Ex-Im Bank Opens New Regional Office in Midtown

Atlanta small businesses now have a new Midtown-based resource available to them to help expand sales overseas and sustain U.S. jobs. The resource is in the form of a new regional export finance center operated by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).

The Atlanta office opened Wednesday in conjunction with the bank's Global Access forum at the Georgia Tech Research Institute to promote small-business exports.

Susan Kintanar will serve as the bank's Atlanta regional director and will be located in the Atlanta office of the U.S. Export Assistance Center at 75 5th St. Kintanar most recently served as vice president for global trade finance at Regions Bank in Midtown.

This is the second opening of the four planned regional export finance centers this year by Ex-Im Bank in its effort to assist local businesses improve their export sales. The center will provide enhanced access to Ex-Im Bank products and services and will assist local businesses in the region to realize export sales opportunities abroad.

The bank launched its first regional center in Minneapolis, Minn., and will open similar centers in Seattle, Wash. (August 20); and Detroit, Mich. (late fall).

Wanda Felton, first vice president and vice chair of Ex-Im Bank, delivered keynote remarks at the forum Wednesday and offered a program overview of Global Access for Small Business. More than 100 local small-business exporters attended and received advice on engaging foreign markets and using Ex-Im Bank products.

"Atlanta and surrounding area business owners can gain a competitive edge abroad by using our new export finance center," said Felton in a press release. "The center will support local businesses seeking new opportunities for growth in foreign markets."

In fiscal year 2011, Ex-Im Bank authorized approximately $165 million to Georgia businesses supporting an estimated $628 million in export sales. Of the 65 exporters who received Ex-Im Bank financing during this period, 40 were small businesses.

Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. According to Ex-Im Bank, in the past five years it has earned for U.S. taxpayers $1.9 billion above the cost of operations. The bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.

- Ex-Im Bank contributed to this report