The Alabama Small Business Development Center Network is hosting three training workshops next week for small businesses to learn how to effectively use the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
The workshops on Reducing Risk & Unleashing Opportunity will be in Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Breakfast and lunch will be served. The registration cost is $25.
The Huntsville workshop will be Tuesday, May 17, at the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County, 225 Church St. The North Alabama International Trade Association and the Ex-Im Bank will hold the workshop. Go online to register or with NAITA at 256-532-3505.
The Huntsville speakers will be Jennifer Simpson, Regional Director, eastern region of the Ex-Im Bank; Xiomara Creque, Export Finance Manager, Minority & Women Owned Business, Small Business Group, Ex-Im Bank; Sandro Murtas, Global Trade Specialist, Government Guaranteed Lending Group at Synovus Bank; and, Angela Johnson, President & CEO of Export Insurance Services LLC.
The Birmingham workshop will be Wednesday, May 18, at the Birmingham Business Alliance, 505 20th St. N., Suite 200. The parking entrance is on 5th Avenue North. Go online to register or register with Alan at 205-241-8133.
Birmingham speakers will be Jennifer Simpson, Regional Director, eastern region of the Ex-Im Bank; Tamara Maxwell, Director, Minority & Women Owned Business, Small Business Group, Ex-Im Bank; Sandro Murtas, Global Trade Specialist, Government Guaranteed Lending Group at Synovus Bank; and, Angela Johnson, President & CEO of Export Insurance Services LLC.
Thursday’s workshop in Mobile on May 19 will be at the Mobile Chamber of Commerce, 451 Government St. Go online to register or with Christina at 251-431-8648.
The Mobile speakers will be Jennifer Simpson, Regional Director, eastern region of the Ex-Im Bank; Xiomara Creque, Export Finance Manager, Minority & Women Owned Business, Small Business Group, Ex-Im Bank; Carson Strickland, Senior Vice President, Global Trade Finance at Regions Bank; Angela Johnson, President & CEO of Export Insurance Services LLC; and, Brent McMahan, Senior Area Manager, U.S. Small Business Administration.
Workshop subjects will include how to reduce risk and unleash opportunity, how to leverage the Ex-Im to expand capabilities to increase international sales, and how to gain access to affordable capital. The workshops are ideal for CEOs, CFOs and credit managers, export sales teams, and commercial bankers.
The Ex-Im Bank export credit agency is an independent, self-sustaining executive branch agency with a mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating the export of U.S. goods and services. When private-sector lenders are unable or unwilling to provide financing, EX-IM fills in the gap for American businesses by equipping them with financing tools necessary to compete for global sales.
The Business Council of Alabama was part of a coalition that successfully urged congressional reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank’s charter last year. Between 2007 and 2015, Ex-Im backed $823 million in exports by 87 Alabama exporters, including 61 small businesses, supporting 5,000 jobs.