Export Program Connects Small Businesses to Global Markets

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) recognized 16 small businesses from across the state on completing the Export Indiana Accelerator Program. This statewide initiative assists Indiana companies with creating ready-to-execute export plans to position their products or services in the international marketplace. With 2020’s celebration canceled due to the pandemic, this year’s ceremony included participants from the program’s 2020 and 2021 cohorts.

“Indiana is committed to creating new opportunities for Hoosier small businesses to sell and export their products in markets around the world,” said David Watkins, Indiana SBDC state director. “The Export Indiana Accelerator Program helps small businesses grow in communities across the state, positioning Hoosier entrepreneurs, innovators and our state for continued success.”

The Export Indiana Accelerator Program, managed by the Indiana SBDC, is an immersive, three-month program that provides Hoosier small business owners with the export guidance and market research resources necessary to create an executable export business plan.

2021 participants:

• BNutty (Portage) is a woman- and minority-owned gourmet peanut butter producer that specializes in a variety of flavors and offers product subscription services.
• Diamond K Sweets (Spencer) is a mother-daughter-owned confectionary manufacturer of innovative, gourmet chocolate and candy products delivered to consumers across the U.S.
• Garb2Art (Columbus) is a woman-owned manufacturer of skincare and bath products using recyclable and reusable packaging.
• Hudson Star Greens Mowers (Crawfordsville) is a family-owned precision greens mower manufacturer, creating lightweight and easy-to-use greens mowers.
• Indiana Face Mask (Rensselaer) is a family-owned company that pivoted its plan for a new swimming pool filtration manufacturing plant to use its filtration material to produce N95 masks during the pandemic.
• InsightTRAC (Syracuse) is a woman-owned startup providing on-site robotic pest removal and data tracking services to help almond growers better manage and optimize their yields.
• Carmody DBA Applicables (Indianapolis) is a woman-owned company that manufactures custom mailbox door covers along with magnets and decals.
• Jeco Plastic Products (Plainfield) is a family- and veteran-owned designer and manufacturer of rugged pallets and containers for the printing, automotive, warehousing and other industries, offering rotational molding and thermoforming production capabilities.
• The Perfumery (New Albany) is a woman-owned manufacturer and distributor of essential oils, absolutes, CO2s and other natural aromatics as well as custom blends. The company also offers fragrance duplication, product development and private labeling services.

2020 participants are listed here.

The program, which is available to new and existing exporters, connects companies with Indiana SBDC export-certified advisers who offer services such as business management training, foreign market research, tax, tariff and regulatory compliance in addition to application assistance for the Indiana State Trade and Export Promotion (IN-STEP) program. For more information on the Export Indiana Accelerator Program, visit isbdc.org/export-indiana-accelerator-program.