AVENTURA NEWS

10 november 1993

By Elaine Adler President, Aventura Marketing Council

"Witamy w Poludniowej Florydzie!" ( Welcome to South Florida!) were the hour this past week when Miami - Dade Community College`s North Campus hosted the country`s first US/Poland Business Trading Symposium.
In an effort to conduct trade between 20+ local, national and multinational U.S companies and 30+ Polish private and governement - owned corporations, MDCC - N brought the business together to discuss the commercial ventures and franchising opportunities for both sides.
One of the originators of project, Dr. Michael Lenaghan, Chirman of MDCC - N history and political science departament, said "Because Poland is virtually an utapped consumer market that is in dire need of even the most basic necessities, this business trading symposium provides U.S. companies with a wonderful opportunity to get in the ground level in competivite marketplace".
This symposium is considered not only as a boost to South Florida`s economy but also a way to help Poland`s business gain firsthand knowledge on how to shift from a socialist to a free - market economy. " Polish business leaders have all of the tools to begin a free-market, consumerdriven economy, but lack the necessary hands-on free enterprise experience to put it in place" said Lenaghan. "Corporate ethics, customer servece and community involvement are standard practice for most American corporations but very foreign to Polish companies" he added.
Prof. Andrzej Stelmachowski, former education minister and president of Wspolnota polska, a cabinet - level office dedicated to promoting Poland`s culture, tourism and business, visited Miami - Dade`s North Campus because of a redent trade mission and educational delegation from Florida to Poland, sponsored by the campus. Dr. Wiliam Primus, Endowed Chair Professor of Governement and International Relations at MDCC-N said that Poland is planning to use MDCC-N as model to create the first community college in Poland.
The Business Trading Symposium is the third phase of North Campus` innovative mission, Florida Bussiness-Natural Partners in a Global Earning and Learning Environement, First Priority: Poland.
"South Florida is home to many multinational corporations and has a multi-ethic and multicultural population, and becomes an ideal trading partner for Poland" according to Leghan. "No other community can make that claim".
Dr. Terry Kelly, President of North Campus, hosted a luncheon for community leaders to meet the Polish delegations. The delegations had already participated in seminars at MDCC-N on how to become a succesfull enterprise in the USA with emphasis on legal and technical issues. They heard U.S. companies give detailed requrements on how Poles can become franchisees of their particular business. Aditional presentations by U.S. corporations would be held the next day at the Holiday Inn Newport Pier Resort i Sunny Isles Beach.
At Miami - Dade`s luncheon, I had the pleasure of sitting with eight delegates from Poland, and despite the language barrier, we had a delightful time. Some of them spoke English, but their smiles said it all! I met young Andrzej Mysliwiec, President of The Cracow Furniture Factory who was totally charming and we conversed through smiles and interpreters. Claudio Rodriguez - Vasquez is President of the Sparrow Trading Corp.. in Coral Gables and helped tremendously with translations. Jerzy Kozlowicz is Director of Wlasciciel Firmy and Iwona Teochimczuk is Import Director of Cezex Papier in Warsaw. Joseph P. Sverchek is Secretary and Legal Advisor for the Polish American Chamber of Commerce and Anton Krol is President of Per Eltor - Tychy.
John Henry Gluski from SCORE here in Miami was helpful translator who kept the conversation alive. Our new friends from Poland were thrilled with the trip so far and were looking forward to the continuation of journey to Orlando and Tampa the following week.
Leave it to Miami - Dade Community College, North Campus to initiate such a mervelous program! There are so many things that tear us apart in this world...at MDCC-N they are working to bring the world closer together by extending their hand in friendship.