World trade center helps company sell in Europe – Montana Hot Tubs to Ireland??

A representative of a small manufacturer in Stevensville is going on a trade mission to Belgium, Germany and Italy and the Netherlands in March. Russell Moody, general manager of Omega II Inc. ( 370 Mountain Springs Road, Stevensville, MT 59870 (406) 777-2181 ) , has been on many such overseas marketing trips, and the company is already successful in selling its products — Mountain Spring Spas hot tubs — in France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Ireland.

Moody said the company sends about half of its spas overseas, shipping two cargo containers per week with 12-14 spas per container in the slow season. At peak times, it ships five containers per week. That’s much more than a thousand units going to Europe in a year. Moody said he is hoping to see Omega II’s overseas business grow by 25 percent or more this year.

The trip in March was set up through the Montana World Trade Center http://www.mwtc.org , a non-profit organization at the University of Montana. The university holds the license to operate a world trade center and contracts with Arnold Sherman, executive director of MWTC, to run the center within the business school. Sherman teaches a world trade course at the university, and he estimated that 100 students a year are involved with MWTC.

It is one of more than 300 world trade centers that help businesses grow through international commerce by arranging trade missions and by providing other services and advice. Approximately 75 companies are members of MWTC.

Sherman said Montana companies should consider overseas markets, because it is hard to survive in Montana selling just to Montanans and other Montana businesses.

Regional News By Dave Burgess

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