A recently signed agreement between World Trade Center Alaska and a Russian business organization should help generate future business for members from the two groups.
The agreement with the Sakhalin Association of Business People stemmed from the Alaska group's visit to Sakhalin Island last fall. Under the agreement, the organizations aim to work together to expand business for their members.
"The intent is to be pretty deep and continuous and multidimensional," said World Trade Center Alaska Executive Director Robin Richardson.
The groups aim to establish weekly communication and pinpoint areas where they can work together on specific projects, Richardson said. Also, members of the Sakhalin association are interested in participating in Alaska panels including the upcoming Pacific Rim Construction Oil Mining Expo and conference and a seafood conference in March, she said.
PACCOM is set for Feb. 20-21 at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. World Trade Center Alaska is organizing the first annual Business of Seafood Forum for March 5-6 also in Anchorage.
Meetings between group members also would be part of the proposed Alaska visits, she said.
Richardson believes the agreement of cooperation will help Alaska and Russian businesses locate joint venture partners. The Sakhalin Association of Business People helps find experienced companies from its members.
"It makes doing business so much easier," she said. "It's nice to know you have a group of people working together as team members."
Later this year Richardson hopes to secure approval from officials in Hokkaido, Japan, to participate in the agreement. The Alaska organization led a trade mission to Sakhalin and Hokkaido last year.
World Trade Center Alaska tallies about 250 members, and the Sakhalin group's Web site said it totals 700 members representing the oil and gas, seafood, transportation, construction and telecommunications industries.
The agreement was signed Oct. 2 after Alaskans returned from the trade mission to Sakhalin.
One example of the group's cooperation came during World Trade Center Alaska's trade mission to Sakhalin earlier this year. One delegate from Alaska represented a construction equipment rental and sales company, and the Sakhalin association helped identify members interested in doing business with the Alaska delegate, Richardson recalled.
