IBD Success Stories

The International Business Development program honors its exceptional clients in a variety of ways. They are often program success stories and one company is honored yearly as an exporter of the year. Frequently, these business have particaitioned in a business and trade mission to China through the IBD program.

2009 NYS SBDC Exporter of the Year – Gorbel

Gorbel is an innovator and the leading builder of cranes and ergonomic lifting devices with more than 30 years experience providing overhead handling solutions to customers in a wide range of industries. Gorbel is a manufacturer and a net exporter; a rare combination in America today. They serve the North American and Chinese markets through facilities in Fishers (NY), Pell City (AL), Detroit (MI) and Tianjin (China). Jinshui Zhang assisted them with market research and information about the Chinese market, facilitated meetings and negotiations, and promoted Gorbel products and services.

In 2006, the company celebrated the grand opening of a new plant in the Tianjin economic development area (TEDA) in China. The company was named International Business of the Year by the Rochester Business Alliance that year. Gorbel employees pride themselves on delivering world class service and the highest quality products. The Gorbel team is willing to take on any challenge with vigor and only settles for success. The company tag line is "A Class Above", defines everything they do, especially in how they treat their peers and customers. Gorbel’s president, Brian Reh, is currently serving on SBA’s District Advisory Board (Buffalo District).

2008 NYS SBDC Exporter of the Year: Evergreen Timber Corporation

With a wealth of different types of timber produced from more than 6 million acres in the Adirondack Mountains and Vermont, Evergreen Timber exporting Co, supplies its customers with some of the finest hardwoods in the world. John Barber, who has owned Evergreen Timber for 35 years, guided his company from a small independent timber operation to a leader in the timber industry in upstate New York. The company, which is located in Hadley, is one of the oldest continually operating timber companies in the Adirondack region. It harvests and sells a wide variety of quality hardwood and softwood (cherry, maple, ash, beech, oak, poplar, to name a few), veneer and saw logs. John’s customers use the timber for a wide variety of things, including fine furniture, posts and beams for house construction and cabinets. Approximately 2 million board feet a year is exported to Canadian customers.

In 2007, John’s partner Mark Ehrhardt consulted with Albany business advisor Amy Amoroso about exporting to China and Japan. Evergreen Timber uses state of the art logging and processing equipment on site, does helicopter logging when required, and manages reforestation according to all environmental and conservation regulations. John also donates land to create “forever wild areas.”

Albany SBDC 2007 Success Story: Materials Recovery Company

China today has the fastest growing economy in the world. If you are a small New York business, how do you turn this growth to your advantage? Jim Riccardi, president of Materials Recovery Company (MRC), in Albany, found the key to export at the SBDC. MRC operates a metals recovery and recycling system that transforms incinerated municipal waste into low-cost, high-quality non-ferrous metals for secondary smelters. In 2002, Riccardi met with Jinshui Zhang, the New York State SBDC’s IBD Director, and later accompanied Zhang on one of the SBDC’s frequent trade delegations to China on behalf of New York’s small businesses. Riccardi wanted to meet directly with Chinese officials and develop partnerships.

At about the same time, the Albany SBDC received a grant from UA alumnus Guy Alonge to place MBA students at local businesses. One of these students, Jia Xu, prepared MRC executives for follow-up trips to China. Under the supervision of Zhang and SBDC Albany Regional Director Bill Brigham, Xu translated the company’s brochures into Chinese, designed a new company website in Chinese, traveled to China with MRC, and responded to sales inquiries from China. China now accounts for approximately 60 percent of MRC’s sales.  Says Riccardi, “The combination of a public agency – the SBDC – and academia has helped make this a successful company.”