Utah firms find export chances at Mexican retailer trade show

Representatives of Utah producers, including Frank Granato, center at counter in dark shirt, greet attendees at the Expo ANTAD trade show in Mexico. Utah companies had the chance to present their goods and services to Mexican retailers at the show held earlier this month.

Six Utah companies exhibited their products ealier this month at Expo Asociación Nacional de Tiendas de Autoservicio y Departamentales (ANTAD), the leading trade show for retail in Mexico. 

Six Utah companies exhibited their products ealier this month at Expo Asociación Nacional de Tiendas de Autoservicio y Departamentales (ANTAD), the leading trade show for retail in Mexico. 

“The Expo ANTAD trade show gives Utah companies the opportunity to gain visibility with brands and buyers in Mexico,” said Derek B. Miller, World Trade Center Utah (WTC) president and CEO. “Trade missions and trade shows are the most efficient way for a company to get their products in front of hundreds of international buyers in one week. We are thrilled by the success the Utah trade show participants experienced at Expo ANTAD.”

The trade show is the final component of the trade mission to Mexico led by WTC Utah and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), in cooperation with the U.S. Small Business Administration. 

Expo ANTAD is an annual trade show that gives exhibitors the opportunity to interact directly with buyers for supermarket chains, department stores, specialty stores, pharmacies and other retailers. More than 43,000 people from 45 countries attend the show each year. Expo ANTAD is the only trade show in the world where buyers have booths to facilitate meetings with exhibitors.  

“For small businesses, trade shows are valuable face-to-face marketing events that can result in highly targeted business leads and subsequent sales,” said Brett Heimburger, director of the International Trade and Diplomacy Office at GOED. “The STEP (State Trade and Export Promotion) program makes the experience possible for Utah companies that may not have the opportunity otherwise. Companies that participated today will see significant sales opportunities.”

A successful showing at Expo ANTAD could mean a significant increase in sales to Mexico for Utah exhibitors, as the show represents 45 percent of all of the retail sales in Mexico, according to trade mission organizers. It is a prime opportunity for American food and retail companies looking to sell to the Latin American market, they said. 

Norbest, a company that produces grown turkey products in Moroni, was a first-time participant in ANTAD. The show allowed representatives of the company to meet with buyers from major grocery distributors. 

“We met with so many qualified buyers that it has made us reconsider our markets and see serious potential for expansion,” said Robert Wangerien, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Norbest.

Utah and Mexico have a strong trade relationship. This is Utah’s third trade mission to Mexico in the past five years. Over the past decade Utah exports to Mexico have grown 473 percent and in 2015, Mexico was Utah’s fourth-largest export destination. The Mexican market is a good prospect for Utah companies looking to export because of its proximity to the state and trade agreements, such as the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), that are in place.