tLANSING – Michigan consumer goods companies interested in reaching new customers in the fastest growing economy in the world can learn about the new Pure Michigan Export Now pilot program through four informational forums taking place around the state in April.
t“Through these workshops, Michigan companies will be introduced to Export Now’s unique combination of services and offered the opportunity to test their products in the China consumer market with limited risk,” said MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney. “The Export Now program is designed for consumer goods companies that want to test a foreign market but are not sure where to start or how to navigate through the various regulatory, logistical and cultural hurdles.”
tThe Export Now informational forum dates and locations are:
tDETROIT
tMonday, April 16, 2 – 4 p.m.
tDetroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Suite 1900, One Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226
tGRAND RAPIDS
tTuesday, April 17, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
tRapid Central Station, 250 Grandville Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
tLANSING
tWednesday, April 18, 10 a.m. – noon
tLansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, Insurance Capital Board Room, 500 E. Michigan Ave., Ste. 200, Lansing MI 48912
tSAGINAW
tFriday, April 20, 8 – 10 a.m.
tFour Points by Sheraton Saginaw, 4960 Towne Centre Road, Saginaw, MI 48604
tThe workshops will include:
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- ttA detailed overview of the Pure Michigan Export Now program along with a question and answer session presented by Frank Lavin, CEO and founder of Export Now (former Under Secretary for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce and former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore).
- ttDiscussion on the buying trends in China by Tomas Hult, Eli Broad Professor of Marketing and International Business and Director of the International Business Center at Michigan State University.
- ttInformation on how to get in the pipeline for the Export Now program and highlights on the Michigan Export program by MEDC Export Program staff.
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tTo register for one of the workshops, visit here: https://www.regonline.com/calendarNET/EventCalendar.aspx?EventID=1087204. Visit here for more information on Export Now: http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Export-Now/.
tExport Now provides an end-to-end IT and logistics solution that enables Michigan companies to sell on China’s e-commerce platform, www.tmall.com, as easily as selling on similar and familiar U.S. e-commerce platforms at home. Michigan companies will be able to participate in the first-ever mass marketing of Michigan goods to China in a single place through the Pure Michigan department in the online store.
tWith support from MEDC and Export Now, the first 100 Michigan companies to sign up for the program will pay only $1,000 and use the service for one year, two-thirds less than the usual $3,000 charge. Michigan companies will ship goods on consignment to an Export Now depot in California, where shipments are consolidated and forwarded to Export Now’s Shanghai distribution center. All companies pay a transaction cost with each sale.
tTo qualify for the pilot program, companies must:
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- ttBe an existing Michigan company that currently manufactures or produces a consumer product.
- ttVerify that the proposed product or product family has already been sold successfully in the marketplace.
- ttDemonstrate the capability to successfully run an export program by showing previous success in e-commerce, previous success in exporting, or simply by the size and maturity of the company.
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