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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
We are a global society. With commerce, it's critical to foster global business partnerships.
We're fortunate to have a world trade center in Utah working with our businesses to help foster opportunities overseas. Research shows if you have a world trade center your exports can be 270 percent higher than those who don't. Currently, there are 322 world trade centers around the world with one of the most dramatic in Dubai. With our own World Trade Center Utah, it's certainly one of the reasons Utah was the only state to double our exports in five years and have export growth nine years in a row.
When I met with Lew Cramer, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, he was quick to point out after the outstanding performance of almost $19 billion dollars in exports last year, Utah is pacing ahead 22 percent over first quarter 2011. Why is this important? Exports equal jobs. Out of the billions Utah exports every year come around 100,000 jobs. By the way, Utah manufacturing exports are 85 percent small business.
For years many of Utah's leaders have made sure the world knows Utah is open for business. International trade mission trips are organized, and BYU has an extensive outreach to ambassadors from many countries who travel to Utah to meet with our leaders and businesses. As Lew said, "It's important for us to have multiple partners because ‘unprecedented partnerships can create unparalleled results.'"
Being globally competitive in math, science, engineering and languages will continue to fuel Utah's appetite for world business. Therefore, the education of our kids is where we have to walk our talk. One third of all K-12 schools in the U.S. teaching dual emersion Mandarin Chinese … are in Utah. Next on the docket for Utah schools is Portuguese dual emersion, coming this fall.
This Wednesday World Trade Center Utah will be celebrating their relocation into Eagle Gate Tower, which will be renamed the World Trade Center at City Creek.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
World Trade Center Utah 60 East South Temple, Ste. 300 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 801-532-8080 www.wtcut.com
