The World Trade Center of Arkansas is crafting a statewide organization of women-owned businesses to help them take advantage of bilateral trade and education opportunities.
The center is working to build an Arkansas chapter of the Organization of Women in International Trade, a global associations.
"The Organization of Women in International Trade really helps support small- and medium-sized women-owned companies that want to move their product across borders," Denise Thomas, director of Africa and Middle East trade at the World Trade Center of Arkansas, said Friday.
The organization, formed in 1989, has more than 2,000 members and emphasizes networking, mentoring and educational opportunities to increase bilateral trade opportunities.
The Arkansas chapter will be membership-based though fees to participate have not been finalized, according to Thomas. The group is planning a formal announcement in August at the Tontitown Winery in Springdale. Participation is not limited by gender.
Members will have discounted rates for seminars, webinars and other events. Other benefits include global networking, business development, mentoring, education and training and a strategic alliance with the world's most thriving markets.
The Arkansas trade center will use its resources and network to supplement the organization's mission by putting special focus on women in trade.
"We feel the chapter will provide more opportunities for training and development," Thomas said. "We need to offer the greatest level of support that we can to our underserved communities as it relates to trade and business."
Acuzena Denton, chairwoman of the advisory council for the Arkansas chapter, brings a wealth of international business experience to the group, having worked in international business for Walmart and now running her own company, Omni Analytics of Rogers, which specializes in serving Mexico and Central and South America.
Any business operating in Arkansas can benefit from the group's services, Denton said.
"Some businesses think they can't export their products or services to another country, but the fact of the matter is you can," she added. "We want to provide networking opportunities to help businesses go international. We can help any business that's forming, or is already in operation, that would like to export to other countries."
The Arkansas Economic Development Commission will support the chapter's efforts to promote bilateral trade, according to Esparanza Massana-Crain, director of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise at the state agency.
"We will definitely find ways to build synergies and collaborate on this effort," she said. "This group will provide opportunities for women in Arkansas to network on a global basis."
The World Trade Center of Arkansas focuses on growing trade and increasing Arkansas exports by connecting state businesses to the world through international trade services. The center is part of the University of Arkansas System.