Champlain College is home to new Burlington office of the Vermont Global Trade Partnership

BURLINGTON, Vt.--Champlain College hosted a ribbon cutting this week to welcome the Vermont Global Trade Partnership to its campus in Burlington. Vermont business people can now access a broad range of trade services in one location in the S.D. Ireland Family Center for Global Business and Technology at 391 Maple Street on the Champlain College campus.
The Partnership's Burlington office will service businesses in Northwestern Vermont that want to explore markets abroad. Trade professionals from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce Foreign Commercial Service, and Vermont Agency of Agency of Commerce and Community Development hold offices in the new site, which is situated next to faculty members from Champlains International Business Leadership program--the only academic program of its kind in the state.
Businesses can receive assistance with: reviewing trade regulations, tariffs and logistics, researching new markets, importing and exporting, product sourcing, trade missions, overseas trade shows, and networking opportunities. To connect with the services of the Partnership, businesses should contact Dana Eidsness, director of international trade for the State of Vermont, at [email protected] and (802) 828-1681.
Under the guidance of Champlain College faculty and Partnership personnel, international business students will conduct free trade research for businesses. Using industry-leading resources, the College can provide businesses with country-specific research on customs, business practices and marketing, international marketing plan development, import/export research, logistics and shipping research, and finance and payment research. The College also provides access to a pool of business students who are eager to complete internships.
By hosting the Partnership, Champlain College will enhance its strong track record of assisting organizations with business development research and implementation. The Ireland center also offers the Partnership some state-of-the-art meeting facilities and technology resources for activities such as trade mission support. The Cuban Trade Institute was held on campus recently, for example. Roundtable lunch discussions will be planned in the near future as well.
Formed last year, the Vermont Global Trade Partnership pulls together the powerful trade resources of Vermonts Regional Development Corporations, Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, Champlain College, the US Department of Commerce, Vermont's Agency of Commerce and Community Development and Vermonts Congressional delegations.