Los Angeles County - News from Oct. 10, 1994

Export Outreach Center: The Export Small Business Development Center will open an outreach center in El Monte on Thursday to help San Gabriel Valley businesses interested in foreign trade become better at building export markets. The Export SBDC was formed three years ago to help small businesses throughout Southern California increase exports. The program is a partnership involving the Small Business Administration, the California Trade and Commerce Agency and the Export Managers Assn. of California. The El Monte outreach center is designed to provide assistance in expanding export markets by offering consulting services to businesses and access to trade and export information. The center also plans to hold regular seminars and workshops on trade and export issues. Export SBDC officials said El Monte was chosen for an outreach center because of the strong manufacturing base in the San Gabriel Valley. Forty percent of the businesses in the valley are involved in manufacturing. The outreach center will open at 10501 Valley Blvd. Export SBDC officials say the program, which also has offices in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oxnard, helped clients export $115 million in products last year. The increase helped create 2,000 jobs for the local economy, they say. An open house, hosted by the El Monte/South El Monte Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the center from 2 to 7 p.m.