Economic and political problems in the Ukraine aren’t keeping Terence Bell, president and owner of an Atlanta marketing firm, The Treasure Group, from taking on his fourth consulting assignment there.
Mr. Bell notified GlobalFax last week that he would be developing a sales team and conducting market research in the Ukraine April 29-May 26 on behalf of an economic development program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S.AID).
The program, known as the Western Ukraine initiative, is being managed and implemented by Arden Hills, Minn.-based Land O’Lakes Inc., a global company which is best known for its dairy products, and the Agricultural Cooperative Development International (ACDI), a Washington, D.C.-based private membership organization of U.S. agribusinesses.
Mr. Bell will report to Jon Thiele, Land O’Lakes’ country manager for the Ukraine, and be will be stationed in the city of Lviv.
Despite the Ukraine’s lackluster economic performance — economic growth continues to fall since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mr. Bell continues to be optimistic about the country’s prospects because of its natural resources and the capabilities of its people.
The initiative aims, he said, to speed up agricultural privatization, increase trade between the Ukraine and bordering countries, expand credit availability and improve the business management skills of Ukrainian agribusinesses.
Mr. Bell’s involvement in the Ukraine began with his volunteer activities on behalf of Ukrainian Paralympic athletes who participated in the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. Since then he has been involved in management training programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs in Washington, D.C.
He is a former director of the Sevananda Member-Owned Natural Food Market in Little Five Points and his company, The Treasure Group, is an associate of the international consulting firm, Group 7 Inc.
For more information, he may be reached by calling (770) 690-8900; fax, (770) 690-8905.