2019

El Tiempo magazine has named U-Wigo, a residing company at the International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee as well as a participant in the 2019 Trade Summit, as a success story as a small company with a coastal seal that is innovating.

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www.eltiempo.com

SeaSeaPort Manatee, which handles 10 million tons of rough-hewn, broad-shouldered cargo a year, also has a more nurturing side.

The port encourages the development of new business, sometimes on the mom-and-pop level, through its International Trade Hub.

Among the newest are Sergio Francone’s Alba Distribution, which imports Italian and Argentinian wines as well as Italian pasta, and Orietta Foods, which produces Arepas Rolitas, a Colombian street food snack.

Both companies are in their infancy at SeaSeaPort Manatee.

“The International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee is focused on providing an incubator or a soft landing space for companies looking to enter the U.S. market. These are companies that otherwise would stay in Miami or look for other parts of the country,” said Carlos Buqueras, the port’s executive director.

Through the hub, the port can show international businesses that Manatee, Sarasota and the Tampa Bay area are perfect locations to enter the U.S. market, Buqueras said.

Trade commissioners representing countries around the world have become regular visitors at SeaSeaPort Manatee.

“I am happy they are trying to help me. I am new in the United States with no other family here except my wife and kids,” said Francone, a 42-year-old native of Argentina who lived in Italy for five years.

What the International Trade Hub was able to offer Francone was warehouse space in the Intermodal Building at SeaSeaPort Manatee and the promise of introductions to potential buyers.

Ivan Mutis, CEO of GML Strategic Consultancy for New Markets, will help introduce Francone to local retailers, and then the rest is up to Francone.

“This is good pasta,” Francone said as he stood among palates of Granoro-brand products at SeaSeaPort Manatee. “Granoro is the fifth-largest pasta company in Italy. The biggest difference is that in Italy there are no GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the pasta. They are not allowed in the European community.”

Mutis, who works at SeaSeaPort Manatee but is not a port employee, has been a key player in helping show foreign companies that there is an alternative to port facilities in Miami, and that the Bradenton area is a good place to do business.

Mutis also has a hand in Orietta Foods, and with Marina Besada Lombana manages the company’s Arepas Rolitas operation in Bradenton.

Rolitas are a grilled corn patty that have either a meat or sweet filling, such as guava and mozzarella. Initially, Manatee Technical College offered assistance in making the first Bradenton-area rolitas.

Today, in what Mutis calls a cooperative initiative, they are made at Sugar Cubed Pastry Lab, which is located at 531 13th St. W. in Bradenton. Also helping in the production are Tara Allison of Sweets Bakehouse and baker Andy Westberry.

“For now we are making small quantities, selling to Bulk Food Superstore in Sun City Center and the Quadro Supermarket in Tampa,” Besada Lombana said, adding that a version for the Miami market is also being developed.

It is significant that the trade hub has been a catalyst for business growth opportunities in downtown Bradenton, Buqueras said.

Five years ago, the hub did not exist at SeaSeaPort Manatee.

Among the food companies that now have a presence there are Bunland, Ataraxia and Mia, makers of specialty Colombian coffees; DC Frozen Fruit, which produces frozen fruit pulp and frozen fruit; Mangata, which markets Spanish olive oil; and L&H Export of El Salvador, which markets coconuts.

“Food companies have become a cluster of opportunities,” Buqueras said. “When you go to supermarkets, you’re selling them not just pasta, you’re selling them wine and other products. It is becoming a significant segment of the product line of the hub.”

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PALMETTO, Florida – The International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee is bolstering its efforts to facilitate productive links for global commerce with the opening of promotional offices in Latin America and Europe.

“The opening of these two offices is a momentous step in connecting world markets and the dynamic business community of greater Manatee County and Southwest Florida,” said Iván Mutis, coordinator of the International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee since its inception in 2014. “The Latin American and European office presences perfectly complement the successful initiatives the trade hub has been advancing over the past five years.”

The Latin American office, in Medellín, Colombia, is led by representative Carolina López, chief executive officer of Manatee Operator Consulting Group, while the European location, in Barcelona, Spain, is spearheaded by representative Peter Casanova, economist, partner and chief financial officer with Brosa Abogados y Economistas.

“The offices provide soft landing platforms in major global markets for leaders of businesses of Manatee County and all of Southwest Florida exploring opportunities in Latin America and Europe, respectively,” said Carlos Buqueras, executive director of SeaSeaPort Manatee. “We already are making plans to further expand the global office presence of the International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee.”

The Latin American and Caribbean region represents more than 55 percent of Florida’s overall foreign trade, while Europe accounts for nearly 17 percent of such activity, according to Enterprise Florida.

The trade hub, based at the SeaSeaPort Manatee Intermodal Center, serves as an invaluable catalyst for introducing global companies to the business-friendly environment of greater Manatee County and Southwest Florida while helping the region’s entrepreneurs make the most of beneficial connections worldwide. The hub has conducted expo-style showcases throughout Florida and has received visits from high-level government and trade officials representing more than a dozen nations, including Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland and Spain.

“The proactive efforts of the International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee, including through foreign offices, furnish advantageous opportunities for expanding the already impressive socioeconomic contributions of SeaSeaPort Manatee throughout our region,” said Vanessa Baugh, chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority.

The International Trade Hub at SeaSeaPort Manatee, founded in 2014, serves as a vital link between markets in Florida and throughout the world. The hub provides expert advice and support tools to local and global firms, assisting them with production, distribution and related activities, including development of innovative supply chain solutions.

Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” SeaSeaPort Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The port generates more than $2.3 billion in annual economic impact for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs, without levying ad-valorem taxes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]