Doing Business Internationally
Overview
Doing Business Internationally is an exciting program that we have developed for our outstanding textile students. Over Ten years ago, we put together an annual “Doing Business Internationally” Program in which we worked with the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC) and the Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC). SBTDC recruits small and medium businesses interested in international trade. SBTDC and the EDPNC have been taking these individuals down to Mexico to introduce them to international trade and to test the international market for their products and services.
For over Ten years, we have selected outstanding students to participate as Student Delegates in this exciting Program. The purpose is to not only allow the students to shadow the business people, but also to introduce them to the various aspects of international trade by attending trade shows, visiting factories and meeting with trade officials. Since the start of the DBI Program, many Student Delegates have learned about the history, culture and business environment of the destination country, culminating in trips to Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru and Panama. The Student Delegates work on individual research projects pertaining to their individual textile interest in the destination country. After the successful trips, these Student Delegates present papers on their research to College of Textile faculty members, Representatives of EDPNC and SBTDC and past and present DBI Business Delegates.
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”
St. Augustine
“Traveling—It leaves you Speechless, then it turns you into a Storyteller”
Ibn Battuta
Doing Business Internationally 2017 Syllabus
Doing Business Internationally 2017 Application
- DBI Student Delegate Testimonials
- Doing Business Internationally – 2016 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2015 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2014 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2013 – Panama
- Doing Business Internationally – 2012 – Peru
- Doing Business Internationally – 2011 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2010 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2009 – El Salvador & Honduras
- Doing Business Internationally – 2008 – Mexico
- Doing Business Internationally – 2007 – Mexico
For more information on the Doing Business Internationally (DBI) program, please contact Mr. William Harazin.
Mexico 2016
DBI-Mexico Student Delegate Brochure
Mexico 2015
DBI-Mexico Student Delegate Brochure
Mexico 2014
DBI-Mexico Student Delegate Brochure
Panama 2013
This is the seventh year of Doing Business Internationally Program at the Wilson College of Textiles. It is a partnership with Wake Technical Community College and the NC Department of Commerce in International Trade. Wayne Loots, Dean of the Business and Industry Services at Wake Tech and Fred Gebarowski, Small Business Center Director at Wake Tech are co-delegation leaders along with Bill Harazin.Five student delegates from the Wilson College of Textiles are traveling to the country of Panama March 2 – 9 with Bill Harazin, an adjunct associate professor at the College, as well two leaders at Wake Technical Community College. Mallory Robinson, Lauren Stentz, Allison Tate, Will Taylor and Emily-Rose Walch were chosen to embark on a spring break that they will never forget. Now it is not your typical spring break although they will be surrounded by beautiful beaches. It is a trip where they will get to experience firsthand global business in action. These students will travel alongside North Carolina business leaders, government officials and industry leaders to learn about foreign culture and Panama’s business environment.
While they are there they will visit the U.S. Embassy, American Chamber of Commerce, Panama Canal and Expansion Program, along with various manufacturers, agents, suppliers and trade associations. They will also have the opportunity to see many cultural and historical sites. The point is to expose them to all facets of Panama’s business environment and culture. In the end the students will complete individual research projects exploring international business and the success of companies in our global economy.
DBI-Panama Student Delegate Brochure
Peru 2012
DBI-Peru Student Delegate Brochure
Four Wilson College of Textiles students and associate professor Bill Harazin traveled to Peru over spring break to study the textiles industry there. Their trip was part of an 18-year-old program that aims to grow the state’s economy by introducing small- and mid-size business owners in North Carolina to overseas markets. In the program, business owners travel overseas with officials from the state and federal departments of commerce, and NC State students have been traveling with the group for the last six years. Program participants attend cultural events, meet with international trade specialists and tour foreign businesses. “Not only do the students get on-the ground training in how to do business in a destination country; they also have interaction with the other delegates, who are more than willing to mentor the students,” Harazin said. Spending time with government and business representatives from the United States and Peru gave the students a panoramic view of the world of international business, said Meghan Coats, a master’s student in textile technology management. “They talked about consumers and what they are purchasing, and they talked about the political side of things,” Coats said. Senior fabric and textile management major Caitlyn Holt said she was surprised to learn about resources available to American businesses that want to enter the Peruvian market. “I didn’t realize how much help is out there for American companies who want to export,” she said. “It was really interesting to see how committed people are in Peru to help you out.”
Mexico 2011
Mexico 2010
DBI-Mexico Student Delegate Brochure
By Allison DeCarlo
The world is getting smaller. Communication is improving, technology is on the rise, and people from all countries are meeting one another faster and easier than ever. But what does all of this globalization mean for the business world? What new rules apply outside of our borders, and how can we make the best out of it? These were the questions that five Student Delegates from the College of Textile’s “Doing Business Internationally” Program sought to answer during their week abroad in Mexico City, Mexico.
During the week of March 14th-20th, 2010, as Student Delegates, graduate students Madison Owen and Ivy Hill, with undergraduate students Meredith Chambers, Allison DeCarlo and Andrew Hicks, got a taste of the cultural environment of the Mexican business world. They were led by their NC State Wilson College of Textiles Professor, William Harazin, and the Director of the Wake Tech Small Business Center, Ken L. Dillo, and joined by Delegates from the North Carolina business community. Laura Camberos de Perreira and João Pereira, from the NC Department of Commerce in Mexico City served as hosts and guides for the Delegation during the week. Each day was a new and valuable experience for the group in learning about customs and business practices in Mexico, as well as the country’s rich and colorful background.
Days one and two were both lessons in culture and history, as the Delegation traveled to the Anthropology Museum to see relics dating as far back as the Olmec period, attended the Mexican Ballet Folklórico featuring cultural dance, and finally climbed the Sun and Moon Pyramids of Teotihuacan. Where better to learn about the culture of Mexico than where it first started? The Delegates also took part in one of the best aspects of doing business internationally – sampling the local fare, a cultural experience in and of itself!
The following days were packed with business meetings and travel. The group visited the U.S. Commercial Service and received a rundown of the differences between the U.S. and Mexico, and changes since the passage of NAFTA. The meeting at the Center Group in the heart of Mexico City’s financial district provided an informative presentation on the business culture in Mexico – for example, personal space is not recognized like it is the US, so expect a hug or quick peck on the cheek from your Mexican business partner! The Delegates traveled to Yecapixtla to visit the impressive Parkdale Mills facility, and to a major business park to tour Landsteiner Scientific, a pharmaceutical company. One of the most anticipated visits of the trip was to the Bimbo bread & pastries factory, and fortunately, the Delegation arrived right at production time. They sampled cookies and sweets right off of the line while learning about improvements in factory efficiency and safety. The last two meetings brought a bit of home back to the Delegation, as they toured the Thomasville furniture facilities in the Santa Fe region of Mexico City, and met with a representative from the Murphy Farms operation in Mexico.
The trip was all and more than one could have expected from the “Doing Business Internationally” Program at the Wilson College of Textiles. The Student and Business Delegates are now not only more familiar with Mexico’s practices and customs, but are ready to adapt to different business environments across the globe, which is certainly a key skill in today’s shrinking world.
El Salvador and Honduras 2009
DBI-El Salvador & Honduras Brochure
DBI-El Salvador & Honduras Student Delegate Brochure
William Harazin and Fay Gibson in the Textile and Apparel Technology and Management department, have lead a group of three students on an alternative spring break trip to El Salvador and Honduras. The student delegation will learn about the culture and global textile business opportunities in the CAFTA region through first-hand interaction with business and industry leaders in El Salvador and Honduras. The members of the Delegation are: -William Dennis Harazin-International Law Firm (Program Co-Leader) -Giselle Alexandra Marino-NCSU Student Ambassador -Sarah-Margaret Church-NCSU Student Ambassador -Michael Alexander McDonald-NCSU Student Ambassador -Luis Somoza,- President, Liberum International Group -Nathan Wayne Holleman- NC Dept of Agriculture -Billy Carter-Cotton Growers -Kenneth Lee Dillo-Wake Tech, Program Co-Leader -Beckwith Russell French -International Lawyer -Frederick William Gebarowski-Director of Entrepreneurship, Wake Tech -Fay York Gibson, NCSU Textile College Adjunct Professor -Jimmy Yokeley, Distribution Services, NC Ports -Jean Davis, Director, International Trade Division, NC Dept of Commerce -Laura Camberos de Pereira, International Trade Rep., Mexico, NC -Dept of Commerce Joao de Pereira, International Sales Representative Individual research projects will allow students to explore international business dynamics and understand the most important factors influencing the success of companies in today’s global economy. The itinerary will feature: Meetings with: – US Ambassador to Honduras – American Chamber of Commerce – El Salvador – Honduras – U.S. Foreign Commercial Services – El Salvador – Honduras – Honduran Apparel Manufacturers’ Association Tours of Businesses: – Green Valley Industrial Park – US Textile Facilities – Local Textile Businesses Visits to: – San Pedro Sula Port Authority – Cultural and Historic Sites – Local Markets.
Mexico 2008
DBI-Mexico Student Delegate Brochure
By William D. Harazin, Attorney and Adjunct Associate Professor and Mariana Lhotsky, 2008 Student Delegate
Competing in a global economy demands significant preparation and understanding of the business and cultural environment of our customers, suppliers and competitors, many of whom are oceans away. To meet the competition, the Wilson College of Textiles, in conjunction with Wake Tech’s Small Business Center and the NC Division of International Trade, and with the support of VF Corporation, headed to Guadalajara, Mexico during Spring break 2008 for the 2nd annual “Doing Business Internationally” program for an “on the ground” crash course in international trade.
Four Wilson College of Textiles students joined a North Carolina Delegation of small business owners, who set out to test the waters of international trade while the Student Delegates learned the culture and effective business practices in an international marketplace. While in Guadalajara, Mexico, Student Delegates, Lonny Langston, Mariana Lhotsky, Laura Sampson and Dnyanada Satam also collected information for individual significant textile research projects.
Once on the ground, the Student Delegates met with trade officials and textile representatives, toured factories, experienced the culture and participated in the Expo ANTAD international trade show. The Delegation met with US Consulate, the Commercial Foreign Service, the American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, and several Mexican business and government representatives. Each sector strongly echoed the next, saying that NAFTA unquestionably was a positive agreement for the Mexican economy and that the US should take advantage of its strategic location.
The Student Delegates not only attended the large Expo ANTAD International Trade Show, they participated in it by manning the North Carolina Booth to promote North Carolina’s unique “Bone Sucking Sauce” a barbeque sauce by Ford’s Gourmet Foods of Raleigh, NC. Prior to departure, the Ford family trained the Student Delegates in the qualities of their products and the intricacies of trade show promotion, which training was then put to work in the NC Booth at the Expo ANTAD.
In addition to immersing themselves in the rich and colorful Mexican culture, the Student Delegates also met with the Jalisco Textile Association leadership and toured one of the member’s textile plant. The discussions and tour provided insight into the challenges facing the Mexican Textile industry in an ever-changing competitive market and impressed upon the Student Delegates the need to be innovative, informed and flexible in the global market.
Overall, the program was a truly enriching experience, both educationally and culturally, and hopefully will result in the development of many US-Mexican business relationships in the future. The Wilson College of Textiles is already planning for the 2009 version of the annual “Doing Business Internationally” program with a planned experience in the CAFTA countries of Honduras and El Salvador.
Mexico 2007
