will feature presentations and Q & A sessions by successful small-business exporters that have benefitted from government export services and solutions. Representatives of the same government organizations also will be on the program and available later in the day to offer one-on-one sessions.

The Boston seminar follows one in New York on October 5, and will be followed by similar sessions in Miami (October 26), Houston (October 27), Detroit (November 9), Chicago (November 10), Los Angeles (November 16), and Seattle (November 17).  Leading the meetings will be the heads of the Ex-Im Bank, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and the U.S. Trade Representative.

A half-day interactive seminar series, created by six federal agencies to demonstrate how local businesses can successfully leverage government export assistance to expand sales of U.S. goods and services in foreign markets and increase their bottom lines, will reach eight cities in the coming months. The first seminar will kick off at New York City’s Marriott Marquis hotel on Oct. 5, 2009. It will be followed by similar sessions in Boston (Oct. 6), Miami (Oct. 26), Houston (Oct. 27), Detroit (Nov. 9), Chicago (Nov. 10), Los Angeles (Nov. 16), and Seattle (Nov. 17).

The eight-city “Exports Live!: Real Deals, Real Profits” seminar series will review strategies and partnerships used by local small and medium-size businesses that have already discovered how to increase profitability through exporting.

The seminars will feature presentations and Q & A sessions by successful small-business exporters that have benefited from export services and solutions provided by federal, state and local trade organizations. Representatives of these organizations also will be on the program and available later in the day to offer one-on-one sessions.

Leading these seminars will be Chairman and President of Ex-Im Bank Fred Hochberg; Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke; Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative; Small Business Administration Administrator Karen Mills; Leocadia Zak, acting director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency; and Dr Lawrence Spinelli, acting president, Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

For more information and to register for the nearest “Exports Live!” seminar, visit the Export.gov Web site or call toll-free 1-(888) 966-2009. Please note that space is limited.