L.A.-Long Beach World Trade Center Association, Berlin Sign Agreement to Collaborate on Clean Technology Clusters

Sister cities will work together on development of renewable energy projects to foster economic growth

Los Angeles—The World Trade Center Association Los Angeles-Long Beach (WTCA LA-LB), a subsidiary of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the German city of Berlin and its clean tech business park to foster economic growth in Los Angeles County through clean technology clusters and renewable energy projects.

The MOU was signed by Vance Baugham, WTCA LA-LB president, and Christian Graff, Councilor for Economics in the Berlin borough of Marzahn-Hellersdorf. Both Los Angeles and Berlin have made significant investments in land, capital, and resources to move forward in clean technology developments.

Vance Baugham

“We are excited about the MOU between the Berlin-Marzahn Cleantech Business Park and the WTCA L.A.-Long Beach as it will serve as a prelude to our 2011 visit to Berlin and to the fostering of a long term relationship in the promotion of renewable energy technologies,” said Baugham. “While we have much to learn from our German partners in the area of clean technologies, we are confident that we will bring them insight and solutions to overcoming barriers to renewable energy expansion as well.”

“We also believe that the Berlin Cleantech Business Park will serve as a useful guide to Los Angeles in helping us develop our own clean tech industrial park. We look forward to working with them and the City of Berlin on an ongoing basis to support renewable energy usage in both Berlin and in Los Angeles County,” said Baugham.

“Los Angeles County and Berlin are at the forefront of the U.S. and Europe in developing renewable energy industries. Both communities rely on renewable sources for roughly 20 percent of their energy use, and both are just now working on the development of storage and transmissions solutions to enable significant expansion of their renewable energy industry sectors,” said Bill Allen, LAEDC president and CEO.

Germany and California have demonstrated global leadership in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and support the growth of the clean energy economy through public policy. This MOU marks a major step in the move toward more energy efficient, clean tech regions and preludes a delegation visit led by the WTCA LA-LB and LAEDC to the Berlin-Marzahn Cleantech Business Park in early 2011.

For more visit: http://bit.ly/dfskT1

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PERI Software to display smart grid Technology at Miami National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference.

Peter Wiersma, PERI Software, Joseph F. Alderete Chair, SCMBDC, Southern California Edison, Sarav Periasamy, President & CEO, PERI, Michael W. Allman, President & CEO, Southern California Gas Company, his wife, Lee Ann Allman, Jeff Thorsen and Yolanda, Padilla, The Gas Company (Sempra Utilities) at the SCMBDC 26th Auual Awards Gala, Beverly Hills, CA. Allman received the Leadership Award.

Nearly 7,000 supplier diversity professionals and minority business owners are expected to attend

Miami Beach, Fl– PERI Software, based in Newark, NJ plans to show its latest smart grid technology software and hardware products at the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Conference. The four-day Conference and Business Opportunity Fair — the nation’s benchmark forum on minority supplier development - takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center beginning Sunday, October 24^th and runs through Wed., Oct. 27, 2010.

“As the nation’s leading Asian-owned global business solutions company, we’re delighted to display our smart grid technology and electric, gas and water meters at the one-day business opportunity fair on Monday, Oct. 25^th,” said Sarav Periasamy, president & CEO, PERI software. “We look forward to face-to-face meetings at this exciting event.”

Nearly 7,000 procurement executives, supplier diversity professionals and Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business owners are expected to attend. The theme of the Conference is “Minority Businesses and Corporate America–Partnership: The Engine for a Global Economy.”

“We are pleased to have a diverse lineup of speakers who represent the best in corporate procurement, minority business and academia,” said NMSDC President Joset B. Wright. “They will share their insights on the value of minority supplier development and the proven strategies MBEs must develop to succeed in the global supply chain.”

The conference program opens on Monday, October 25th, with a Power Breakfast featuring Steven Rogers, the Gordon and Llura Gund Family Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

PERI Software is the only minority-owned smart grid technology leader in this industry providing end-to-end smart grid business solutions. The international business solutions company has been named among the nation’s fastest-growing private companies by Inc. Magazine.  PERI will have its smart grid technology display at the 700-booth exhibit hall at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Most recently PERI was in called into action in Sacramento, CA to discuss implementation of Smart Grid Technology. The national California conference spotlighted PERI as one company that illustrates to national regulators and utility companies exactly how the technology will cut costs in operations and reduce energy consumption.

“Smart grid technology is the wave of the future and we are doing our part to educate the public and media on its deployment,” said Periasamy. “There are many challenges, but the opportunities are amazingly sustainable.

“Smart grid technology is mainly used by utilities, and thanks to the federal incentives program, it will be more affordable to municipalities and their customers,” Periasamy noted.

About NMSDC

The Business Consortium Fund, Inc. (BCF) is a minority business development company created by NMSDC to provide contract financing to NMSDC-certified minority businesses through a network of local participating banks and NMSDC affiliates. The Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council, one of NMSDC’s 37 regional councils, will co-host the To register: visit:www.nmsdc.org

About PERI (www.perisoftware.com) Founded in 1999, PERI is a global business solutions company, which has grown to more than 1000 plus employees and delivers high value-cost effective technology based business solutions. PERI draws on deep industry expertise and a portfolio of interrelated consulting, business processes, application development along with smart-intelligent hardware and software products. PERI blends strategic design, proven technology, and timely delivery of solutions that maximize customers return on IT investment. Be sure to visit PERI’s blog for company updates and developmentshttp://perisoftware.wordpress.com.

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ITEP and LA Harbor College Career Day in South Bay “GPS YOUR FUTURE” Career Fair is win-win for students

“In the USA, Global Trade is very young and new so our schools systems were not offering these
types of credentials and training until recently, ” said Diana Jansson, director of Global Trade
Compliance, Dole Food Company Inc.

Wilmington, CA –  More than 500 10^thand 11^th grade students from International Trade Education Programs (ITEP) academies at Banning and Carson High Schools packed into the first ever Career day event at Harbor College, Wilmington, CA. The warm student reception observed by the corporate and Government officials, who attended and made presentations, was the right formula to raise hopes to counter discouraging job prospects.

“It is good to see the work that ITEP is doing for kids that may not have any idea of what is available in the workforce for Global Trade today,” said Diana Jansson, director of Global Trade Compliance, Dole Food Company Inc., Westlake Village, CA, who spoke to the students. “I believe that these types of programs are a way to take social responsibility to prepare and expose the younger generation to the available career opportunities in the field of Global Trade.”

The event was entitled “ITEP & LA Harbor College Present GPS Your Future” and focused on preparing for job opportunities in the near future. It was sponsored by Harbor College and the Foreign Trade Association, the Port of Los Angeles and Watson Land Company.
Shortly after the career fair, Capt. George Kolarov, a guidance counselor at Banning High School, said, “The majority of students found something that tweaked their interest and gave them a few areas to dream about.”

The interactive college campus setting provided students with “real,” timely information about international careers and opportunities in the future. Planning for the event grew out of an ITEP Board discussion on the need to further help academy students to be exposed to the variety of careers related to international commerce and to develop career goals.

“In the USA, Global Trade is very young and new so our schools systems were not offering these types of credentials and training until recently,” explained Jansson, “Other countries around the world, like European countries, have been training students and doing international internship programs as part of the High School and College requirements on International Business for a long time which gives those countries a head start on the global trade process.”

Jansson also noted that in order to really know how to play the game of International Trade, “We need to know the rules, she said. “What better time to review some of the basic rules than with High School kids so they can have a bigger picture of what could be available to them besides the local business they’re expose to, on a daily basis.”

Jansson contends that by having the industry present to young students, it will push educators to expand the areas of teaching for a more in-depth curriculum of Global Trade.

Exhibits organized by ITEP and the Foreign Trade Association were staffed by some 20 companies and government agencies involved in global activities who provided the students with personal guidance as they discussed various types of skills, education and expertise sought by global firms.

The exhibitors included: APM Terminals, California Maritime Academy, Center for International Trade & Transportation (CSULB), Center for International Trade Development (El Camino), Comerica Bank, FedEx, Fashion Institute of Design & Manufacturing (FIDM), Foreign Trade Assn. , Halcrow HPA, Keesal Young Logan, Los Angeles Harbor College , LAHC Wildland Fire, Los Angeles Port Police, Matson Navigation, NYK Logistics, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Shell Pipeline Co., Tesoro Los Angeles Refinery,  Trade Attorneys, Trucking & Freight Forwarding Firms, US Coast Guard, US Customs and Border Protection, US Commercial Service (Dept. of Commerce)

The exhibitors also offered projections regarding the types of positions expected to open-up in the next few years in maritime law, engineering, finance and maritime law enforcement.  Additionally, educational institutions such as the California Maritime Academy, El Camino’s California International Trade Development (CITD), and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) had representatives present to talk about educational opportunities open to ITEP graduates.

Foreign Trade Assn. display at LA Harbor & ITEP Career Fair.

Later in the day, the students participated in a dozen breakout sessions to raise their awareness of the variety of potential careers in several fields, including maritime law enforcement, “green” environmental fields, non-profit careers, global logistics, careers requiring computer graphic skills, fashion design and merchandising, and hospitality and food service careers.

ITEP Fair coordinators and volunteers are already talking about planning another one for next year.

Images Online for this story were provided by Harlene Stanley.

First ITEP Career Fair at LA Harbor College in Wilmington, CA.
Event theme:
“GPS YOUR FUTURE”

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THE ITEP AND
HARBOR COLLEGE CAREER FAIR VISIT:

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