Chattanooga, TN (May 17, 2016) --- More than 30 countries and 700 business leaders are expected to attend the international event “Centrallia” in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on May 25-27, 2016.

“Centrallia, a global business-to-business forum, will provide a platform for our local businesses that are seeking new opportunities in international trade. The five local businesses that are participating either have a strong international footprint or are ready to grow their business through exports,” states Ivette Rios, Senior Small Business Advisor at the Small Business Development Center. Joining Ms. Rios for this event will be Debi Crabtree, Village Virtual; Julio Valladares, Roadtec; John Beatty, Beaty Fertilizer; Ken Eudy, Mesa Technologies; and Dan Levan, Energy Efficiency and Sustainability (EES) Consulting (EES).

Centrallia is about growing your business, forming new partnerships and exploring the global market. The event is ideal for businesses looking for opportunities in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, agribusiness, information and communication technologies, environmental industries; energy, resources and mining; construction/infrastructure, and innovation and R&D.

“Chattanooga's vibrant and innovative economy increasingly attracts businesses and workers from all over the world. Village Virtual is well positioned to offer services to experts who need language learning or to help prepare students and adults for the cultural shift to American language and life.  We are excited to explore this new area of service and learn how we can support the international interest in our local economy,” shares Debi Crabtree, Virtual Village LLC.

Dan LeVan, Managing Director of EES says, “EES reduces companies energy loads, considers production of clean energy, and sustains resilient energy management with projects that result in 20% IRR or better. We are predominately North American based, but open to international opportunities.”

“Since our founding in 1988, we have primarily supported clients throughout the U.S. As we expand our reach, we are looking outside the U.S. to additional international clients. We believe that Centrallia offers an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with potential customers and to better understand how we can support their goals,” states Ken Eudy, Mesa Technologies.

Participants will learn from international trade experts and world-class keynote speakers. More than 95 percent of previous attendees said Centrallia resulted in new business opportunities or leads. The proven “match-making” system supplies a full pre-event and post-event support program aimed to help small and medium sized businesses be successful and make connections to grow their business locally.

For more information about opportunities in business, contact the Tennessee Small business Development Center at 423-756-8668 or visit https://www.tsbdc.org/chscc/.