There are a variety of international trade resources in Central Texas. The Austin U.S. Export Assistance Center partners with the following organizations to leverage their outreach into the Central Texas community:
Texas Camino Real Export Council is a group of trade professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to provide leadership to the international business community as appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. The Councils are closely associated with the Commercial Service Export Assistance Centers. With four Councils in Texas, the Texas Camino Real Export Council covers the territory of Central and South Texas. The goal of the Council is in increasing the opportunities for Texas businesses to export include providing counseling and education on how to export, providing information on the various avenues of export financing, to serve as a voice in the local community by educating the benefits of free trade as a benefit to economic well-being and in the distribution of their publication, the Texas Exporters Resource Guide.
Contact: Karen Parker, Executive Secretary
Tel: 512-916-5939
Email: Karen.Parker@mail.doc.gov
Website: http://www.exporttexas.com
Small Business Administration - Office of International Trade offers exporters various trade finance programs from their lenders, such as Export Working Capital Program, International Trade Loan Program, SBA Export Express. To find a lender participating in these programs call:
Contact: Rick Schulze
Tel: 817-310-3749
email: Richard.Schulze@sba.gov
website: http://www.sba.gov/oit/finance/index.html
The Export Import (ExIm) Bank is an independent federal government agency that helps finance the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services. Its mission is to create American jobs through exports. It provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters, and it guarantees the repayment of loans or makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. It also provides credit insurance that protects U.S. exporters against the risks of non-payment by foreign buyers for political or commercial reasons. It does not compete with commercial lenders, but assumes the risks they cannot accept. It must always have a reasonable assurance of repayment.
Contact: Patrick Crilley
Tel: 281-721-0465
Email: patrick.crilley@exim.gov
Website: http://www.exim.gov
Office of the Governor- Office of Economic Development and Tourism, Office of International Business, mission is to Market Texas and assist communities to maximize economic development opportunities in a global economy. The Office of International Business gives Texas companies the opportunity to promote their products and services to international buyers and partners, through trade missions, trade shows, catalog show representation, seminars and in-bound trade missions. The State of Texas has one international office located in Mexico City.
Contact: Amir Mirabi, Director
Tel: 512-936-0213
Email: Amir.Mirabi@governor.state.tx.us
Website: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev/international
Mexico City Office
Tel: 011-525-514-4353
Email: trade@txed.state.tx.us
website: http://www.txed.state.tx.us/mexico
International Center of Austin (ICA) serves as Austin’s international nucleus - a central, physical, and easily identifiable location where key organizations of the Central Texas international community co-house in one setting, creating a center for international efforts and activities. The ICA is a public/private partnership established to facilitate business, education, and cultural opportunities for Austin in the global arena. By facilitating commerce, sharing knowledge and promoting understanding among the cultures of the world, the ICA promotes economic growth by strategically positioning Austin among the top internationally focused cities of the world.
Contact: B.F. Whitworth, Executive Director, IP Austin
Tel:
512-236-2417
International Business Institute (IBI) at Austin Community College (ACC) is designed to provide a comprehensive international business education program, incorporating under one umbrella all parts of international education. Offering both credit and continuing education classes and seminars for International Business.
Contact: Frank Flauto
Email: fflauto@austincc.edu
Tel: 512-223-7292
Website: http://www.austin.cc.tx.us/intlbus/
Export Education and Growth
website: http://www.austin-exports.org
Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce serves the citizens of Central Texas through its initiatives, programs, volunteer committees and business events. Its mission is to provide leadership that will help create regional economic prosperity and success for its members in Central Texas. The chamber hosts numerous inbound foreign delegation and dignataries and also works to attract foreign investment to the region.
Contact: Adriana
Cruz
email: acruz@austinchamber.com
Tel: 512-478-9383
Website: http://www.austinchamber.org/index.html
City of Austin - International Program - The International Program of the City of Austin is the City's focal point for international business, trade, educational and cultural activities. The International Program office is the first point of contact in the Greater Austin area for international activities of all kinds and the City's primary liaison with Greater Austin's international organizations.
Contact: Ben Ramirez, International Programs
Director or Marianne Martinez, Sister City
Tel: 512-236-2425 or
512-236-2403
website: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/international/
South-West Texas Border Region International Trade Center was specifically created to assist small- to medium-sized companies explore and develop business potential in global markets. The International Trade Center is located in San Antonio and a resource for 79 counties of the South Texas Border SBDC and is part of the nationwide Small Business Development Center (SBDC) network, which includes Austin. The center provides numerous training classes and counseling related to international business.
Contact: Cliff Parades, Director
Doug Smith, Senior Counselor, covers Austin
Tel: 210-458-2470
Email: ddsmith@utsa.edu
Website: http://www.iedtexas.org
The Small Business Development Centers have an office in Austin (Texas State University in San Marcos) and in Waco (McLennan Community College.) These organizations are partially funded through Small Business Administration, along with a host organization, such as a University or community college. The Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) work with existing and startup small companies to help them grow and compete in today's global economy. SBDCs are available for small companies in every phase of the business life cycle, helping entrepreneurs make sound decisions and succeed. The resulting improvement in their business performance leads to job creation, investments, and economic growth for communities all across South Texas.
Texas State SBDC (in Austin)
Contact: Larry Lucero, Director
Tel: 512-716-4800; Email: sbdc@txstate.edu
Website www.business.txstate.edu/sbdc
MCC SBDC (In Waco)
Tel: 254-714-0077
Texas Dept. of Agriculture (TDA) mission is to make Texas the nation's leader in agriculture while providing efficient and extraordinary service. To make the most of Texas' marketing and export opportunities, the Texas Department of Agriculture works with farmers, ranchers, commodity organizations, cooperatives and businesses through the GO TEXAN campaign to promote all Texas agricultural products – from food, fiber and wine to forestry and horticulture – to increase sales of these products both at home and abroad. TDA has an international marketing staff that can help assess an agricultural company's export readiness as well as provide export marketing counseling and assistance with export financial assistance programs.
Contact: Terry Ovalle, Director for International Marketing
Tel: 512-463-5197
Email: terry.ovalle@agr.state.tx.us
Website: http://www.gotexan.org
Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce works to promote the area and meet specific needs of business. They have partnered with the Austin USEAC in bringing export outreach programs to the area included surrounding rural communities. They have participated in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Trade Roots Program, has an associate member to the Texas Camino Real Export Council, and has formed an international committee at the Chamber.
Tel: 254-296-0405
website: http://www.wacochamber.com
Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce represents a broad array of organizations, with over 700 active members from corporations, small businesses, individuals, non-profit agencies, business associations and government agencies. The International Trade committee works to establish strategic alliances to promote and provide business opportunities for member Hispanic businesses and has most recently opened a Mexico Trade Center to foster and promote commerce between the greater Austin area and Texas.
Tel: 512-462-1417
Website: http://www.hispanicaustin.com
Business Success Center is a for-profit organization that assist entrepreneurs develops their ideas into a business. They hold monthly meetings that address international subjects, and also host many of the in-bound delegations visiting Austin.
Contact: Jan Triplett, COO
Tel: 512-933-1983
Email: triplett@bscusa.com
Website: http://www.bscusa.com
CIBER University of Texas has achieved considerable success in bringing the international expertise of the University directly to the international business community, and vice versa. Their business outreach has three main objectives: Strengthen Alliances with International Business Organizations, Mobilize University Resources to Contribute to Firms' Global Competitiveness, and Develop Products and Services to Contribute to Firm's Global Competitiveness.
Contact: David Platt, Director
Tel: 512-471-1829
Email: ciber@bus.utexas.edu
Website: http://www.bus.utexas.edu/research/ciber/
International Hospitality Council of (IHCA) is the local contact agency for the U.S. Department of State. Each year hundreds of international program dignitaries come to Austin. IHCA, with the help of its volunteers, works to provide people-to-people contact between current and emerging leaders of other nations and the United States.
Contact: Lynn Cooksey, Director
Tel: 512-505-4079
Email: ihcaustin@ihcaustin.com
Website: http://www.ihcaustin.com
A listing of International Resources in Austin:
http://www.fyiiaustin.com/International%20Orgs/links%20Austin.htm