More than a dozen regional trade organizations have joined the Florida Trade Partners Alliance to form the first-ever statewide trade promotion alliance of its kind. The alliance will meet on June 16 in Orlando to discuss a blueprint for international trade promotion.

     Collectively, the participants will determine the lead and contributing roles for the various trade development strategies to be employed in building upon Florida's ranking as the eighth largest exporting state.

     The Florida Trade Partners Agreement was spearheaded by the Florida U.S. Export Assistance Centers and Enterprise Florida. The alliance now includes 15 organizations statewide, including World Trade Centers Association of Florida-comprising five World Trade Centers-and the Florida District Export Council.

The Florida U.S. Export Assistance Centers are part of the U.S. Commercial Service. Enterprise Florida is a public-private partnership formed in 1996 to replace the Florida Department of Commerce.

"When I arrived in Florida in 1997, I saw a powerhouse of trade organizations and a state whose economy was heavily geared toward trade, but having greater potential," said John McCartney, Florida director for the U.S. Commercial Service."The energy and apparatus were in place, but integration of it all was the 'holy grail.'"

McCartney teamed with Manny Mencia, senior vice president, international trade & business development from Enterprise Florida, to expand the Florida Trade Partners Network. "We saw this as a match made in heaven; Enterprise had a world class agenda to increase Florida's position as a leading trading center, and the U.S. Commercial Service had the domestic and overseas infrastructure to marry up with our own," said Mencia, Enterprise Florida's point person for international trade and investment. "By integrating our programs, we could make a powerful and unparalleled team."

For more information on this alliance, please contact John.McCartney@mail.doc.gov