AS PART OF A NEW RECRUITING DRIVE, ATLANTA’S WORLD TRADE CLUB IS EMPHASIZING ITS WTC NETWORK SYSTEM, A WORLDWIDE ELECRONIC TRADING AND COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE THAT LINKS TOGETHER MORE THAN 160 WORLD TRADE CENTERS, INCLUDING THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN NEW YORK, WHICH, DESPITE THE RECENT BOMBING, CONTINUES TO OPERATE.

BARBARA BAZZOLI, THE ATLANTA CLUB’S NEW MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR AND NETWORK MANAGER, IS ACTIVELY PROMOTING THE SERVICE AS A WAY FOR BUSINESSES TO BENEFIT FROM THE CLUB’S INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY THE FAR MORE COSTLY CORPORATE AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP FEES.

SIERRA GEORGIA INC. WAS THE FIRST TO SIGN UP FOR NETWORK MEMBERSHIP LAST WEEK FOR A $150 INITIATION FEE, AND $225 ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES. WE JOINED UP PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT’S OUT THERE, SAID JAMES COX, A PART-OWNER OF THE PUBLISHING COMPANY WHICH WILL SELL AN MS-DOS MANUAL IN THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA THAT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED INTO RUSSIAN.

COX, A FORMER PRESIDENT OF AN AIRCRAFT PARTS MANUFACTURING COMPANY IN  MISSISSIPPI, HAS BEEN VISITING THE FORMER SOVIET UNION EVER SINCE OCTOBER,1990, WHEN HE JOINED TRIPS SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA-BASED FRIENDSHIP FORCE.  HE FIRST DEVELOPED A JOINT-VENTURE WITH A MANUFACTURING PLANT IN GEORGIA TO MAKE AIRCRAFT PARTS, AND HE CONTINUES TO BE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT WAS DONE THERE.

THE PARTS THAT WERE DONE THERE WERE JUST AS GOOD AS PARTS WE COULD MAKE IN THE U.S., HE SAID.  BUT THEY HAVE TREMENDOUS TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS.

COX HOPES THAT THE WTC NETWORK WILL PUT HIM IN TOUCH WITH OTHER SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN BECOMING INVOLVED IN GEORGIA.  ASIDE FROM HIS PUBLISHING PROJECTS, HE HAS TRADED RAW MATERIALS AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A TRUCKING LINE INTO GEORGIA FROM TURKEY.

BY BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE WTC NETWORK, COX WILL BE ABLE TO USE ITS ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD TO ANNOUNCE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BOTH WANTED AND OFFERED AROUND THE WORLD.  HE ALSO WILL BE ABLE TO USE THE NETWORK’S ELECTRONIC MAIL SERVICE TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO INTERESTING OFFERS OR TO SEND A MESSAGE TO ANY OTHER SUBSCRIBER.

THE NETWORK ALSO CONTAINS A DATABASE OF SUBSCRIBER COMPANIES WITH THE PROFILES OF EACH COMPANY  PROVIDING INFORMATION ABOUT ITS PRODUCTS, SERVICES, BANK REFERENCES, WORLD TRADE CENTER AFFILIATION, TELEPHONE NUMBER AND ELECTRONIC MAIL ADDRESS.

THE CLUB HIRED MS. BAZZOLI IN SEPTEMBER TO HEAD UP THE NETWORK DRIVE, A POSITION SHE READILY ACCEPTED FOR IT  REPRESENTED THE CULMINATION OF HER EFFORTS TO TAP LOCAL NETWORKS INTERESTED IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.

A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE, SHE MOVED TO ATLANTA LOOKING FOR A JOB THAT WOULD EXPOSE HER TO THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE. THROUGH THE GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS, SHE LEARNED OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WOMEN’S NETWORK AND ATTENDED A LUNCHEON WHERE SHE HEARD JANIS BASISTA, THE CENTER’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GIVE THE KEYNOTE SPEECH, PROMPTING HER TO APPLY FOR THE AVAILABLE POSITION.