EDITORIAL: International trade a must for local firms

International trade should be near the top of every local manufacturer’s business plan.

As The Business Report demonstrates in its first in-depth look at the region’s international-trade market, Northern Front Range firms of every stripe are eyeing international markets, be they in Mexico, Canada, Asia, Europe, South America or elsewhere. Of the 750-odd firms listed in The Business Report’s 1996-97 Northern Front Range R&D/Manufacturers Directory, 38.8 percent are engaged in exporting.

They can afford to do little else. Advanced Energy Industries Inc., for example, has embraced international trade in part because it doesn’t want foreign companies coming into the U.S. market. The…