RICK WHITE DIDN’T GET HIS CHANCE IN 1980 TO PROVE HIMSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC ATHLETE, BUT IN 1990 HE WAS WELL ON HIS WAY TO BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL ENTREPRENEUR.  AND ON AUG. 1 HE WILL BE FORMALLY LAUNCHING AN INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE TO JOIN HIS ELECTRONIC  BUSINESS NETWORK – THE UNIVERSAL TRADE NETWORK (UTN) –  A UNIQUE SERVICE FOR  BUSINESSES THAT NEED ACCESS TO GLOBAL TRADE LEADS AND INFORMATION.

HIS COMPANY HRW GROUP, INC., AN INFORMATION BROKERING/DATA COMMUNICATIONS FIRM WHICH SPECIALIZES IN GATHERING BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE, WILL OPERATE OUT OF ATLANTA  AND MANAGE UTN, WHICH TIES TOGETHER INFORMATION DATA BASES AND INTERACTIVE BULLETIN BOARDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE SERVICE ALREADY PROVIDES AN IMPRESSIVE ARRAY OF DATABASE INFORMATION OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO INTERNATIONAL TRADERS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL TRADE DATA BASE (NTDB) PROVIDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.

USING THE UTN SERVICE IS SIMILAR TO USING THE MORE FAMILIAR  PRODIGY OR COMPUSERVE ON-LINE SERVICES.  BUT UTN IS UNIQUE IN THAT ITS MEMBERSHIP WILL BE LIMITED TO BUSINESS PEOPLE, AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE IS OF SPECIFIC INTEREST TO BUSINESS PEOPLE.

WHILE PRODIGY OR COMPUSERVE ARE INTERACTIVE PERSONAL SERVICES, UTN PROVIDES INFORMATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND IS WELL SUITED TO PROVIDING INTERACTIVE CONFERENCES AMONG GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND GLOBAL COMPANIES.

I LIKE A CHALLENGE, SAID THE 32-YEAR-OLD DEVELOPER OF THIS ASTOUNDING AND UNIQUE BUSINESS SERVICE WHICH HE HAS BEEN DEVELOPING OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CONTINUOUS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES THAT WILL SERVE THE CONSTANTLY CHANGING BUSINESS NEEDS OF THE COMING CENTURY.

SOME OF THE MOST QUALIFIED AND TALENTED PEOPLE VOLUNTEER INFORMATION AND LEADS ON COMPUTER NETWORKS, SAID MR. WHITE WHILE DEMONSTRATING HIS ON-LINE NETWORK SERVICE TO GLOBALFAX.  THEN HE SCROLLED THROUGH INFORMATION INPUTTED FROM SUCH INTERNATIONAL SOURCES AS THE JAPANESE ECONOMIC NEWSWIRE ARTICLES, ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE’S BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC CONFERENCES.  HE ALSO SAID THAT NEWS REPORTERS ARE CONSTANTLY ADDING VERIFIABLE INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO BUSINESSES.

THE DISAPPOINTMENT MR. WHITE EXPERIENCED WHEN PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER CANCELLED THE 1980 GAMES TO BE HELD IN MOSCOW DID NOT DETER HIM FROM SEEKING TO ADVANCE HIS ATHLETIC CAREER.  BUT THEN BEING HIT IN A DUI AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT IN 1987 ENDED HIS ATHLETIC ASPIRATIONS.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION BROKERING ON A GLOBAL SCALE BECAME APPARENT TO HIM WHILE RECOVERING.  I STARTED READING ABOUT INFORMATION BROKERING IN THE HOSPITAL, HE SAID, AND ABOUT ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE FUTURE.

HE WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE EARNINGS POTENTIAL FORECASTED FOR AN INFORMATION SPECIALIST, AND HE LIKED THE CHALLENGE OF STARTING A NEW AND REWARDING CAREER.  HE ALSO HAD TO FACE THE REALITY THAT PROSPECTS FOR A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETIC CAREER WERE DESTROYED.  HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS A SPEED RECORD HOLDER FOR THE 60 METER DASH AND AS A COMPETITOR WITH BEN JOHNSON AND CARL LEWIS WERE RELEGATED TO THE PAST.

WITHOUT LOOKING BACK, HE TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO LEARNING AS MUCH AS HE COULD ABOUT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ARMED WITH A DEGREE IN MASS COMMUNICATIONS FROM EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY.  I ALWAYS HAVE WANTED TO MAKE A LIVING DOING SOMETHING I CAN DO WELL, HE SAID, AND THE CHALLENGE OF COMPETING WITH THE WORLD’S LARGEST TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A FUTURISTIC PRODUCT HAVE DRIVEN HIM TOWARD HIS NEW GOAL.

HE MOVED TO ATLANTA TO DEVELOP THIS PRODUCT BECAUSE OF THE GROWING INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ITS IMPORTANCE AS A REGIONAL BUSINESS CENTER, BUT HE ALREADY HAS EXPLORED EXPANDING OFFICES IN HIS HOME STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT MR. WHITE AT (404) 364-6587.