Eleven N.D. companies participate in 27-company USA Pavilion

Representatives from North Dakota businesses said their participation in a trade mission to South Africa generated significant new business. Immediate sales of over $4 million are reported by the U.S. companies as a result of the show. Company officials showcased their equipment at the Nampo Farm Show in Bothaville, South Africa.

They participated in a USA Pavilion organized by the US Commercial Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Twelve companies were represented by US Commercial Service staff at the show.

“Superior Manufacturing has made some great in-roads into not only South Africa, but a number of surrounding countries as well,” said Jon Engelstad, International Sales Manager for Superior, Inc., a Kindred, N.D.

manufacturer of steel grain storage bins. “South Africa has a broad and well developed agricultural sector and is a big grain producer. With increased hectares under cultivation and increased yields due to better varieties of seed, we are impressed with the opportunity and the need for grain storage in southern Africa. Thanks to the ongoing assistance of

U.S. Commercial Service and leads generated from being a part of the USA Pavilion at Nampo, we are now entering the market with some strong local business partners."

“South Africans are seeing we are serious about the market because we keep coming back,” said Heather Ranck, director of the U.S. Commercial Service office in North Dakota. “This was my fourth time to return to this show and

our US delegation keeps growing. We’ve become an incubator where U.S. companies start in the USA Pavilion then graduate by finding local partners who establish large booths of their own at the show.” USA Pavilion participants attended a business reception at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg and toured farming operations to learn more

about South Africa’s equipment needs. U.S. representatives also met with a USAID-sponsored 120 member delegation of agribusiness people from surrounding African countries. The 2011 Nampo show had over 71,723

visitors and 672 exhibitors.

North Dakota’s exports to South Africa were $22.6 million in 2011, a 24% increase over 2010. Five of the top North Dakota items exported to South Africa were farm machinery.

For a list of all 27 participating U.S. companies visit: www.farmersapprentice.com/usapavilion.pdf.

Tags: agriculture, updates