International business opportunity focus of suburban conference

Lauren Nedland attended Thursday's North American Trade Opportunities conference with hopes of picking up some tips before starting a new job next week at W.W. Grainger as an export compliance manager.

"I was hoping to find out more about how to determine if an item qualifies for NAFTA," said Nedland, a Wheeling resident originally from Argentina.

The World Trade Center Illinois hosted the conference at The Meadows Club in Rolling Meadows to inform and educate companies about the North American Free Trade Agreement and the positive impacts it has had since it went into effect in early 1994.

The conference was geared toward small to medium-size businesses looking for a better understanding of conducting business with companies in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

One of the panel discussions included employees from Abbott, Corn Products International and Cummins Inc. who spoke about how their companies benefited from NAFTA and some of the difficulties they've faced.

Jack Fortnum from Corn Products International, a food ingredient company headquartered in Bedford Park, said NAFTA isn't meant to break down cultures, but to share ideas.

"Much of our growth in the past decade has been from opening of borders, not closing of borders," Fortnum said.

Meanwhile, trade commissioners from around the world also spoke at the conference, which was meant to assist businesses in finding the right partner.

Kathleen M. Gaber, an attorney with MasudaFunai in Schaumburg, found the sessions informative.

"The changes in international accounting principles is what I found very interesting," she said. "This is something new."

Education is a vital role for the World Trade Center Illinois, said President David M. Hartigan. In addition to informing businesses and municipalities about international possibilities, he said informing high school students about opportunities abroad is vital.