MoDEC plans to conduct town meeting April 29

Export experts, and maybe a little porter, will be the feature of an upcoming panel discussion.

The Missouri District Export Council is having a town hall meeting April 29 designed as a forum for area exporters to share their expertise.

Kristi Wiggins, an international trade specialist with the U.S. Export Assistance Center, said it will be the first out-state meeting of MoDEC. The meeting is designed for both current exporters and companies considering export opportunities for their products.

MoDEC, a statewide U.S. Department of Commerce advisory council, is sponsoring the luncheon at the Springfield Brewing Company. Four area individuals are on the 30-member MoDEC. Robert Hetherington of Paul Mueller Co., Jo Moon of Tracker Marine, Kathy Allen of Allen Filters and Jane Peterson, director of the Small Business Development Center in Springfield, are members from southwest Missouri. The meeting is being held with the help of the Small Business Development Center.

The luncheon is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and there is no charge. Registration, however, is required and the meeting is limited to about 50 participants, Peterson said. Those interested should call the SBDC at 836-5685 and ask for Pam Pyeatt to reserve a spot.

"In the global marketplace domestic companies are increasingly discovering that exports help them remain competitive, expand their business and create better-paying jobs for the community," a release about the meeting said. "The goal of the town meeting is to discuss important issues which impact exporters. MoDEC listens to the business community and is proactive in guiding our nation's export policy."

Wiggins said Missouri has about $7 billion in annual exports. Peterson said that though southwest Missouri's total volume is a relatively small part of that total, area exports are increasing.

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