Grow Trade Consulting, Inc. has just turned 20!
What began in 2004 as a privatized offshoot of the Council of Great Lakes Governors (now the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers) has grown into an expert consultancy, well-versed in trade consulting for an extensive roster of North American and global clients.
Through the years, we’ve been honoured to count public and private economic development organizations (EDOs) from the US, Canada, Europe, and other destinations among our client list, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin (both with us from the beginning), Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, and Virginia; the Swiss Business Hub, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and Enterprise Ireland; to newer clients including Bridging4Growth and State International Development Organizations (SIDO). We’re also delighted to now be an IBG Global member company – a great way to ring in 20 years!
It’s been a joy helping more than 1,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from these EDOs find export opportunities in Canada. Our work with them has included market research, regulatory guidance, setting meetings, finding qualified Canadian partners, and conducting trade missions throughout most regions of Canada.
Technology has changed dramatically in the last two decades and created new economic sectors for companies looking to expand their businesses in Canada. We’ve worked with client companies in almost every industry sector, from traditional industries like automotive, manufacturing, oil and gas, processed food, and retail to new and emerging markets such as electric vehicles, ICT, digital health, and renewable energy. We’ve truly never had a dull moment!
But that’s not the only impact technology has had on our company. Over a decade ago, we started leveraging X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn to reach our clients. In 2018 we started the Grow Trade weekly blog and have since accumulated more than 335 posts full of market insights, regulatory information, and other updates for our client companies. The efforts have been worthwhile; readership has been growing steadily, and our 2023 viewership has almost doubled that of 2022.
We’ve benefited along the way from having a long-standing and talented team of market access professionals. Their broad range of industry experiences has helped client companies understand the nuances of the Canadian market and find opportunities within it.
To our clients, past and present, thank you for allowing us to help your client companies find opportunities in Canada. And to the Grow Trade team, past and present, thank you for your hard work and dedication.
Thank you for a wonderful 20 years, and we’re looking forward to many more!
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