From its inception through the present, the WTCNC has been an important forum for advancing global commerce
in North Carolina and recognized for organizing and delivering timely and high quality programs, such as:
Big Emerging Markets; World Currency and Trade Policies, Matchmaker Sessions, Basic Exporting, and Tools of the Trade.
1987 |
World Class Region Conference, Chaired by former Governor James B. Hunt Jr. and sponsored by the Triangle J Council of Governments endorsed the creation of a World Trade Center in the Triangle.
Originators included: Gov. Hunt, Jane Patterson, Senator Bill Staton of Sanford, Dean Thomas Keller of Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, heads of IBM, Northern Telecom and BurroughsWellcome, supported by the Small Business Development Centers as well as Triangle J Council of Governments.
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1988 |
A coalition of business, industry, education and political leaders impressed upon General Assembly members the economic benefits of establishing a world trade center in North Carolina; $100,000.00 for application and start- up was appropriated. In the next decade, the NC General Assembly appropriated over $2 million in support of international trade education through the World Trade Center.
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1989 |
In November 1989, the Research Triangle World Trade Center "Opened for Business" in
the Imperial Center, Research Triangle Park. |
1991 & 1995 |
The North Carolina World Trade Association recognized the Research Triangle World Trade Center for "Outstanding Achievement in Trade Education." |
1995 |
We became the World Trade North Carolina with the opening of the Piedmont Triad Partnership Branch
near the Triad International Airport, a second branch office opened at Wilmington with support from
UNC- Wilmington and the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. |
1997
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WTCNC received a "Market Development Cooperator Program" grant from the US DOC for a special trade initiative for the state’s environmental and information technologies industries. The markets were the ASEAM and Mercosur. The "Export 1999" grant for $377,000 required $770,000 match from partners
and small businesses participating in trade missions and trade shows in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok, Thailand, and Montevideo, Uruguay. This program ran through February 2001.
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1996
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Hurricane Fran floods WTCNC Headquarters in Meridian Park in Research Triangle Park.
The WTCNC relocates offices to the BB&T Building at Two Hannover Square in Raleigh.
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2001 |
WTCMC moves offices to the Longview Center at 118 South Person Street in Downtown Raleigh. |
2002
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Temporary Headquarters established in the Venture II Building on the Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University. |
2004
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WTCNC Headquarters reestablished at World Trade Park, near RDU International Airport, at 10900 World Trade Blvd., Raleigh, NC. The U.S. Department of Commerce – Commercial Services Export Assistance Center collocates at World Trade Park facility.
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| Present
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World Trade Center North Carolina partnering with U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other partners to launch EXPORT North Carolina – Focus On Small Business initiative to assist North Carolina companies in taking their products and services international.
Working with Z. Smith Reynolds Grant to assist North Carolina businesses/producers in rural, economically disadvantaged counties to identify and pursue export opportunities.
"Seizing Global Opportunities" Series focused on Free Trade Agreements, such as CAFTA and Chile, and trade relations with Brazil, to identify opportunities for increased trade with other Western Hemisphere markets.
Partnering in discussions with China and South Korea regarding the establishing of direct cargo flights between North Carolina and key Asian markets. |
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