The World Trade Center Atlanta is forming a “Gateway Group” of its members and partner organizations that want to help provide orientation services for foreign companies moving to Atlanta and the Southeast.
The group is forming an Internet portal where companies arriving in Atlanta – or local companies moving abroad – can seek information and assistance. The project is spearheaded by Janet Walsh, president of Birchtree Inc., a human resources firm, and Jim Munson, executive vice president of Xonex Inc., a relocation services company.
“We are trying to make it easier for small, foreign-based companies moving to the Southeast by helping them identify the resources they need and putting them in touch with the right people,” Ms. Walsh told GlobalAtlanta.
The Gateway Group will also provide incubator services at the WTCA headquarters for foreign companies needing hourly or daily office space and business assistance for limited periods.
The idea began with a meeting between Atlanta’s foreign trade commissioners and the WTCA. The commissioners were finding that despite the availability of relocation resources, foreign companies coming here were still “lost,” Mr. Munson said.
Atlanta Foreign Trade Representatives Group will have access to the portal to assist companies arriving from their respective countries and share information.
A growing number of partner organizations, including the Brazilian-American, Clayton, Cobb, East African-American and Swedish-American chambers of commerce, are participating in the project and providing information for the portal.
The portal is expected to be up and running within the next month, Ms. Walsh said.
For more information or to participate, contact Janet Walsh at (770) 590-8338 or walsh@Birchtreehr.com. Contact Jim Munson at (770) 496-8188 or jmunson@xonex.com