Small businesses from British Columbia, Alberta and the rest of the country will be welcome at a new Vancouver-based export centre designed to promote international trade, says the facility’s chief executive.
Mark Mensing, founder of the Canada Export Centre slated to open in November, says his company will ensure space for smaller firms in addition to large players. If necessary, the centre might save spaces for smaller firms that need ‘‘hand-holding’’ when it comes to exporting.
‘‘We’re bringing in 200 trade missions a year,’’ says Mensing.
The CEC, located in the old Bank of Nova Scotia building at the corner of Hastings and Seymour, will feature 370 tradeshow-like booths that promote the products and services of Canadian firms to overseas customers.
Exhibitors will pay $6,900 per year to exhibit at the CEC and will also have access to meeting rooms, business facilities and two presentation rooms. Mensing’s company will not take a percentage of sales.
In 2004-05, exhibition contracts will be for one year only.
‘‘We want to prove ourselves,’’ says Mensing. ‘‘And then at the end of the first year, we’ll offer three-year opportunities.’’ Mensing says the number of companies applying to exhibit will likely exceed the available space in the 1,394-square-metre presentation centre, considered to be the first of its kind in Canada. All provinces and territories will be represented.
‘‘It’s called the Canada Export Centre,’’ says Mensing. ‘‘We want to make sure that Canada is represented, not one individual province.’’ Depending on demand, the number of spaces awarded to a province will be based on the province’s population, says Mensing. B.C. will get 60 spaces – more than its share based on population – because of the centre’s location and the high export activity in the province. Ontario will get 87 spaces instead of the 141 that it would be allotted based on population.
‘‘We’re accepting them in the order that they come in,’’ says Mensing.
If one province or territory applies for less space than expected, another province or territory will get more.
Alberta has also been awarded 60 spaces. Mensing says he plans to contact firms from the Wild Rose province this week.
‘‘We want to make sure that we have a really good mix, not only in a variety of different industries, but also geographically,’’ says Mensing.
The only requirements for entry are that companies be ‘‘semi- or export-ready.’’ The centre is privately funded, but International Trade Canada will actively promote it, says Mensing.
Leading Edge B.C., a joint provincial-private marketing association designed to make the province’s tech sector a world leader, is also playing an active role.
Mensing says similar organizations in other provinces are also expected to promote the centre.
‘‘I think Canada has a lot to offer,’’ says Mensing. ‘‘It’s just that we need to be more aggressive in showing off what we have.’’ Exhibitors are expected to range from forest companies to high-tech firms to a company that builds log homes.
Mensing, 35, came up with the idea for an export centre while sailing on his 15-metre trimaran Bold Spirit during a two-year tour of the South Pacific.
He fell in love with New Zealand and was trying to find business opportunities that would allow him to return there often when he discovered a Kiwi export centre.
He learned that China, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and the Philippines have similar centres and decided to build one in his hometown of Vancouver.
‘‘We rely too much on the U.S. (for trade opportunities),’’ says Mensing. ‘‘We can grow in the U.S., but we need to expand in Europe, Asia, South America and the rest of the world.’’ Mensing returned to Vancouver and called his old friend Michael Lyons, a real-estate investor and former owner of Lower Mainland Alarms, who now serves as CEC’s president and a 50-per-cent owner.
‘‘Within 10 minutes, he says, ‘This is incredible,’ ’’ says Mensing. ‘‘The next day, he called me back and says he was dropping everything to work on it.’’ After launching the new centre in Vancouver, Mensing and Lyons plan to launch a similar export venue in Toronto within the next year.
