American manufacturing must pursue growing opportunities in international trade. That will be the message from Marlin Steel President Drew Greenblatt, who will speak tomorrow at the annual policy conference of the National Association for Advanced Manufacturing (NACFAM) in Arlington, Virginia.
As he described in an article last month for Inc. magazine, there are several reasons why small to midsize manufacturers in the U.S. should sell overseas even though it might seem out of their comfort zone:
- "Made in the USA" remains a coveted brand worldwide.
- About 95 percent of the world’s clients live outside the U.S.
- The Export-Import Bank of the United States guarantees receivables for a small insurance premium. The program can lessen anxiety about wading into exports.
- The Gold Key Matching Service, offered by the U.S. Commercial Service of the Department of Commerce, provides a driver (which you’ll need in places where you can’t read the street signs), a translator and will pre-qualify prospective companies to meet with overseas. The service covers about 70 nations that constitute most export markets for American business.
Marlin Steel exports custom-engineered material handling containers made from sheet metal and steel wire to 36 countries. The company was ranked the 162nd fastest growing private manufacturer in the U.S. by Inc. magazine.
The theme for tomorrow's conference is "What Must be Done to Revitalize and Sustain U.S. Manufacturing?”