Las Vegas businessman forging international ties, accepts invitation to meet Belarus president and prime minister
Las Vegas, Nev. - April 8, 2010
While the local and national economy struggles, one Las Vegas businessman is finding opportunities in foreign markets. And as his business grows, Panch Prasad, CEO of health and beauty product manufacturer, U.S. International Trading Corp. (USITC), also sees his growing international ties as a great opportunity to enhance business relations between the U.S. and other nations.
Prasad's company manufactures and sells health and beauty lines, Millcreek Botanicals, Bellance, DuBarry, Amazon Organics and Silver Fox to the world. His products appear in 45 different countries. Earlier this year, he capped off three years of hard work, making his first shipment of natural and organic Millcreek beauty products to Watson's beauty supply stores in China. Now, he is exploring opportunities in the former Soviet satellite nation of Belarus.
In March, Prasad was invited by the U.S.-Belarus Business Council to attend and to speak at the Belarus-U.S. Business Forum in Minsk on March 29th and 30th. There, he met Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko and Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky, with whom he was able to discuss issues related to advancing business relations between the U.S. and Belarus. The visit also allowed Prasad to lay the groundwork for a potential joint-venture partnership between his company and Belarus business and government agencies. Prasad also forged ties with the Belarus Chamber of Commerce and is working to establish a sister-city partnership between it and the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. With other high-profile American brand representatives like Microsoft and Caterpillar on hand, Prasad was the lone official from a U.S.-based health and beauty company.
"I have to express a lot of gratitude to the Belarus leaders for allowing a small business owner like myself to come in and share my story and views with them," Prasad said. "I felt the time spent with these people was very productive on a personal, business and foreign relations level."
Prasad is exploring a partnership with Belarus bio-pharmaceutical enterprise, Belbiopharm, to establish a bulk packaging facility in Belarus, and potentially a future licensed manufacturing enterprise in the country. Belarus enjoys a central location to other former Soviet republics that could be helpful for future business expansion to neighboring countries.
"Our company has worked hard for the past 20 years to establish positive relationships with many countries, which has allowed us to grow immensely. I think we can create a win-win situation here where Belarus can benefit from access to reputable natural products while promoting economic development as well," Prasad added.
The CEO has long considered himself a student of European markets and Russia. He thinks the time is right for the people of Belarus to learn more about the benefits of using natural and organic products.
"It is very clear to me that there is an overwhelming demand for reputable natural and organic products in Belarus," Prasad said. "We have a chance to help the Belarus people join the ranks of other highly-informed natural products consumers in the world."
As a small business that sells its products internationally, USITC is reaching out on local and national levels to encourage U.S. product exports and provide insight on international business issues. Prasad is the 2007 winner of the Exporter of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration and is an advisor to the UNLV College of Business on international trade and business. He is also a member of the U.S. Export Council, a position that comes as an appointment from the U.S. President's cabinet. He enjoys speaking on the topics of international business and exports and is a resource to journalists regarding the topics as well.
About USITC:
Founded in 1990 by Panch Prasad, a trained chemist and the recipient of the 2007 Exporter of the Year Award from U.S. Small Business Administration, U.S. International Trading Corp. manufactures and distributes its five unique brands: Mill Creek Botanicals, Amazon Organics, Bellance, DuBarry, and Silver Fox along with popular vitamins and supplements. The company sells to more than 45 countries in North America, Australia, South America, Southeast Asia and Europe. USITC brands have won several industry awards, including the 2005 Natural Products Showcase honor and Best of Beauty Awards from Better Nutrition Magazine in 2009 and 2010. The company is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Media Contact:
Panch Prasad, CEO, USITC
(702) 767-8147
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