WCTI is the organization that brings the private sector into the picture. WCTI's executive director is Penelope W. Menzies. WCTI's board and staff represent nearly 300 members. WCTI, which has counterparts in most World Trade Centers throughout the world, has established specialized business networks in two targeted regions, Latin America and Asia. It offers an international trade reference library and can provide inquirers with details on emerging markets and export trends, investment reports, international product sources, upcoming trade shows, and international contacts.
Initial consultations are free for Maryland companies.
Founding partners of WTRC include Advance Business Systems, BGE, Signet Bank, the Maryland Port Administration, and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. Another recent development is a partnership between the boards of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the World Trade Center, so that members of each can share benefits of the other. This fall the two organizations plan joint membership programs. Until the Civil War, Baltimore was a major hub of world commerce. Now it looks as if this history may well be repeated, and that will be good news indeed for the local economy.