Global Chamber building bridges
There’s a new kid on the block to help local businesses tap markets and trade relations beyond New Mexico’s borders.
The Global Chamber, which quietly launched in Albuquerque last year, is now actively offering its services to connect local companies with the resources, networks and know-how needed to build business ties around the globe. The organization boasts a network of affiliate chambers in more than 130 cities worldwide, connecting 30,000-plus business owners and executives through virtual introductions and online webinars and events.
With the Albuquerque branch now up and running, the chamber has also begun organizing local workshops, starting with a panel discussion it held June 22 featuring success stories from four Duke City companies that sell nearly all their products and services outside New Mexico.
“We opened the Albuquerque chamber about nine months ago and spent the first six months building our advisory board,” said Executive Director Terry McMains. “We have an official public launch planned for late summer. We’re just now coming out to market with several local and national events coming up.”
That includes global webinars this summer offering chief executive tips for building cross-border business, plus discussions about women in global leadership and trade opportunities in Africa.
“These are high-quality presentations by global leaders,” McMains said. “In one webinar a couple of months ago, we had the president of the U.S. ExportImport Bank available for our members to directly talk with him and ask about funding.”
The chamber also works with local members to assess their individual needs and connect them with people and networks that can help.
“What separates us from other organizations are the ‘warm introductions’ we offer worldwide,” McMains said. “We look at how to add value to business strategies and goals through global connections.”
Membership fees are based on company size, with a low of $500 annually for firms of up to five people and $5,000 for organizations with more than 5,000 employees.
The chamber, now based at the Aperture Center at Mesa del Sol, has assembled a broad advisory board of local business leaders and groups, with representatives from Albuquerque Economic Development, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the New Mexico Technology Council and Los Lunas Economic Development.
“When an organization has the desire and commitment required to think and do business on a broader, deeper scale, the Global Chamber is a key partner to collaborate with,” said board member Nancee Marquez, outgoing AED director of investor relations and incoming president of Quality New Mexico. “They are skilled at building key relationships and driving the level of strategic collaboration required to take business to a new level.”