91原创

Another example of the public-private partnerships encouraged by the namesake of the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service is giving students real-world experience in international trade.

In addition, 91原创鈥檚 participation in the , administered by the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD), has proven to be immensely supportive to a wide range of manufacturers in the Buckeye State.

Overseen at 91原创 by Don Hackney, export assistance advisor for the , the program includes a three-hour weekly College of Business course in the spring semester followed by interns鈥� placement over the summer at companies wishing to expand their international footprint.

Hackney said the University works closely with ODOD鈥檚 international trade programs to target assistance to small and medium size companies. In the OEIP program, the manufacturers benefit by the state reimbursing half the cost of the interns鈥� salaries.

The spring course focuses more on hands-on experience versus theoretical learning. Students are assigned a project to develop export plans for local companies as part of their coursework, he said.

鈥淧art of that is researching the best foreign markets for these companies鈥� products,鈥� Hackney said.

Examples of recent projects from 91原创 students include an interesting variety of offerings -- wine, goat milk soap and strongman competition items.

How you enter a market -- whether it be with distributors, agents or direct-to-consumer transactions, is covered in the course, Hackney said. Logistics and compliance are big topics, and pricing, trademarks, financing, marketing, cultural issues and classification of products for Customs are also covered.

While all internships may not deal with every topic taught in the course, such as the classification numbers for products, the program covers a wide range of topics in order to best prepare students.

鈥淲e want to make sure they understand it, because it not only helps to understand tariffs and all those other hot topics right now, but to do research you need to know about those numbers because a lot of it is based on that same system,鈥� Hackney said.  鈥淲e try to touch on the things that will be important for their internship.鈥�

OHIO students learn from real-world experience

During the summer, interns are surveyed weekly and asked if they need assistance. Hackney visits each company with their interns early on and his direct involvement thereafter varies depending on the student and company.

Because it鈥檚 mainly smaller enterprises that are hosting, the interns often get to see how the whole company operates.

鈥淵ou get to see the marketing side, the finance side, the logistics side and even HR and planning. Because it鈥檚 a small company, that鈥檚 the way it works. Everybody wears a lot of hats,鈥� Hackney said.

Response to the program, currently offered at six universities in the state, has been overwhelmingly positive, including at OHIO since it joined several years ago, Hackney said. About half of the companies teaming with the universities are repeat participants, and a high percentage of students end up extending their internships or getting hired by their hosts.

鈥淔rom the student side, I鈥檝e had them come back to me and say 鈥業t鈥檚 really helpful having this on my resume. It鈥檚 a real meaningful experience,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭his is one of those programs that sets you apart.鈥�

Image

OHIO student wholeheartedly agrees.

A senior set to graduate next May with a double major in international business and supply chain management, Furgason took the course during his sophomore year and was placed in an internship with Nelsonville-based Rocky Brands, a manufacturer of boots and other items with a distribution center in Logan. He continued working with Hackney as a teaching assistant this year, and that experience helped him secure another internship this summer with Lubrizol in Wickliffe.

鈥淭he big reason I was able to get this internship was because of my experience in the export program at OHIO. It was one of the main talking points in my interview,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 very grateful for that class because it opened up more opportunities that I wouldn鈥檛 have had otherwise.鈥�

Furgason, who opted for a dual major after Hackney visited his business class to talk about OEIP, said his coursework included developing an export proposal for a Cincinnati-area company that makes sensors that go in hood units above stoves to regulate fan speed.

鈥淲e were helping them locate a potential country they would be interested in trying to sell their product in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hen I was able to go into my internship. It was kind of cool to see how the classroom transitioned into working at the company.鈥�

During his internship at Rocky Brands, Furgason helped the company track the progress of 40-foot containers on cargo ships to see if they were coming in on time, he said. He was even able to cut the bolts on a container he had tracked to ensure the product was OK, and work with truckers to ensure all of the documentation was proper.

Furgason鈥檚 positive experience is echoed by covering a wide spectrum of industries and experiences.

Image

Student interns are making a positive difference for businesses in the state

Zanesville-based Stewart-Glapat, a manufacturer of highly specialized conveyor systems, is among businesses that have hosted OEIP students and reported overwhelmingly positive results from their participation.

Stewart-Glapat is currently employing , the third intern who joined the company for a summer through OEIP, said

Russell鈥檚 job has included work on a marketing video to mark the 80th anniversary of the company, which counts among its numerous customers large Fortune 500 companies such as Walmart, PepsiCo and FedEx.

鈥淭he caliber of students we get through the program is exceptional,鈥� Stewart said. 鈥淭hey are top-of-the-line, superstar students who are able to come in here and make a difference. We could not be happier with the outcomes we鈥檝e had with this program.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檙e also looking at exporting. We鈥檙e very dominant here in our space here the United States but always looking for ways to grow the business internationally,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e鈥檙e so busy day-to-day trying to keep up with demand, exporting often gets lost in the shuffle. So, bringing in a fresh perspective, for someone to come in that has the skills and energy and wants to help and move the company forward 鈥� it鈥檚 been a tremendous fit.鈥�

Stewart said the company is currently eying Australia as a potential market for its products based on input from a prior OEIP intern from Ohio State University 鈥� Katrina Whitmore.

鈥淪he identified Australia as a very promising market,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he Ohio Department of Development is working with us to reach out to potential partners in Australia.鈥�

鈥淪o, to have a program like that available by the government is an unbelievable opportunity and we鈥檙e very happy to have been involved in that program over the last few years,鈥� Stewart said.

OEIP is one of several programs available in Ohio to assist businesses in expanding their markets.

has information on how companies can access free, confidential advising along with an array of services and resources on topics such as international business planning, market research, export documentation, local product requirements and logistics.

The program is made possible by the Appalachian New Economy Workforce Partnership (ANEP). Administered through the Ohio Department of Higher Education and appropriated to 91原创鈥檚 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, the ANEP supports a suite of business and economic development programs. Since 2001, ANEP has invested millions in economic development initiatives across the 32-county Appalachian region.