Chad Hoffman

In the 1960’s, just 8% of consumer goods sold in the US were made overseas.

It’s hard to believe that my career in international sales/marketing and export development is now in its 23rd year.

A Midwest manufacturer of customized engine parts used in the automotive industry was presenting at a seminar several years ago.

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable holiday season and that you and yours are healthy and safe during these trying times.

Many business owners I have spoken with recently have expressed how 2020 seems to be passing by rather quickly and, honestly, the sooner the better.

When asking an experienced exporter how many countries they export to, the response is sometimes: “Including Canada?”  Companies may overlook Canada as an export market as it is often included in the “North American” sales division which would be responsible for the US, Canada and, at times, Mexico.

After returning to Wisconsin in 2015 to work in export development at the Milwaukee 7, I was surprised how often I heard companies say they were exporting “outside of the region” to, for example, Washington state.

Hello and welcome to the 2nd edition of the Wisconsin Go Global Newsletter! Our 1st edition was well received and we will continue to make improvements per your feedback.

The National Association of Small Business International Trade Educators (NASBITE) in collaboration with the Wisconsin SBDC Network and trade organizations based in 29 additional US states has launched the new Trade Passport website providing Export Assistance On-Demand: https://www.

Surprisingly, many “trade” resources and programs don’t require that a company be an exporter at all.