World Trade Center in Tacoma quadruples membership serving south King, Pierce and Thurston counties

The World Trade Center Tacoma has officially quadrupled its membership since 2009. On Oct. 5th, Brown & Haley President & CEO Pierson Clair hand-delivered their membership check to WTC Tacoma President Anthony Hemstad to symbolically mark the quadrupling.

October 6, 2011 7:57 pm
Brown & Haley President and CEO Pierson Clair hand delivered their membership check to WTC Tacoma President Anthony Hemstad to symbolically mark the quadrupling.
Brown & Haley President and CEO Pierson Clair hand delivered their membership check to WTC Tacoma President Anthony Hemstad to symbolically mark the quadrupling.

The World Trade Center Tacoma has officially quadrupled its membership since 2009.  On Oct. 5th, Brown & Haley President & CEO Pierson Clair hand-delivered their membership check to WTC Tacoma President Anthony Hemstad to symbolically mark the quadrupling.

“At a time when most other similar organizations are shrinking, it is encouraging to see the WTC Tacoma thriving.  It clearly is the most dynamic international trade promotion group in the region right now,” said Americold’s Hugh Carr.  Carr is also the chairman of WTC Tacoma’s Board of Directors.

Rob Frueh, Member Services Director for the World Trade Center Association’s headquarters in New York said, “The World Trade Center Association wants to congratulate the World Trade Center Tacoma for all it has achieved in recent years.  By quadrupling its membership since 2009 that makes Tacoma one of the fastest growing World Trade Centers in the entire organization that includes 330 World Trade Centers in almost 100 countries.   The WTC Association’s motto is ‘Prosperity Through Trade’ – WTC Tacoma’s recent success stems from its own focus on helping its members trade and that, in turn, is growing WTC Tacoma.  It is a great example for other full-service WTCs in the association.”

The World Trade Center Tacoma is the only full service World Trade Center in the Pacific Northwest.  Most of its members are currently based in Pierce, South King or Thurston counties. The Port of Tacoma purchased the license for the World Trade Center Tacoma in 1979 and WTCTA has since grown into a membership-based organization providing a wide array of trade assistance.  It conducts trade education courses, trade match-making, trade research and consulting and helps with inbound and outbound trade missions.  It also recognizes trade excellence through its Globe Awards which attracted 400 participants in September.

Anthony Hemstad, who joined WTCTA in early 2009, thinks there is still room to grow.

“Trade is one of the real bright spots in the economy right now and as more companies look overseas for potential markets they’ll naturally look to groups like the WTCTA to help them expand,” he said.