May is World Trade Month and is jam packed with marketing and learning opportunities.
The month started off with the World Trade Centers Association General Assembly and three weeks of round the clock, across the globe, AI assisted virtual networking and matchmaking attended by thousands of company representatives; participants had numerous possibilities to meet potential buyers, suppliers, investors, or partners. We came back with lots of requests from international companies to be matched to Delaware companies in all sectors so be on the lookout for emails from us in the following weeks.
I am proud that so many Delawareans participated. According to one of the Association Board Members, we were in the top 10 of all WTCs in sending companies to the GA. For those of you who were unable to attend, the WTCA is planning other digital matchmaking events in the coming months, just one of your benefits of World Trade Center Delaware membership!
Supply Chain Challenges Across the World
Are you wondering why:
- the price of everything seems to have skyrocketed lately,
- the lumber for your addition seems to have disappeared,
- there is a line at the gas station,
- your parts orders are delayed, on an infinite back order,
- or worse yet, your supplies seem to be out of stock?
You aren’t alone.
The answer is two words: Supply Chain. Shortages of labor in manufacturing plants due to COVID are just one reason. During the past year, manufacturers and their customers faced the effect of port closures, reductions in airline flights, shortages of containers and qualified truck drivers just as e-Commerce exploded because people could not go into brick-and-mortar stores. As we were all beginning to breathe, the EVER GIVEN, one of the world’s largest container ships, got stuck in the Suez canal, closing access to the 50 ships on average that travel through the canal each day, or about 12% of global trade. Then this week, the Colonia Pipeline, the nation’s largest fuel pipeline, was hit by hackers, closing the flow of gasoline and jet fuel from Texas to New Jersey. So how do we protect our companies from such supply chain disruptions?
On May 18th, we are presenting a webinar titled “Getting your Goods from Here to There: Lessons Learned from the EVER GIVEN.” Our Keynote Speaker is U.S. Senator Tom Carper, the Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee of the Finance Committee, the very committees in Congress that deal with issues such as this.
Leading the panel discussion will be internationally respected logistics experts:
- Michael Ford, Vice President, Government Affairs of BDP International, a global logistics firm.
- Dennis Rochford, President of the Maritime Exchange of the Delaware River and Bay whose mission is to protect and promote the Delaware River commercial maritime industry.
- Anabel Panayotti, Founder and President of Port to Port International, a global shipper of cars and other types of used and new vehicles from motorcycles to heavy duty construction equipment.
Click here to register and join us on the 18th as you learn what you can do to plan for and protect your business from the next EVER GIVEN. |
Carla Sydney Stone
President
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Call For Action – Additional Covid Response Resources Needed! |
While intensive vaccination campaigns and increased compliance with health and safety measures have resulted in declining COVID cases in the US, other parts of the world are experiencing spikes in illness and death. The World Trade Centers Association has issued a Call for Action to all World Trade Centers to identify additional resources that can be used to combat this scourge.
If you have any medical information or products or services resources, we want to share these with other Centers. The need is great so please let us know as soon as possible. We will make sure that your medical information or details about your products or services are sent to the WTCA for use by those regions needing your help and expertise. We also will include them on the list we publish on our COVID Resources page of our website. Please email us at info@wtcde.com with “Covid Response Resources” in the subject line. And as always, thank you. |
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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
WTCDE Premier Members
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Port to Port International Corporation |
WE ARE HIRING!
We are looking for an Operations Manager who will be responsible for the daily operation of service. This person will supervise, coordinate, and manage the daily yard and warehouse operation.
This role is responsible for the day-to-day operation of 2 facilities in the US (DE and FL) and all logistical operations carried out in 4 countries in Central America.
Essential Functions:
- Constantly coordinates with ocean carriers and necessary personnel to obtain enough containers on a timely fashion for weekly sailing.
- Negotiates directly with trucking companies to bring containers to yard.
- Makes sure containers are loaded daily in the amounts necessary to finish the loading of weekly targets.
- Arranges with steamship companies the transportation of loaded containers back to the Port.
- Manages and updates inventory.
- Direct all warehouse operations and ensures it is organized for maximum production.
- Keeps the link with Customer Service Department to solve any problems.
- Ensures company is in compliance with OSHA regulations.
- Responsible for crew supervision, training and discipline.
- Responsible for the stocking & purchasing of supplies to make sure that there is always enough material to keep production without interruptions.
- Oversees the security of the premises.
- Reviews and approves operations expenses.
- Interpret and understand the concept of logistic services in order to solve problems.
- Performs administrative activities, including reviewing and processing time sheets or other work time documents.
- Conducts employee observations to ensure safety and productivity procedures are being followed and documented. Discusses results with employees.
- Understands, implements, and maintains safe work practices.
- Hands-on attitude to solve problems.
- Keen to engage in projects, even when these are related to business areas other than operations.
- Expert matter for large data analysis supporting business decision making and statistical analysis.
- Ensures that Operational KPI’s are achieved.
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What a Modern Workplace Could Look Like for Your Business
What does the future of the workplace look like, particularly now that the global pandemic has fundamentally changed the ways we work? While the answer to that question may vary from workplace to workplace, one thing is certain: modern workplaces will look markedly different than they have in the past. Here is a glimpse of what you might expect.
What We Do Know
Before predicting what will happen in the future, it is important to understand what we already know. Currently:
An overwhelming 80% of employees say they ‘enjoy working from home,’ according to McKinsey & Company research.
Gartner reveals that 48% of workers will work from home or from a location other than the office at least sometimes. Before the pandemic, just 30% worked remotely part-time.
Up to 70% of workers want to continue working from home at least part of the time.
Remote Work — At Least To A Certain Degree — Is Here To Stay
With those facts in mind, business owners and industry experts stress that it is important to listen to employee feedback and to accommodate employees’ wishes — at least to some extent. Tsedal Neeley, author of Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere, stresses that being out of the office during the pandemic has demonstrated that virtual work is possible and that employees are more than capable of handling it.
Offering employees the option to work from home or out of the office will keep companies competitive and attract top talent. Some companies are adopting hybrid models allowing for some virtual work. Others are labeling themselves as ‘virtual-first’ companies, meaning that they will give their employees the option to work entirely remotely or come into the office occasionally. Employees who decide to come into the office will determine when and how often they do so.
Employers Will Embrace Hybrid Strategies
By 2022, 5.1 million workers around the globe will share 30,432 coworking spaces. Coworking spaces and other flexible business models will grow ever more popular over the years.
As the vaccine rolls out, businesses are favoring hybrid models. It works best for many employers for workers to meet face-to-face in the office as necessary and otherwise work from home. That may mean coming into the office just one day a week or working from home just one day a week. The specifics will vary by employer.
No matter what the case may be, a shared meeting space or a coop work space gives employers greater flexibility to have employees work at home sometimes and to consult in-person at other times — and to do it within a reasonable budget. If you are interested in the modern and efficient impact that a coop work space can have on your business, contact Stat International today.
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Thanks to Our Renewing Members |
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Qme Spotlight Ecosystems (Qme) |
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Qme Spotlight Ecosystems (Qme) Renews Its Membership with WTC Delaware
Thank you and congratulations to Qme Spotlight Ecosystems (Qme) for renewing its membership with World Trade Center Delaware. Qme ( https://Qmespotlight.com), headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, builds brand identities and software solutions to elevate and empower ideas to grow organizations. The firm specializes in discovery and strategy, digital and marketing solutions for web and mobile applications, creative design, big data solutions, social media marketing, business consultation, and multimedia content development. Its business enterprises are global and their services reach across the world.
“World Trade Center Delaware has helped us make connections that wouldn’t otherwise be possible and has facilitated our global business endeavors in a variety of ways,” said Managing Partner Dr. Gaylord C. Neal III, Ph.D. Gaylord is a master business developer who provides strategic business growth consulting, sales planning and execution consulting, selling process training and coaching, and marketing. “It’s definitely a win-win partnership that we believe all businesses in the First State should take advantage of if they’re looking to do business internationally.”
Gaylord is responsible for helping to drive business growth globally and help to develop solutions for clients that accelerate their success. He has led many projects which have economic impacts in the Multi-Billion-dollar range which involved joint ventures, consulting, software development, branding, and marketing, across multiple continents and raising funding/capital. He has also been involved in several large $100 MM + business ventures involving manufacturing, business agreements, and distribution working in countries such as Australia, Vietnam, USA, Africa, and Jamaica.
“Qme Spotlight Ecosystems is such a valuable member of World Trade Center Delaware, and we are proud that they continue to evolve by providing services that help businesses, counties and countries grow and take advantage of new emerging opportunities. Their new products open previously closed doors for small businesses, minority and multicultural communities, universities and colleges and foreign countries that want to do business in America,” said Carla Stone, President of WTC Delaware.
Learn more about Qme Spotlight Ecosystems (Qme):
Headshot: Mr. Bentley Charlemagne, co-founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Qme.
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Ashanti Produce International (API)
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Ashanti Produce International (API) Renews Its Membership with WTC Delaware
Congratulations and thank you to Ashanti Produce International (API) for renewing its membership! API is an international import-export trading company which manages all aspects of import and export trading including product development in agricultural technologies, logistics, and supply distribution. Founded in Chicago in 1994, the company is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware with offices in Camden, New Jersey and Accra, Ghana.
API is committed to meet the high growing demand of feeding the world by providing the finest quality agricultural products from the top manufactures in the United States, as well as international markets. The firm’s name is taken from the “Ashanti” which was created in Ghana as a high-quality pineapple with a unique and patentable “chemical profile”. The “Ashanti” was designed as a next-generation taste solution to pineapples in other countries that are currently being produced. It is API’s intent to maintain the “Ashanti” as an efficiently produced, high quality agricultural product of Ghana and its mission is to provide products and services that help serve produce importers and consumers.
“We are pleased to renew our membership with World Trade Center Delaware, as its truly been a gateway for us to maintain our high level of international exporting services,” said Michael A. Griffin, CEO of API, who is a board member of World Trade Center DE. “Carla and her team help foster our growth so we can keep doing the amazing work we do overseas.”
Mr. Griffin works hands on bridging the gap between the United States and Africa, creating opportunities on both continents, serves as the Honorary Consul for the Republic of Namibia in Delaware and is the founder of the African Caribbean Produce Union (ACPU), which links farmer cooperatives with West Africa and Caribbean Agribusiness Groups. His “Reclaim the Grain” initiative is focused on increasing rice yields to ensure food security and sustainability in Africa. Mr. Griffin is also an accomplished educator and speaker in his field and his keynote appearances include speaking at President Obama’s 47 Heads of State at the White House on African Agriculture.
Learn more about Ashanti Produce International (API):
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Delaware Business Times Renews Its Membership with WTC Delaware
We are proud to announce the member renewal by our valued premium partner, Delaware Business Times of Today Media Group! The Delaware Business Times is the state’s only independent business publication which also publishes International Delaware, which is a supplement on behalf of World Trade Center Delaware and supported by many WTC DE members.
Charlie Tomlinson, Vice President of Business Development for DBT, and also President of the Board of WTC DE, said the publication and global organization—partners now for five years—have equally benefitted from a synergy that is mutually advantageous. “As the state’s leading business publication, we are very much a part of Delaware’s business community, which of course includes international trade, so the World Trade Center enables us to be part of that arena of exporters and importers,” Tomlinson said. “In turn we are able to provide a communications channel for the organization and its members that gives them exposure and recognition.”
A recent example is the big feature the Delaware Business Times ran on global trade in a recent issue which touted World Trade Center Delaware and its president, Carla Stone. “We are really fortunate to partner with the Delaware Business Times and International Delaware and are extremely lucky to have Charlie as President of our board as well,” Stone said.
Delaware Business Times is a bi-weekly print business paper that is also distributed online and has multiple platforms to help advertisers reach more customers and grow their businesses. It also produces International Delaware, the official publication of World Trade Center DE as well as Innovation Delaware Magazine, Careers&Stuff Magazine, and Book Of Lists. They are all published by Today Media Group, publishers of several regional publications including Delaware Today magazine.
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World Trade Center Delaware Gala
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021
Hotel DuPont / Gold Ballroom
Honoring
Secretary of State
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Global trade experts have managed through COVID crisis |
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Good News for Delaware Poultry Producers: Bahrain Rescinds Packaging Requirements that Would have Hurt US Exporters |
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On May 3, 2021, the Bahraini Animal Control & Health Directorate (ACHD) notified FAS/Riyadh that U.S. poultry products will be allowed to flow into the local market indefinitely on the same previously followed protocol. This is a welcome sign for U.S. poultry exporters since the Directorate informed Bahraini importers in September 2020 that they must import U.S. poultry in 3x5 kg bags and not the traditional 15kg bulk packages. The 15kg pack is the standard packing size used worldwide for U.S. chicken leg quarters and limiting poultry products to smaller packing sizes would have significantly limited U.S. exports. In 2020, Bahrain imported 62,326 metric tons (MT) of poultry, an increase of approximately 5.5 percent over imports in 2019. The United States was the third largest supplier of poultry meat to Bahrain with 5,028 MT ($3.9 million). FAS/Riyadh anticipates U.S. poultry exports will rebound for the rest of 2021 now that Bahrain rescinded its smaller packaging size requirement.
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Cyber Alert: DarkSide Ransomware |
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As we are sure you are aware, cyber criminals effectively shutdown a major U.S. gas pipeline by infecting the operating company's IT infrastructure with ransomware. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Federal Bureau of Investigation have issued guidance to help prevent and mitigate this type of cyber attack.
The Exchange is forwarding the following Coast Guard alert for your information. Please forward to your IT departments.
DarkSide Ransomware: Best Practices for Preventing
Business Disruption from Ransomware Attacks
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) releases an cybersecurity advisory “DarkSide Ransomware: Best Practices for Preventing Business Disruption from Ransomware Attacks.” CISA and FBI are urging critical infrastructure asset owners and operators to adopt a heightened state of awareness and implement the recommendations listed in this advisory.
Recently, DarkSide actors deployed DarkSide ransomware against a U.S. pipeline company’s information technology (IT) network. In response to the cyberattack, the company proactively disconnected certain operational technology (OT) systems to ensure the safety of the system. At this time, there are no indications that the threat actor moved laterally to OT systems.
This joint advisory provides technical details on DarkSide actors and some of their known tactics and preferred targets. According to open-source reporting, DarkSide actors have been targeting multiple large, high-revenue organizations. Also, the actors have previously been observed gaining initial access through phishing, exploiting remotely accessible accounts and systems and virtual desktop infrastructure.
CISA and FBI strongly recommends that critical system owners and operators prioritize reading this advisory and follow recommended mitigation and guidance to help protect against this malicious activity. In addition to the cybersecurity advisory, CISA and FBI urge critical infrastructure asset owners and operators to review the following resources for best practices on strengthening cybersecurity posture:
The USCG allows USCG regulated entities to call and report the incident to the CISA Integrated Operations Coordination Center (CIOCC) (previously the NCCIC) at 888-282-0870 in lieu of the NRC for cyber incidents that do not also involve physical or pollution effects. It is imperative that the reporting party inform the CIOCC that they are a Coast Guard regulated entity in order to satisfy the reporting requirements of 33 CFR part 101.305. as the NCCIC.
USCG regulated entities may report cyber incidents to the National Response Center (NRC) at 800-424-8802 in lieu of the CIOCC.
In addition to the guidance above, all USCG regulated entities and non-regulated entities are also highly encourage to:
Call your State/Local Fusion Center and provide the NRC report number (if applicable).
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WTC Delaware provides a full range of international trade-related services with an in-depth focus on export/import of services and manufactured goods.
- INDIA: Seeking to represent U.S. manufacturers of vacuum disc filters/filtration technologies
- INDIA: Approaches to address air pollution caused by agricultural (paddy stubble) burning.
- MOZAMBIQUE/SWAZILAND: Construction of bulk water transmission main
- TURKEY: Milberry Copper Wire Scrap of 99.97-99.99% purity
- UNITED KINGDOM: Recycled transparent rigid PVC
- And more!
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STANDARD - $475 (1-49 employees), $825 (50-99 employees), $1,375 (100+ employees)
PREMIER - $2,675
STUDENT - $100
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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIP |
5 Steps to an International Digital Strategy
Make the most of global sales opportunities with your online presence. Address these topics when building your strategy:
- Define Digital Objectives
- Check Website and SEO to Attract Foreign Audiences
- Address Back-end Digital Infrastructure
- Choose eCommerce Channel Mix
- Establish eCommerce Key Performance Indicators
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Weekly International Job Posts: The latest 300 job opportunities posted on DevelopmentAid
- Deputy Country Director, Senegal
- Communications expert (indicatively 250 working days), Ukraine
- Project Manager, Livestock and Pastoralism, Mali
- MEL Specialist II, DEVELOP, USA
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Consultant, Kenya
- Information Technology Expert, Laos
- And more!
To view all the up-to-date jobs, please click the link below:
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International Delaware Magazine Released by World Trade Center Focuses on FinTech in the First State
The World Trade Center Delaware has released its fourth edition of International Delaware Magazine which focuses on Delaware's growing FinTech industry.
“Little did we know when we first discussed the theme for this issue just how timely this edition would be,” said World Trade Center Delaware President Carla Stone. “The use of IT and e-commerce exploded during the past eight months as people sought to limit contact with others in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. It is clear that financial technology services, or FinTech, is here to stay and will only grow in the future.”
The foundation for FinTech in Delaware was laid in 1981, when then-Gov. Pierre S. du Pont IV signed the Financial Center Development Act, legislation designed to increase employment in the banking and financial services sector by attracting out-of-state institutions to establish subsidiaries in Delaware. Today, Delaware, despite its tiny population, is one of the world's great financial centers. Over 75% of all FinTech investment in the Philadelphia region is found in Delaware and it has the highest concentration of financial services employment in the entire country according to a study by Delaware Prosperity Partnership. The study, "Delaware in a FinTech Future," reported that Delaware ranks No. 1 per capita for the number of FinTech patents issued over the past ten years in the U.S. and No. 5 overall.
Discover Bank, this issue's presenting sponsor, is making a significant contribution to Delaware's FinTech future. In partnership with the University of Delaware and Delaware Technology Park, Discover is building a new 100,000-square-foot center for FinTech innovation on the university's Science Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus that will combine the prowess of academia, government, and industry to support and grow FinTech's future in Delaware. “We thank Discover and all of our partners who have made this issue of International Delaware possible,” Stone said. “Tens of thousands of readers around the world will learn what we already know: FinTech is the future of commerce and Delaware is its home.”
To read/download your copy, please click the image above.
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World Trade Center® Delaware is the State’s premier international business resource. We help companies, especially small, medium-sized and emerging enterprises, to grow their international business. We provide trade leads, training programs, job leads, networking, matchmaking, trade mission and reverse trade mission opportunities for Delaware companies. We serve all types of companies in various sectors including agriculture, environmental remediation, IT, medical equipment manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, financial, legal and real estate services. For more information visit us at www.wtcde.com.
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World Trade Center Delaware
42 Reads Way, Suite B
New Castle, DE 19720
ph: 302-656-7905
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Copyright © 2021. All Rights Reserved. |
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