The Georgia Department of Economic Development brings its highly touted international business development program to Savannah on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Georgia Reaching Out Worldwide,” hosted by the World Trade Center Savannah at its headquarters on Hutchinson Island, offers area businesses the opportunity to meet one-on-one with qualified international buyers interested in Georgia products.
This year — the program’s third — brings buyers from Japan, Canada, Brazil, Israel and China in search of Georgia products to take back to their home countries.
Savannah entrepreneur Cari Clark Phelps learned the value of G.R.O.W. last year when she took Salacia Salts, her new line of body care products, to the 2013 event.
She was basically just testing the waters for any potential for international marketing down the road.
“Much to my surprise, I received lots of interest and actual offers from two companies that wanted to sell Salacia Salts — one in Israel and the other in Canada,” Phelps said.
While flattered, she eventually decided her young company wasn’t quite ready for such a move, Phelps said.
“I really feel I need to focus on getting established in the U.S. first,” she said. “But now I know there’s an international market, and I’m a lot more knowledgeable about the things I would need to do.”
“Now I’m thinking longer term and looking at things like international regulations, packaging for pallets and weight limitations,” Phelps said. “And I learned that Southern products are in demand.”
On her website, she describes Salacia Salts as a high-end line of bath and body products “that captures the spirit of the coast in a blend of Southern botanicals, essential oils and pure Atlantic sea salt.”
Phelps assumed she would have to adjust her product for foreign markets.
“But I was told ‘no, no, no — don’t change anything.’
“It’s exciting to know that the market is there and, with G.R.O.W., I’ll know what to do when the time is right,” she said.
G.R.O.W. also has helped facilitate connections among participating Georgia companies.
Consider the case of local company The Salt Table and Purvis Pecan Co. of Douglas. The two companies met at last year’s G.R.O.W. event when their exhibits were placed next to each other.
In short order, they learned they had both targeted companies from Israel and Canada for their specialty food items. Before long, the two were sharing samples and talking about creating a new product.
The first batch of Purvis Family Roasted Pecans with Himalayan Pink Salt hit the shelves at The Salt Table’s stores earlier this year and sold out shortly after.
“When customers taste them, they buy them,” said David Legasse, Salt Table co-owner.
Himalayan salted pecans have now become a top-selling item for the The Salt Table, which offers more than 600 products in its Ellis Square store.
“World Trade Center Savannah found us, and we were able to make the connection with Purvis Pecans through G.R.O.W.,” said co-owner Carol Legasse, adding that, while G.R.O.W. is designed to increase Georgia exports, the flourishing partnership between The Salt Table and Purvis Pecan Co. is evidence the program can prove beneficial for making statewide connections as well.
“We are two small businesses promoting each other and creating new branding,” said David Legasse.
IF YOU GO
Scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Wednesday and Thursday at World Trade Center Savannah, G.R.O.W. is free of charge with advance registration required. Georgia attendees can meet one-on-one with qualified international buyers from Japan, Canada, Brazil, Israel and China. For more information contact Taube Ponce at tponce@georgia.org or visit www.georgia.org or Tory Grubbs at tgrubbs@wtcsavannah.org or 912-447-9704. For a complete list of buyers attending the G.R.O.W. program in Savannah, go to www.wtcsavannah.org.