Montana Rep. Rehberg announces group intended to help state exports – EnterpriseMontana

Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., has announced the formation of EnterpriseMontana, a new public-private group intended to help Montana companies find and grow export markets.

The announcement was made Tuesday at the North Reserve Street offices of the Inland Northwest Space Alliance http://www.inwspace.org/ , a Missoula-based organization dedicated to finding practical applications for advanced technology.

Montana companies need help, said Arnie Sherman, head of the Montana World Trade Mission, which is based at the business school at the University of Montana.
Sherman has led numerous trade missions from Montana to Europe and Asia, but more needs to be done, he said.

"Idaho exports seven times what Montana does," said Webb Brown, president of the Montana Chamber of Commerce. (See Export Explosion in Idaho http://www.matr.net/article-15787.html ) About 90 percent of Montana’s exports go to two countries – Canada and Mexico. And half of Montana’s exports are simple commodities, stuff like zinc, talc and wheat.

By ROBERT STRUCKMAN of the Missoulian

Full Story: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2005/08/31/news/mtregional/news08.txt

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Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced the formation of “EnterpriseMontana,” a new private-public trade initiative that will help promote and develop overseas markets for Montana businesses.

“We need to expand our thinking when it comes to promoting Montana businesses. There are markets across the globe that are well-suited for the products the state’s small and large businesses create — our latest trade mission to Europe confirmed that,” said Rehberg, who, in July, led several Montana businesses on a trade mission to Germany, Spain, and Ireland which will result in $20 million in contracts and agreements for Montana businesses over the next 36 months.

Organized in conjunction with the Montana World Trade Center, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, and other Montana business leaders, EnterpriseMontana, (modeled after Enterprise Ireland), is a private-public initiative that will work with Montana business and educational institutions to support research, commercialization, production, and export of high-value products and services to worldwide markets. It will consist of member organizations that partner together to promote:

ª Joint ventures such as trade missions and trade shows

ª Entrepreneurship training

ª Identification and development of new market opportunities

ª Attracting investment opportunities to Montana

ª Access to investment and venture capital

ª Mentoring networks

ª Cross-cultural business education

ª Networking functions

Sheila Stearns, Montana Commissioner of Higher Education, Arnie Sherman, Montana World Trade Center Executive Director, and Webb Brown, Montana Chamber of Commerce President-CEO, were among the officials who joined Rehberg in making the announcement at a press conference at Inland Northwest Space Alliance in Missoula.

“The global business community is aware of the quality of Montana’s products, in both workmanship and design, and is enthusiastic about exploring business opportunities with the Treasure State,” said Rehberg. “EnterpriseMontana was born out of a need to capitalize on this interest, and, working with the education community, I’m excited the ‘enterprise’ will lead to real economic opportunity for Montana.”