News

GRAYSLAKE, Ill. - Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) President and Chairman Kimberly A. Reed today met with officials of the Illinois Small Business Development Center's International Trade Centers (SBDC ITCs) and presented them with EXIM's 2020 Regional Export Promotion Program (REPP) Member of the Year award.

The Illinois SBDC ITCs were previously recognized during EXIM's virtual 2020 Annual Conference, the largest annual conference in the agency's history, September 9-11. EXIM Chairman Reed presented the award in person during her visit to officials with the Illinois SBDC ITC at the College of Lake County, which hosts one of the Illinois SBDC's eight ITC offices.

The Illinois SBDC ITCs offer information, business advising, and training to U.S. companies that currently export or may be interested in pursuing international growth opportunities. They also participate in the EXIM Regional Export Promotion Program, which brings state, county, and local economic development entities together with EXIM to facilitate more U.S. exports abroad. SBDC ITCs, hosted in Illinois by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, have conducted more than a dozen EXIM-related events and referred approximately $500,000 in EXIM authorizations over the last two fiscal years.

"I am so excited to be here to underscore how important partners like the Illinois SBDC International Trade Centers are to EXIM. Our agency's mission is to support U.S. jobs by facilitating exports, but to do that we often need organizations such as this one to reach more American exporters, and especially small businesses," said EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed. "The initiatives underway here illustrate the benefits of EXIM's Regional Export Promotion Program, which connects our great American exporters with ways to sell more of their 'Made in the USA' goods and services and support the U.S. jobs that make them possible. We also had a great discussion of the importance of apprenticeship programs. I thank the Illinois SBDC ITCs and the entire College of Lake County for all your focus on the American worker and our nation's future workforce. Keep up the great work!"

"EXIM's finance solutions have been a driving force in increasing export opportunities and minimizing potential financial risks for Illinois small business exporters. To that end, our network of Illinois SBDC International Trade Centers has continuously dedicated its efforts to promoting its programs to exporters," said Kevin Kim, an International Trade Specialist at the Illinois SBDC International Trade Center at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois. "We look forward to continuing our collaboration with EXIM and ensuring more products made by Illinois small businesses reach foreign buyers. We appreciate this recognition of our team's work as we keep moving forward to new heights."

From left: Dr. Lori Suddick, President, College of Lake County; Kevin Kim, International Trade Specialist, Illinois SBDC ITC at the College of Lake County; and EXIM Chairman Kimberly Reed.

Since 2014, EXIM has supported exports valued at $2 billion from 226 companies - including 162 small businesses - across Illinois.

U.S. companies, particularly small businesses, can utilize EXIM's financing tools and resources to increase their international sales, showcase their "Made in the USA" products, and sustain American jobs. In addition, EXIM has implemented several COVID-19 (coronavirus) relief measures for U.S. exporters and financial institutions to enhance the agency's existing programs.

From left to right: Edward Newburn, Special Advisor, EXIM; Ali O'Brien, Vice President Community and Workforce Partnerships, College of Lake County; Lori Suddick, President, College of Lake County; Kimberly Reed, Chairman, EXIM; Kevin Kim, International Trade Specialist, Illinois Small Business Development and International Trade Center, College of Lake County; Mitch Bienvenue, Director, Illinois Small Business Development and International Trade Center, College of Lake County; Eric Kurtz, Executive Director, Workforce and Professional Development Institute, College of Lake County; and Ryan McCormack, Chief of Staff, EXIM.

For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov.

ABOUT EXIM:

EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to support sales of U.S. goods and services to international buyers. A robust EXIM can level the global playing field for U.S. exporters when they compete against foreign companies that receive support from their governments. EXIM also contributes to U.S. economic growth by helping to create and sustain hundreds of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. In recent years, approximately 90 percent of the total number of the agency's authorizations has directly supported small businesses. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt.

For more information about EXIM, please visit www.exim.gov.