2022 was a significant year for Kansas Global Trade Services and the markets we serve. Our team has grown; our relationships with partners overseas and across the country have strengthened, and we were able to return to more normal business activities after two years of the pandemic, rebuilding and positioning Kansas Global to serve the Midwest better in 2023 and beyond.
To start, through the City of Wichita Export Accelerator Program, we assisted several businesses to enter new markets worldwide – many first-time exporters – and expanded and diversified international sales locally in Wichita. We are excited about our contribution to the participating businesses and the Wichita community as we work hand-in-hand with the city to help make our local economy even more vibrant and resilient.
Our partnership with the Kansas Department of Commerce created significant opportunities for Kansas companies to improve their virtual international marketing as they continue to rebound from the pandemic and look for practical solutions for growth in a more digitally driven world.
Kansas Global’s marketing has also evolved. We debuted a new website this year to better reach Midwest businesses. We launched a weekly global Trade Trends newsletter that provides businesses with up-to-date international events and essential news impacting imports and exports.
In this first post-pandemic year, we hit the road, domestically and internationally, to expand trade relationships and business opportunities in Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. We also brought Quebec representatives to Wichita to explore business collaborations in the aviation sector. In addition, our team participated in the Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s D.C. Fly-In and hosted a powerhouse panel of federal-level international trade experts.
Lastly, I was appointed to the Industry Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC) for the U.S. Department of Commerce and elected as the Vice Chair of the Mid-America District Export Council. These roles give Kansas Global a voice at the federal level in international trade policy, allowing us to advocate for the companies and communities we serve. As an ITAC representative, I spoke in Edinburgh, Scotland in December at the UK-U.S. Small Business Dialogue on women and international trade.
During 2023, we plan to build upon the successes of 2022 to reach more companies ready to export their goods and services and strengthen export growth for our region. Our focus will be on growing relationships across rural communities and building programs that apply the successes of our export accelerator model to partner with organizations and communities that share a passion for helping rural businesses prosper.
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Laura Lombard
CEO & President
