Free Trade for Manufacturers: How to Make Free Trade Agreements Work for Your Company

Date:  June 7, 2005 Location:  The Pyle Center, 702 Langdon Street (Room 232) Phone:  414-297-1852 Email:  Jerald.veit@mail.doc.gov Contact:  Jerald Veit Sponsor:  Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), Milwaukee Export Assistance Center, Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Rural Export Initiative, Wisconsin Direct Export Council, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, and Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER)

The Interactive Videoconference for Wisconsin and Illinois Companies will be broadcast live from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Speaker John M. Kolmer will compare and contrast existing and newly negotiated Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) involving Chile, Singapore, and Australia.

For additional information, please visit the Free Trade for Manufacturers Web site.

Speaker Biography:

John M. Kolmer will lead the videoconference from the Caterpillar Global Communications Center on the campus of Bradley University.

Mr. Kolmer has an extensive background in agricultural and business-to-business marketing. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University and an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird.

Mr. Kolmer has worked as a grain merchandiser with Archer Daniels Midland in Illinois and Iowa, and as a grain exporter handling exports to Mexico for Bartlett and Company in Kansas City, Missouri. As International Sales Manager with Hollar Seeds in Colorado, he coordinated sales and marketing efforts with 17 distributors across 10 Latin American countries.

Mr. Kolmer is a member of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business. He teaches international business and culture courses at Bradley University's Foster College of Business Administration.